Redfin Report: More Homes Hit the Market as Spring Approaches, But 7% Mortgage Rates Keep Buyers on the Sidelines

New listings posted their biggest increase in two months this week, but mortgage applications and pending sales declined as rates stay stubbornly high

(NASDAQ: RDFN) —New listings rose 10% year over year during the four weeks ending February 18, the biggest increase in two months, according to a new report from Redfin (redfin.com), the technology-powered real estate brokerage. Sellers are hoping to take advantage of high prices: Sale prices are up 6% year over year, the biggest increase since October 2022.

But many buyers are still sitting on the sidelines. Mortgage-purchase applications dropped 10% from a week earlier as daily average mortgage rates surpassed 7% for the first time since mid-December, and pending home sales are down 7% year over year, similar to the declines seen since mid-January. But some house hunters are jumping into the earliest stages of homebuying: Redfin’s Homebuyer Demand Index, which measures requests for tours and homebuying assistance from Redfin agents, is up from the low point it dropped to in mid-January, when harsh weather was freezing up demand.

Redfin agents report that today’s buyers are mostly interested in move-in ready homes because they don’t want to spend money on repairs and renovations in addition to high monthly payments. Agents also recommend that sellers are open to providing some sort of financial concession to buyers to help ease the pain of 7% rates.

“I tell every one of my sellers to have an open mind and put on their buyer's hat. Nine times out of 10, buyers are asking for a concession in their initial offer right now—and usually the seller needs to accept it to seal the deal,” said Shauna Pendleton, a Redfin Premier agent in Boise, ID. “The most common concession buyers are asking for is a mortgage-rate buydown. Requests for sellers to cover the closing costs are also common. I most often see buyers ask for concessions for more affordable homes—anything under $500,000 here in Boise—but I see some concessions on expensive homes, too.”

Leading indicators

Key housing-market data

To view the full report, including charts, please visit:

https://www.redfin.com/news/housing-market-update-new-listings-increase-sales-decline

About Redfin

Redfin (www.redfin.com) is a technology-powered real estate company. We help people find a place to live with brokerage, rentals, lending, title insurance, and renovations services. We also run the country's #1 real estate brokerage site. Our home-buying customers see homes first with same day tours, and our lending and title services help them close quickly. Customers selling a home in certain markets can have our renovations crew fix up their home to sell for top dollar. Our rentals business empowers millions nationwide to find apartments and houses for rent. Customers who buy and sell with Redfin pay a 1% listing fee, subject to minimums, less than half of what brokerages commonly charge. Since launching in 2006, we've saved customers more than $1.5 billion in commissions. We serve more than 100 markets across the U.S. and Canada and employ over 4,000 people.

For more information or to contact a local Redfin real estate agent, visit www.redfin.com. To learn about housing market trends and download data, visit the Redfin Data Center. To be added to Redfin's press release distribution list, email press@redfin.com. To view Redfin's press center, click here.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240222020497/en/