Key Takeaways
- Active for-sale listings grew 12.1% annually in December to 976,833; with the biggest gains in D.C., Charlotte, and Las Vegas
- The median list price dipped 3.6% from November and 0.6% year-over-year
- 12.9% of listings reduced their price, while time on market expanded
Promising news for home buyers
The double-edged sword of low affordability and low inventory has made house hunting harder in recent years.
While the supply of for-sale homes still lags pre-pandemic totals, a recovery’s underway. The count of active listings jumped 12.1% annually in December, according to Realtor.com.
Some of the largest inventory gains came in high-demand cities and nearly an eighth of all listings had price reductions.
Find your lowest rate. Start hereActive listings make leap in December
In a promising sign for prospective borrowers, active home listings grew 12.1% annually in December, according to Realtor.com’s Housing Report.
A typical day during the month yielded 976,833 for-sale listings, down from 1.07 million in November but above 871,509 in December 2024. It marked the 26th straight month of annual growth. Though active listings overall still lag “normal” prepandemic levels, that varies regionally and at the metro level.
The median listing price went to $399,950 in December, down 3.6% from $415,000 in November and 0.6% from $402,502 in December 2024. It also marks a 33.4% growth rate from $299,950 in December 2019.
Additionally, the median time listings spent on the market expanded to 73 days, up from 64 days in November and 69 days the year prior. The share of listings with price reductions hit 12.9%, down monthly from 18% and flat annually.
“Housing in 2025 wasn’t defined by a single national narrative,” said Danielle Hale, chief economist at Realtor.com. “Some markets told the regional story almost perfectly, while others consistently defied it. As buyers and sellers plan for the year ahead, knowing which markets align to broader trends and which are charting their own course can help set more realistic expectations.”
Regionally, the South saw active listings grow most at a 26.7% annualized rate. Then came the West at 23.7%, Midwest at 15.2% and Northeast at 6.9%.
Among the 50 largest U.S. housing markets, Washington, D.C., led the way with a 32.8% year-over-year gain in active listing count. Jumps of 30.8% in Charlotte, N.C., 29.2% in Las Vegas, 28.8% in Seattle, and 26.7% in Raleigh, N.C., rounded out the top five.
Time to make a move? Let us find the right mortgage for youThe table below shows the metro areas with the 25 largest annual rises in listing count in December:
| Metro | Active Listing Count YoY | Median List Price | Median List Price, YoY | Median Days on Market, YoY (Days) | Price Reduced Share | Price Reduced Share, YoY (% Points) |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 32.8% | $549,950 | -4.8% | 8 | 12.4% | 1.7 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 30.8% | $422,516 | 0.0% | 9 | 15.4% | -0.6 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | 29.2% | $465,500 | -0.6% | 10 | 16.5% | 1 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 28.8% | $726,500 | 0.3% | 3 | 10.6% | 0.3 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | 26.7% | $440,000 | -1.1% | 2 | 15.7% | 4.2 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | 25.7% | $309,974 | 0.0% | 4 | 17.1% | 0.2 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 25.4% | $772,000 | -3.7% | -1 | 10.5% | 1.8 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 24.8% | $357,495 | 2.1% | 7 | 13.2% | 0.9 |
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | 23.0% | $302,200 | -1.1% | 2 | 14.2% | -0.4 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 21.6% | $1,198,500 | -5.5% | 5 | 7.9% | 0.7 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | 20.7% | $329,950 | 3.3% | 1 | 12.8% | 0.3 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 20.7% | $246,400 | -1.4% | 5 | 13.4% | 1.6 |
| Columbus, OH | 19.3% | $349,950 | 0.1% | 5 | 20.8% | 3.2 |
| Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN | 18.5% | $529,500 | -1.4% | 6 | 12.6% | 0.7 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 17.1% | $350,000 | -2.9% | 5 | 13.9% | 0.3 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 16.0% | $557,500 | -3.4% | 5 | 16.8% | -6.8 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 15.6% | $482,500 | -3.5% | 4 | 20.8% | -0.2 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | 15.4% | $371,698 | 0.5% | -2 | 12.6% | 1.1 |
| Tucson, AZ | 15.1% | $380,000 | -2.0% | 4 | 13.6% | -0.7 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 14.7% | $1,062,500 | -2.9% | 4 | 8.8% | -0.1 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 14.2% | $899,999 | -6.7% | 2 | 12.7% | 1.9 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | 13.9% | $320,245 | -2.9% | 4 | 18.0% | 0.4 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | 13.8% | $315,000 | 1.6% | 7 | 17.5% | 2.3 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 13.3% | $399,900 | 1.2% | 9 | 19.2% | -0.3 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | 12.9% | $462,000 | -7.3% | 8 | 17.7% | 1.7 |
At the other end of the spectrum, Jacksonville, Fla., gained the least for-sale inventory, decreasing 3.7% from December 2024. Chicago also decline, falling 1.1% annually. Above those, San Francisco grew 1.4%, Milwaukee 2.3%, and Buffalo, N.Y., by 2.8%.
The table below shows the full bottom 25:
| Metro | Active Listing Count YoY | Median List Price | Median List Price, YoY | Median Days on Market, YoY (Days) | Price Reduced Share | Price Reduced Share, YoY (% Points) |
| Jacksonville, FL | -3.7% | $382,500 | -0.5% | 5 | 16.9% | -1 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | -1.1% | $348,900 | 0.4% | 3 | 10.3% | 0.1 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 1.4% | $872,000 | -2.0% | -2 | 8.6% | 0.8 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | 2.3% | $369,750 | 3.5% | 5 | 10.9% | -0.6 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | 2.8% | $249,950 | 0.0% | 3 | 7.6% | 1.9 |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | 3.4% | $397,000 | 5.9% | 0 | 9.5% | 0 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 4.0% | $749,939 | 0.0% | -2 | 5.7% | 1.2 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 4.5% | $240,000 | 4.4% | 1 | 10.7% | -1.4 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 5.1% | $500,000 | -4.3% | 7 | 13.0% | -1.7 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 6.4% | $587,515 | -1.6% | 5 | 11.6% | 0.6 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 6.9% | $415,500 | -1.1% | 4 | 15.7% | -1.2 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 7.6% | $359,950 | 0.5% | 1 | 11.4% | 0.5 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 8.1% | $402,475 | -4.9% | -2 | 11.0% | 1.1 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | 8.4% | $399,900 | 2.6% | 5 | 15.5% | 2 |
| Cleveland, OH | 10.2% | $249,450 | 4.2% | -1 | 13.1% | 0 |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | 10.5% | $422,475 | 1.8% | 2 | 7.6% | 0.4 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | 10.6% | $284,950 | 2.7% | 1 | 12.3% | -0.5 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 10.8% | $412,500 | -2.4% | 5 | 17.7% | 0.3 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 11.0% | $584,950 | -2.0% | 6 | 21.3% | 0.5 |
| Richmond, VA | 11.2% | $425,969 | 1.4% | 5 | 9.4% | -1.1 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 11.6% | $400,000 | 0.0% | 5 | 14.4% | -1.8 |
| Birmingham, AL | 12.0% | $289,663 | 0.6% | 4 | 12.3% | -0.2 |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | 12.5% | $549,900 | 4.8% | 3 | 8.8% | -7.6 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 12.5% | $599,990 | -2.4% | 6 | 12.1% | 0.3 |
| Memphis, TN-MS-AR | 12.7% | $314,950 | -4.5% | 6 | 15.4% | 0 |
The bottom line for home buyers
With affordability sidelining many would-be home buyers, more for-sale options could help lower prices for house hunters in 2026.
If you’re searching to purchase a home, take some good expert advice and get your ducks in a row. Plus, you could save big money by learning strategies for mortgage rate negotiation and seeing what down payment and closing cost assistance you may qualify for.
Reach out to a local mortgage professional if you’re ready to begin your path to homeownership.
