June 05 2022
In May, active inventory increased year-over-year (+8.0%) for the first time in nearly three years, but remained 48.5% lower than at the start of the pandemic
SANTA CLARA, Calif., June 2, 2022 -- New data suggests the U.S. housing market hit a turning point in its supply struggle in May, as active inventory recorded the first year-over-year increase since June 2019, according to the Realtor.com Monthly Housing Trends Report released today. At the same time, the median national home price soared to an all-time high of $447,000 and buyers snatched up listings a week faster than last year.
"Among key factors fueling the inventory comeback are new sellers, who are listing homes at a rate not seen since 2019, as well as moderating demand, with pending listings declining year-over-year in May," said Danielle Hale, Chief Economist for Realtor.com. "While this real estate refresh is welcome news in a still-undersupplied market, it has yet to make a dent in home price growth, partially due to increases in newly-listed, larger homes and because the typical seller outlook is quite high, likely shaped by recent experiences of homeowners who sold. Importantly, as 72% of this year's sellers also plan to purchase a home, seller expectations will likely start to reflect buyers' needs. In an early sign, the rate of sellers making price cuts accelerated in May."
May 2022 Housing Metrics – National
The U.S. inventory of active listings grew year-over-year for the first time since June 2019, with this comeback driven by two key trends. First, new listings reached the highest level of any month in nearly three years, as rising numbers of sellers might be more confident in pursuing plans to list than last Spring when COVID vaccines were just rolling out. Second, higher housing costs are spurring a moderation in buyer demand. This is reflected in May's bigger year-over-year declines in pending listings – those at various stages of the selling process that are not yet sold – compared to April, a sign of softening in the turnover rate of for-sale homes.
May's increase in for-sale home options combined with softening buyer demand would typically drive a cooldown in home prices, but data shows that is not yet the case. In fact, the yearly growth rate in the U.S. median listing price accelerated from last month's pace as the median listing price approached $450,000 after just crossing the $400,000 threshold in March. From asking prices per square foot to pending listing prices, May housing trends suggest that a few factors are potentially driving the continued home price surge. These include a rising share of newly-listed, larger homes by square footage and some sellers not yet adjusting to shifting supply and demand dynamics, including buyer interest in less expensive homes.
Similar to norms one would expect to see in home price trends, the increase in for-sale home options combined with softening buyer demand would typically drive a deceleration in time on market. However, time on market data did not yet show this trend in May, as buyers snatched up listings more quickly than in any month in the Realtor.com® data history going back to July 2016 – a record that typically isn't hit until the Summer season. For some homebuyers who have yet to be priced out of the market but can't afford to compete by making a larger down payment, acting quickly might give them an edge.
May 2022 Housing Metrics – 50 Largest U.S. Metro Areas
*Note: Oklahoma City new listing count growth and Hartford active listing count growth are not available while data is under review.
Methodology
Realtor.com® housing data as of May 2022. Listings include active inventory of existing single-family homes and condos/townhomes for the given level of geography; new construction is excluded unless listed via an MLS.
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