Home sellers outnumber buyers by record amount: What that means for prices
FILE - Aerial view of a housing development. Getty Images
The housing market is seeing a major shift in the number of buyers and sellers.
"Buyer’s market"
By definition:
A so-called "buyer’s market" is when the quantity of goods outnumbers potential buyers, meaning buyers are in a better position to have their pick of inventory and negotiate a deal.
Big picture view:
According to Redfin, an online real estate brokerage company, as of April 2025, there are 500,000 more people selling homes than buying them.
Home buyers vs. sellers in the U.S.
The backstory:
Redfin says the last time homebuyers were this low was during the start of the pandemic, and before that was in 2013.
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Why you should care:
A "buyer’s market" means buyers have the advantage when it comes to inventory and negotiating.
Redfin estimates that home prices will fall by 1% in the next few months because of the imbalance.
Dig deeper:
The reason for the scarcity of home buyers is recent economic uncertainty and high home prices, and that some homeowners who were holding onto ultra low interest rates scored during the pandemic are now more willing to sell.
"The idea of taking on a higher mortgage rate also isn’t as shocking as it was when rates first skyrocketed in 2022," Redfin added.
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By the numbers:
More than two of every five (44%) home listings in April had been on the market for 60 days or longer, the highest April share since 2020.
The takeaway:
History shows that home prices cool when sellers outnumber buyers.
Redfin recommends those considering selling do it sooner rather than later, before home prices in the area may fall. Those looking to buy a home will likely have increased purchasing power in the fall.
Top US cities for buyer’s markets
Big picture view:
The strongest buyer’s market is Miami, where sellers outnumber buyers roughly 3 to 1. The strongest seller’s market is Newark, and the most balanced market is St. Louis, Redfin found.
The Source: Information in this article was taken from Redfin, an online real estate brokerage company, which analyzed its data to find the approximate ratio of buyers to sellers in the market. This story was reported from Detroit.