The housing market in 2025 continues to undergo a meaningful shift. After years of frenetic seller-favoring dynamics, buyers are increasingly gaining the upper hand—particularly as inventory swells and price growth softens.
According to Realtor.com, active listings in June 2025 rose 28.9% year-over-year, marking the 20th consecutive month of growth. Homes are also lingering on the market longer: in June, the median time to sell was 53 days, up five days from the previous year. While inventory has surpassed 1 million active listings for two months in a row, it’s still about 13% below pre‑pandemic norms Realtor.
At the same time, buyers are getting more leverage. A Business Insider report notes that home prices are now dropping in 14 out of the 50 most populous metros, and price growth has slowed to just 2% year‑over‑year, down from 5–6% earlier in the year. Nearly 44.4% of home sales now include seller concessions, what is nearly a record high, Business Insider.
That said, moderation doesn’t mean reversal. The National Association of Realtors notes that 75% of metro areas still saw year-over-year price increases in Q2 2025, with the national median home price reaching a record high of $429,400—up 1.7% from a year earlier PR Newswire+6National Association of REALTORS®+6Enterprise Community Partners+6.
Why these trends matter:
- More Choices for Buyers: Increased inventory yields more options.
- Greater Negotiating Power: Sellers are offering incentives or lowering prices.
- Cautious Sellers: Many are pulling listings (delistings up sharply), rather than accepting lower prices, suggesting a gap between buyer expectations and seller pricing Realtor+1MarketWatch.
Looking ahead, markets are likely to remain mixed. Some areas may continue to see moderate price increases, while others—particularly overheated or newly new-build heavy markets—could see flat or even declining prices.
