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Listings in Massachusetts’ biggest housing markets have seen a sizable jump in the spring over 2024, but continue to broadly track 2025’s trends.
The combined number of new single-family and condominium listings in Greater Boston increased by 9.3 percent year-on-year in March while active listings increased by 6.9 percent, according to new data from Redfin. A separate analysis by economists at Realtor.com had found the region’s housing market was still in a seller’s market despite the bump in homes for sale.
More frequent MLS data aggregated by the listings portal published Wednesday shows the number of new listings was down 1.4 percent year-on-year for the four-week period ending April 12. The data showed the number of combined number of active single-family and condominium listings in Greater Boston was up 5.29 percent over the same period.
The same MLS data showed similar trends in other Massachusetts metros for that same four-week window: New listings were down 2.7 percent and up 7.3 percent in Worcester and Springfield, respectively, while active listings were up 4.73 percent and down 2.56 percent.
The major exception appears to be on Cape Cod, where total active listings were down 16.15 percent year-on-year for the four-week period ending April 12, even though new listings were running 0.1 percent ahead of last year.
The spring market is typically a time when homeowners looking to move put their home on the market, but market-watchers have been concerned about how a recent spike in mortgage rates and geopolitical uncertainty will affect the Massachusetts housing market following a winter market that was more sluggish than normal.
The average rate on a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage fell to 6.3 percent this week, according to mortgage-buyer Freddie Mac, after peaking at 6.46 percent during the seven days ending April 2.
“Luxury buyers aren’t letting the high interest rates dissuade them, but for buyers on a tighter budget, the difference can be enough to kill affordability,” Boston-based Redfin agent Stacey Bryant said in a statement released with the March data. “Cost-conscious buyers are also jittery about the rising prices of other things–like gas, food and energy–cutting into their budgets.”
Across the United States, new listings only increased by 2.4 percent in March while active listings remained relatively flat at a 0.6 percent drop. While not a small decline on the surface, it is the largest decline since June 2023, according to Redfin.
While the listings are on the rise, inventory is also increasing as homes are staying on the market for longer. The average home in Boston is on the market for 26 days, a six-day increase year-over-year.
