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Heading into the spring home-sales market, inventory in New England’s biggest metro areas had fallen even further behind last year.

For those hoping for a spring market with more choice – potentially helping some prospective sellers feel comfortable pulling the trigger and listing – it’s not a good sign.

“Affordability is still a massive challenge for those who have been waiting to buy a home, but the lower rates we’ve seen so far in March are taking the edge off,” Skylar Olsen, Zillow’s chief economist, said in a statement. “Rate dips tend to energize buyers and sellers both; if they continue or hold, we should see more activity. Economic uncertainty is a counterbalance, one that will be felt in some areas of the country more than others. People tend to shelter in place when the future of their job or industry is uncertain.”

Greater Boston saw inventory drop by 1.9 percent year-over-year in February, according to Zillow, while new listings dropped 13.7 percent. Greater Hartford saw its inventory drop by 1.1 percent while new listings dropped by 14.8 percent.

While Boston and Hartford remain strong seller’s markets, nationwide the balance has shifted to a more even market. Neither buyers nor sellers had a clear advantage in negotiations at the national level, according to Zillow’s market heat index. The last year that happened in February was 2019.

Nationwide, inventory increased by 15.4 percent year-over-year with 1.04 million homes on the market last in February, more than in any February since 2020.

Additionally, while newly pending listings fell by nearly 8 percent compared to the prior year, they still stand about 10 percent above pre-pandemic levels, nationally.