March home sales jumped 37.7% over February, signaling the start of the peak spring and summer seasons in the report’s 52 metro areas. While inventory was down 2.8% from February’s total, March inventory was 56.4% higher year over year – due in part to the combination of pending sales and closings being down, leaving homes on the market longer than they were a year ago. The median sales price of $396,000 in March was down 2.0% year over year. The decrease was even bigger in Metro Phoenix, which ranks No. 4 in the U.S. for among markets with the biggest home sale price decrease.

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“Compared to last year, there’s a lot to like about this housing market, including lower prices and less competition for available listings. Although it would be good to see more new listings coming onto the market, the current conditions offer potential for home buyers and sellers alike,” says RE/MAX President and CEO Nick Bailey. “For those interested in selling, demand for properties remains high and for buyers entering the market, this spring can be a prime time to make a move.”

RE/MAX agent Keely McNeal of RE/MAX Legends in Buford, Georgia, says buyers are looking beyond interest rates and seeing prices that intrigue them. “We’re seeing an influx of buyers entering the market, ready to take advantage. Consumers on both sides of the transaction should work with a local market expert who understands how pricing can be a key differentiator.”

Other notable metrics:

• While down year over year, the median sales price ticked up 3.4% from February’s $383,500, which is in line with last year when home prices rose 4.7% (from $387,000 to $405,000) from February to March.

• Months’ Supply of Inventory in March was 1.4, down from 1.7 months in February but well above the 0.8 of last March.

• March’s average close-to-list price ratio was 99%, meaning that on average, homes sold for 1% less than the asking price. A year ago, it was 102%.

• Homes sold in March were on the market for an average of 40 days – six days less than February but two weeks longer than a year ago.

Highlights and local market metrics for March include:

Median Sales Price – Median of 52 metro area prices

In March 2023, the median of all 52 metro area sales prices was $396,000, up 3.4% compared to February 2023, and the home sale price decrease was 2.0% from March 2022. The markets with the biggest year-over-year decrease in median sales price were Dallas, TX at -14.1%, Seattle, WA at -11.4%, and San Francisco, CA at -11.3%. Two metro areas increased year-over-year by double-digit percentages, Omaha, NE at +11.3% and Wichita, KS at +10.0%.

Days on Market – Average of 52 metro areas

The average days on market for homes sold in March 2023 was 40, down six days from the average in February 2023 and up 14 days from the average in March 2022. The metro areas with the lowest days on market were Baltimore, MD and Washington, DC, tied at 16. The highest days on market averages were in Fayetteville, AR at 85, San Antonio, TX at 64, and Phoenix, AZ at 58. Days on market is the number of days between when a home is first listed in an MLS and a sales contract is signed.