Spring 2025 Selling Trends: Inventory Is Up, Pricing Is Crucial

Data is coming in from the start of the spring selling market. Inventory is up, but it’s still a seller’s market … if the price is right.

Now that we are in the thick of the spring market, let’s look at which sellers are succeeding and which are still waiting for their buyers. And if you’re a seller getting ready to come to market, heed the warning: price matters and time kills.

General Takeaways

Compared to March 2024, there has been a noticeable cooling of the market. Homes in general are taking a little longer to sell and aren’t selling as close to their original list price. But the differences aren’t huge – about 1% less and about 5 days longer.

Inventory is also influencing the statistical story. In every jurisdiction, the number of homes on the market at the end of March 2025 was up considerably from March of last year. An example: Northern Virginia inventory is 69% higher than it was this time last year. But, again, it’s a matter of context. Despite the big percentage increases, inventory in most areas is still well below the “normal” levels we saw pre-COVID. Overall supply in most of the suburban markets is still less than 1.5 months. DC stands at 4 months.

The biggest difference in most areas we track are the average days on market for the “eventually successful sellers” – those who sold at a net sales price less than their original list price. Compared to last March, those sellers are typically taking 20 days to as much as 40 days longer to sell than a year ago.

Even with the increase in inventory, absorption rates – the number of homes that are sold in a specified month in comparison to those still on the market – are still north of the 30% threshold for a “seller’s market” almost everywhere in the Greater DC/Baltimore Metroplex. The exceptions are all three property types in DC itself, and condos in Baltimore City – those reflect a balanced market.

Given the uncertainty in the economy, the market is holding up well. And as always, the specifics change when looking at more granular geographic, property type and price range data. For example, even though the overall condo absorption rate in Arlington County was 34% in March, it was 58% in Shirlington/Fairlington and 20% in Crystal City. Those differences really matter to a seller when making the final decision with an agent about what price to list a property.

It’s still a seller’s market throughout most of the region, but, in general, sellers don’t have as much leverage as they’ve had in the most recent past. Missing the market hurts, and waiting for a price to get aligned with the trends of the market hurts even more. Just ask the “Eventual Sellers” shown in the charts below, the majority of whom sold below their original list price and sat on the market upwards of two months longer than the “Very Successful Sellers.”

List Price Matters

Source: BrightMLS

Plan for Success

What can a seller do to ensure they land in the “Highly Successful” camp? The first step is to work with a licensed Realtor® who will provide local market insight and guide your pricing strategy. The second is to prepare your home to attract the most qualified buyers: fix, remodel, and paint for the best first impression, and consider offering credits for buyers.

Finally, have a plan to make a pricing adjustment if the home hasn’t sold within 21 days, which appears to be the local “tipping point” when sales prices drop. Most experts agree that a listing that is 30 days on market without an offer is likely 3-5% overpriced. Be ready to make a pricing decision that keeps you within a competitive time-and-pricing window that keeps buyers interested.

Read more housing analysis in our Market in a Minute and Weekly Meter, and connect with one of our agents to find the best strategy to very successfully sell your home!