Houston Market Report - 16320 Homes for Sale and What It Means for You
Houston has 16,320 active listings and 3.1 months of supply, which technically sits in seller's market territory, but with only 18 percent of homes closing at or above asking price, buyers have more room to negotiate than that label suggests.
The state of play
Houston is carrying 16,320 active listings right now, with 5,441 new listings added in just the last 30 days. At the current sales pace of roughly 5,247 closings per month, that works out to 3.1 months of supply -- a figure that technically qualifies as a seller's market. But that top-line number deserves some context: a balanced market typically runs between 4 and 6 months of supply, so Houston is leaning seller-favorable without being lopsided. Sellers hold a modest edge in theory, but the actual closing data tells a more nuanced story about who really has leverage at the table.
At about 3.1 months of supply, Houston sits in a seller's market territory.
Source: Houston MLS · Houston · active inventory vs. trailing-12-month sales pace
Only 18 percent of Houston homes are closing at or above asking price -- which means negotiating below list is not aggressive, it is average.
What prices are actually doing
The median list price across active Houston listings is $319,161, while the median sold price over the last 12 months comes in at $308,129 -- a gap of $11,032 between what sellers are asking and what buyers are actually paying. That spread matters. It tells you that the typical home is selling below its list price, not above it. The at-or-above-asking figure confirms this: only 18 percent of homes are closing at or above asking price. That means roughly 8 in 10 transactions are landing with some discount baked in. For buyers, this is the number to watch -- it suggests that making an offer below list is not only reasonable, it is the statistical norm in this market right now.
- Median list price: $319,161
- Median sold price, last 12 months: $308,129
- Closing at or above asking: 18%
Active listings carry a median of $319,161; homes have closed at a median of $308,129 over the last year — a $11,032 gap worth understanding before you price or offer.
Source: Houston MLS · Houston · active inventory vs. trailing-12-month closings
About 18% of recent Houston sales closed at or above the asking price — your read on how much room there is to negotiate.
Source: Houston MLS · Houston · last 12 months
What this means if you're moving this year
If you are buying in Houston, the data gives you room to negotiate. With 16,320 homes to choose from and only 18 percent of sellers getting full price or better, a well-researched offer below asking is a defensible starting point -- not an insult. Average days on market sit at 74 days, which means most listings have time on the clock and sellers know it. That said, the 3.1 months of supply is not so loose that you can afford to sleep on a home that genuinely fits your criteria. The listings that are closing at or above asking are doing so for a reason -- condition, location, or pricing discipline. If you are selling in Houston, the $11,032 gap between median list and median sold price is the number to price around, not past. Homes priced with that spread in mind from day one tend to move faster and with fewer concessions than homes that chase a higher number and absorb price cuts later. With 74 average days on market, overpricing carries a real cost in carrying time. The seller's market label applies at the macro level, but at the street level, accurate pricing is still doing the heavy lifting.
On the market right now
A few homes that just came up in Houston, pulled live from the MLS as you read this.
