Houston Market Report - 16417 Homes for Sale and What It Means for You
Houston has 16,417 active listings and a median sold price of $307,219 over the last 12 months, with 3.1 months of supply tilting conditions toward sellers - but only 18 percent of homes are closing at or above asking price.
The state of play
Houston currently has 16,417 active listings on the market, with 5,126 new listings added in just the last 30 days. At the current sales pace of roughly 5,224 closings per month, that works out to 3.1 months of supply - a level that, by convention, favors sellers. That said, 3.1 months is closer to balanced than to a tight seller's market, which means buyers have real options and sellers don't have unlimited leverage. The picture varies block by block across a city this size, from the townhome rows of the Heights to the single-family stretches of Meyerland, so the citywide numbers are a starting point, not the whole story.
Only 18 percent of Houston homes are closing at or above asking price - meaning negotiation isn't a tactic, it's the norm.
What prices are actually doing
The median list price on active Houston homes sits at $319,540, while the median sold price over the last 12 months is $307,219 - a gap of roughly $12,321. That spread tells you something important: most sellers are listing above where deals are actually closing. And the at-or-above-asking number confirms it - only 18 percent of homes are closing at or above their list price. The other 82 percent are selling for less than asking, which means negotiation is very much alive in this market. Buyers who assume every home will spark a bidding war are working from the wrong playbook. The average home is taking 74 days from list to contract, which gives buyers time to be deliberate - schedule a second showing, get an inspection done, come in with a reasonable offer rather than a panicked one.
- Median list price: $319,540
- Median sold price, last 12 months: $307,219
- Closing at or above asking: 18%
What this means if you're moving this year
For buyers: With 16,417 homes to choose from and 74 days as the typical time to contract, you're not racing a stopwatch on most listings. The 18-percent at-or-above-ask figure means the exceptions exist - well-priced homes in high-demand pockets like Montrose or Garden Oaks can still move fast - but the majority of the market rewards patience and preparation over urgency. Get pre-approved so you can act when the right home shows up, and know that offering below list is a normal opening move, not an insult. The $12,321 gap between median list and median sold is your rough benchmark for where negotiations tend to land citywide. For sellers: Three months of supply means you're not swimming against the current, but you're also not riding a wave. Pricing close to where comparable homes have actually sold - not where sellers wished they'd sold - is what gets you into that 18-percent group closing at or above ask. Homes that sit 74-plus days are often overpriced at launch. If your listing goes quiet after the first two weeks, the price is the message.
On the market right now
A few homes that just came up in Houston, pulled live from the MLS as you read this.
