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Homes for sale down. Pending sales flat for first time since May 2020

MINNEAPOLIS (March 10, 2021) — Demand remained high in the Minnesota housing market in February as homebuyers competed with multiple offers for diminishing housing stock. Closed sales were up +5.8% over last year, but new listings sank -14.8%.  Since last May, pending sales fell flat for the first time and were down -0.8% from February 2020. Adding to the pressure, homes for sale fell 51.6%, the largest decrease in a year. Shrinking inventory defined this seller’s market, pushing the median sales price up +10.6% to $282,000. Days on the market retracted by -25.47% over last year, down to just 47 days. Correspondingly, homes received 99.0% of the original price received, a +2.3% increase over last year.

“In a heated market where there isn’t even a month of supply available, many sellers are in the enviable position of sometimes getting offers that exceed the list price,” said Chris Galler, CEO of Minnesota Realtors. “As we come into the spring selling season, more inventory will come online. But as long as interest rates remain favorable, buyers will come out in even greater numbers. A year into the pandemic, changes in work and lifestyle continue to fuel the desire for more space. The dropping rate of COVID infections in Minnesota and the increasing number of vaccinated individuals also will likely impact consumer behavior. So, although we’re anticipating another record-breaking sales season, it is likely that supply will run short of the overwhelming demand.”

Across the state, there were only 7,460 homes available for sale compared to 15,417 in February 2020.

February year-over-year summary: 

• Closed sales: +5.8% to 4,424
• Median sales price: +10.6% to $282,00
• Average sales price: +10.5% to $319,813
• New listings: -14.8% to 6,184
• Pending sales: -0.8% to 5,762
• Days on the market: -25.4% to 47 days
• Homes for sale: -51.6% to 7,460

Closed Home Sales Across Minnesota by Region

Closed sales were up by double digits in eight of the 13 Minnesota regions, with the Upper MN Valley hitting a 100% increase over February 2020. South Central and the seven-County Twin Cities saw more modest gains, while the Arrowhead was flat to last year. Southwest Central and Southeast both marked single-digit declines. See the chart below for more details comparing February 2021 to February 2020.

The seven-county Twin Cities region comprises Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott and Washington counties. The official Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington metropolitan statistical area recognized by the Census Bureau consists of 16 counties, on which MAR & SPAAR local associations report.

View full regional and county reports here.

View statewide report here.


About Minnesota Realtors^®
Minnesota Realtors^® (MNR) is the membership organization supporting all 21,000 Realtors^® in the state of Minnesota. MNR is dedicated to helping Realtors^® succeed in providing comprehensive and informed guidance to their customers seeking to buy or sell a home. MNR provides Realtors^® with a code of ethics, continuing education, real estate transaction forms, legal services and dispute resolution, as well as lobbying and advocating for homeownership rights and the real estate industry. MNR works in partnership with the National Association of Realtors, as well as more than 15 affiliate regional associations within Minnesota. MNR is a non-profit organization founded in 1919, with headquarters in Minnetonka, Minnesota, and a branch office in St. Paul, Minnesota. Find us at  www.mnrealtor.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.