Austin housing market improving despite 'modest' drops in price, sales

Austin's real estate market is showing signs of stability after a tumultuous first half of the year, according to the latest housing report from Unlock MLS. Median housing prices and closed sales both continued to decline slightly in May, but pending sales rose to their highest level thus far in 2025.The most recent Central Texas Housing Report discovered that median sales prices in the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos metropolitan statistical area (MSA) dropped 1.6 percent year-over-year to $449,900. That's $100 less than the median home prices in April 2025.New housing inventory rose over the last month to 5,716 listings, representing an 8.9 percent increase from this time last year. Even with the increase in inventory, residential home sales dropped nearly four percent from May 2024. Only 3,021 homes were sold across the Austin metro last month, but pending sales increased more than 16 percent year-over-year to 4,515.Despite the local housing market hinting toward a summer slump, Austin Board of Realtors and Unlock MLS housing economist Clare Knapp, Ph.D. said this may motivate sellers to adjust their home prices to benefit potential buyers. She adds that demand for housing in the region hasn't evaporated; rather, buyers are prioritizing affordability over other factors."Many are waiting for the right opportunity or more favorable pricing," Knapp said. "The notable increase in pending sales in May signals that buyer activity has picked up after a challenging first quarter. While higher mortgage rates continue to impact buyer confidence, these trends point to cautious optimism as we move into the summer."This is the current status of the housing market in the city of Austin and its comparison to May 2024, per the report:1,027 – Residential homes sold, 5.8 percent less than May 2024$595,000 – Median price for residential homes, 2.0 percent less than May 20242,184 – New home listings on the market, 7.9 percent more than May 20245,691 – Active home listings on the market, 17.8 percent more than May 20241,690 – Pending sales, 21.2 percent more than May 20245.7 – Months of inventory, 1.2 months more than May 2024$820,445,422 – Total dollar volume of homes sold, 4.3 percent less than May 202494.8 percent – Average close to list price, compared to 95.2 percent in May 2024Central Texas housing trends in May 2025In Travis County, 1,328 homes were sold in May, with median prices dropping 5.1 percent year-over-year to $525,000. There were 7,453 active listings on the market; 16.2 percent more than May 2024.More than 1,000 homes were sold in Williamson County in May, with median prices decreasing 2.3 percent in comparison to May 2024, landing at $425,000. There were 1,841 new home listings on the market, adding up to a total of 4,377 active home listings.Median home prices in Hays County dropped less than one percentage point (0.8) year-over-year to $384,990. Last month, 524 homes were sold in the area, while active listings increased 4.2 percent to 1,924 homes.Home sales in Bastrop County continued to dramatically decrease by 32 percent year-over-year, with only 102 homes sold in May. Median prices rose nearly one percent to an even $350,000. There were 740 active listings on the market and 256 new home listings.Caldwell County also saw a dramatic decrease in May sales with only 43 sold homes, or about 32.4 percent less than May 2024. Median prices rose 8.5 percent year-over-year to $317,990. There are only 179 active home listings on the market in the county, and 60 new listings.

View more