Buyer Activity Is Up Despite Higher Mortgage Rates
If you’re a homeowner considering moving, you may wonder if it’s still an excellent time to sell your house. Here’s the good news. Even with higher mortgage rates, buyer traffic is picking up speed.
Data from the latest ShowingTime Showing Index, which is a measure of buyers actively touring homes, helps paint the picture of how much buyer demand has increased in recent months (see graph below):
As the graph shows, the first two months of 2023 saw a noticeable increase in buyer traffic. That’s likely because the limited number of homes for sale kept shoppers looking for homes even during colder months.
To help tell the story of why the latest report is significant, let’s compare foot traffic this February with each February for the last six years (see graph below). It shows this was one of the best Februarys for buyer activity we’ve seen recently.
In the last six years, we saw the most February buyer traffic in 2021 and 2022 (shown in green above), but those years were highly unusual for the housing market. So, if we compare February 2023 with pre-pandemic years, data shows this year still marks an evident rise in buyer activity.
The uptick in buyer traffic is even more noteworthy, considering the increase in mortgage rates this February. The Freddie Mac 30-year fixed mortgage rate rose from 6.09% during the week of February 2nd to 6.50% in the week of February 23rd. But even with higher rates, more buyers were looking for a home.
Jeff Tucker, Senior Economist at Zillow, says the increased buyer activity could continue:
“More buyers will keep coming out of the woodwork. We always see a seasonal uptick in home shoppers in March and April.”
If you’re looking to sell your house, seeing buyers still active in the market this year should be encouraging. It’s a sign buyers are out there and could be looking for a home just like yours. Working with The Aaronson Group to list your house now will help you get your home in front of eager buyers today.
Bottom Line:
Rising foot traffic is a bright spot for this year’s housing market and indicates buyers are looking to purchase this year, even with higher mortgage rates; if you’re ready to sell your house, partner with The Aaronson Group. Call: 949-388-5194 or email: info@previewochomes.com
