As we saw above with a snap shot of housing market inventory in June 2025, it’s still a bit of a seller’s market. So it shouldn’t be surprising to see that pending home sales have slowed down for the most part. Based on the most recent data available from the NAR (at of the time of writing this article), we can see that pending sales for June are slightly lower than last year. Each region also has corresponding lower levels of sales activity.
While some buyers might see this as a bad thing, you can actually frame it in a manner that benefits your research. For instance, slower sales activity can allow buyers more time to weigh options before committing to anything. For something as large as a home purchase, it can potentially save you from making a costly mistake or overlooking critical details that might otherwise be missed if you feel rushed for time. Buyers or sellers today can use this to their advantage in taking more time to compare properties and strategize.
3. Home prices are expected to go up
Buyers waiting to buy a home, hoping that prices will fall, may be waiting a long time. That’s because forecasts from multiple reputable sources expect homes to continue going up in value by about 1% to 2% each year for the next two years. While it’s nowhere near the double-digit increases in home values we saw during the pandemic — and while forecasts aren’t a guarantee — it is still a strong indicator that homes aren’t likely to get cheaper any time soon.
You can use this information to decide to act now if you can afford it, rather than gambling and continuing to stay on the sidelines. Depending on your unique circumstances, trying to wait things out could result in paying more in the long run in the form of things like additional rent and a higher purchase price on their future home. It could also lead to them being on the hook for a larger down payment requirement, higher property taxes, and other housing expenses.