top of page

Regional Phoenix Monthly Housing Report, May 2025

Updated: May 6

There are currently 3.6 times more Sellers than Buyers. The facts: 26,118 listings to start May divided by 7,285 sales in April. That ratio is the same as March, but it's down from 4.1 in February.

This report is compiled monthly with data taken from the Arizona Regional MLS and is intended to give our readers an understanding of the Phoenix Area Housing Market. It compares short-term performance as well as longer-term performance. We also have a 10-City Report each month. Our reports are factual, and any opinions stated are our opinions.


We're still in a buyer's market based on a growing inventory, lower than normal home sales, and a -$14,718 gap between listing and sales prices. Details follow below.


Home Sales


There were 7,285 home sales in April, up +5.0% from the 6,941 sales in March. This is the beginning of the annual home buying cycle when the most sales typically occur in May/June. The sales were:


  • + 344 higher than March

  • + 237 higher than April 2024

  • 114% of the 3 year average of 6,384 sales


To see a longer term history, click on our Monthly Sales Chart.


As a point of reference, monthly home sales averaged 9,165 in the 12-months before interest rates started increasing in March of 2022.


Interest rate hikes began in March '22 and started affecting home sales by April '22

Time Period

AVG Monthly Sales

Apr '21 - Mar '22 (prior to rate hikes)

9,165

Apr '22 - Mar '23 (12-months after hikes)

6,511

Apr '23 - Mar '24 (months 13-24 after hikes)

5,956

Apr '24 - Mar '25 (months 25-36 after hikes)

6,035

Sales are beginning to pick up again and are showing signs or reversing the downward trend of the last few years.


Inventory


Inventory to begin May 2025 increased by 1,369 homes from April. That brought the total number of homes for sale to 26,118. There are currently 3.5 times more Sellers than Buyers. Additionally, the total rise in inventory from the start of 2025 is 6,211 homes.


As a point of reference, monthly inventory averaged 5,832 homes in the 12-months before interest rates started increasing in March of 2022. Rising rates significantly slowed home sales and caused inventory to rise.


View our longer-term chart for Housing Inventory.


Interest rate hikes began in March '22 and started affecting inventory by April '22

Time Period

AVG Monthly Listings

Apr '21 - Mar '22 (prior to hikes)

5,832

Apr '22 - Mar '23 (12-months after hikes)

15,017

Apr '23 - Mar '24 (months 13-24 after hikes)

13,593

Apr '24 - Mar '25 (months 25-36 after hikes)

19,559


Price-Per Square Foot (PPSF)


April's overall PPSF was $299.34 and was


  • - $10.67 less than March

  • - $7.32 less than April 2024

  • 102% of the 2024 average of $293.80


Click here for a longer-term Price History.


Price-per square foot is an ideal measurement of home values because it takes into consideration the size of sold homes. Median price does not.


NOTE: PPSF across the entire Arizona Regional MLS reached a previous high of $303.46 in May '22. Increasing interest rates drove buyers out of the market. Subsequently, prices dropped -$38.76 to a low of $264.70 in December of '22.


Prices started to rise again in January of '23 --- despite interest rates continuing to increase through the end of July '23. Unexpectedly and briefly, prices jumped to a new high of $306.66 in April '24 before settling back to $290.57 in August. Since then, new all-time highs were reached in the 1st quarter of 2025.


Increasing prices in a buyer's market are baffling, to say the least. The only correlation I can find is the increase of homes selling over $5,000,000. The last 5 months saw an average of 28 homes selling over $5,000,000 compared to the previous 12-months when an average of 16 sold. That's an 80% increase.

Month

Price-Per Square Foot

April '25

$299.34

March '25

$310.01

February '25

$312.46

January '25

$313.60

December '24

$303.63

November '24

$289.67

October '24

$290.67

September '24

$284.63

August '24

$290.57

July '24

$284.45

June '24

$295.29

May '24

$296.71


List vs Sales Price


This is an interesting category you might not find any other place. It's a really good indicator of market conditions. In a seller's market, homes will sell for more than list/asking price. Conversely, homes will sell for less than list price in a buyer's market.


As a point of reference, homes were selling for +$10,100 more than list price in April '22 when we were still in a seller's market and before the effect of increased mortgage rates.


This table also shows the price range of $300K - $600K because it generally accounts for 60% of all sales. It's a contrast to all sales within the Greater Phoenix Area.


+/- Difference Between List & Sales Price

Month

$300K - $600K

All Sales

Apr '25

-$5,938

-$14,718

Mar '25

-$6,226

-$15,778

Feb '25

-$6,587

-$14,821

Jan '25

-$7,342

$-18,092

Dec '24

-$6,737

-$16,731

Nov '24

-$5,399

-$12,544

Oct '24

-$5,924

-$13,297

Sept '24

-$5,880

-$13,101

Aug '24

-$5,906

-$13,109

Jul '24

-$4,988

-$13,856

Jun '24

-$5,585

-$13,745

May '24

-$5,336

-$12,982

Apr '24

-$5,163

-$13,350

Mar '24

-$5,486

-$12,359

Feb '24

-$6,163

-$12,136

Jan '24

-$7,174

-$14,844




FOMC Interest Rate Changes


The dramatic change from a seller's market to a buyer's market began when the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), a division of the Federal Reserve that sets monetary policy, increased interest rates to combat inflation. To date there have been 11 rate increases and 3 recent decreases. The net affect is a 4.25% increase in the prime rate over a 36-month time span.


The FOMC is continually monitoring factors in the economy to determine their next actions. Although there is a correlation, mortgage rates aren't directly tied to the Fed rate. The economy and yields on 10-year Treasury Bonds affect mortgage rates.


Experts agree it's a challenge to predict what will happen to mortgage rates in 2025. You can find persuasive arguments on both sides, though most agree rates will not return to the 3% range we grew accustomed to during the period of mid-2019 through early 2022. I personally feel anything a range of 5.0 - 5.5 % would be a win for consumers.


Here is the history:


  • .25% in March '22

  • .50% in May '22(which was the largest since 2000)

  • .75% in June '22 (the largest increase since 1994)

  • .75% in July '22

  • .75% in September '22

  • .75% in November '22

  • .50% in December '22

  • .25% in February '23

  • .25% in March '23

  • .25% in May '23

  • .25% in July '23

  • -.50% in September '24

  • -.25% in November '24

  • -.25% in December '24


Days on Market


This is another indicator of where the market stands. Low time to sale generally happens in a seller's market and higher days generally happen in a buyer's market. We were in a seller's market before the interest rate increases, and it took about 30-days from listing a home to when it closed escrow. Access our longer term chart for Days on Market.


Month

Days to Sale

April '25

72

March '25

74

February '25

76

January '25

78

December '24

73

November '24

68

October '24

69

September '24

68

August '24

68

July '24

63

June '24

63


Distressed Properties


23 was the total for April. Distressed properties are bank owned homes and short sales. They disappear when mortgage companies maintain strict lending policies, don't provide borrowers with risky loans, and homeowners make enough money to pay their mortgages.


Distressed properties have been a non-factor for a long time. Click here for our longer-term chart on Distressed Sales. Here are a couple quick facts about distressed properties:


  • they peaked in March of 2009 at 75.9% of total sales

  • went under 50% of total sales in March 2012

  • went under 25% of total sales in April 2013

  • went under 10% in February 2015

  • have stayed under 1% since February 2020


Month

Distressed Property Sales

April '25

23

March '25

32

February '25

43

January '25

30

December '24

33

November '24

23

October '24

25

September '24

20

August '24

22

July '24

26

June '24

18


Ron Wilczek has been tracking and writing about Greater Phoenix Real Estate Market since 2008. He's been a Realtor since 1999 and the broker of Metro Phoenix Homes since 2009.



logo for Metro Phoenix Homes

Comments


  • YouTube
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn

  MPH License # LC632875000
Ron Wilczek, Broker, License # BR518431000

Our Reviews on Zillow.

 

A referral to your family and friends is the highest compliment we can receive ... and we're never too busy to give them outstanding service!

DISCLAIMER: Our advice is based on many years of accumulated knowledge and experience in the field of Real Estate. For legal, mortgage, title, tax, and home inspection advice we recommend consulting professionals in those fields.

450+ home sales since 1999 with home buyers, sellers, and investors with a specialty in interior design/decorating.

Copyright © 2024 Metro Phoenix Home Sales

bottom of page