According to the 2025Q1 Central Texas Housing Report released by Unlock MLS, residential home sales across the Austin- Round Rock-San Marcos MSA declined to 6,698 listings, a 9.1% drop from the first quarter of 2024. During the same time frame, median sales price dipped 2.3% to $429,869 while housing inventory reached 5.3 months, moving the region closer into balanced housing market conditions.
Quarterly numbers were strongly impacted by March 2025 sales activity, during which the five-county MSA experienced 9.3% fewer sales, gained 9.5% new listings and median sales price remained flat year-over-year. Clare Knapp, Ph.D., housing economist for Unlock MLS and the Austin Board of REALTORS , pointed to affordability constraints as well as growing economic headwinds as key factors shaping early-year market activity.
“We started the year with a continuation of similar trends that shaped the market in 2024,” Knapp said. “However, stubbornly high mortgage rates and a weaker local labor market weighed on buyer confidence, while many sellers remained reluctant to adjust pricing expectations. That squeeze on buyer power shaped much of the activity we saw in the first quarter, reinforcing the need for greater flexibility and balance on both sides of the transaction.”
