New listings are growing nationwide, except in the storm-hit Northeast

New listings soared nationwide in February, but the Northeast remained a major outlier thanks to a historic snowstorm that effectively sidelined sellers — at least temporarily.

Across much of the U.S., home sellers hit the market in February, driving new listings up 2.4% year over year, bringing a total of 362,180 new homes for sale and driving a 10% increase from January, according to the latest Realtor.com® monthly housing market trends report.

Regionally, the Midwest saw the strongest annual growth in new listings, increasing 7.4% from February 2025, followed by the West (5.8%) and the South (2.6%).

On the other hand, new listings in the snowy, frigid Northeast fell 7.8%.

In late February, Winter Storm Hernando blanketed the densely populated area, dumping 20 inches in New York City’s Central Park and burying parts of New Jersey and Long Island under more than 2 feet of snow.

Housing data shows that the powerful snowstorm not only closed schools and disrupted commutes, but also brought new real estate activity to a standstill.

East Coast sellers are retreating

Of the largest northeastern metros, Providence, RI, saw the sharpest year-over-year decline in new listings (-22.5%), followed by Hartford, CT (-17.2%) and New York City (-11.6%).

However, Realtor.com senior economist Jake Krimmel warns buyers and sellers against overreacting to these weather-induced swings – whether it’s the sharp drop in February or an expected rebound in March.

“With a few more weeks of data, we can say whether February’s Northeast figure was the result of a real drop in sales activity, or, more likely, a temporary dip that will be smoothed out over time,” the researcher says.

Following Krimmel, Andy Oops, real estate agent with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach Realtors®, says that while a snowstorm can delay a showing, it rarely changes whether someone ultimately buys a home.

“The snowstorm caused some short-term disruption,” Oei told Realtor.com. “In the Philadelphia market, we saw several showings postponed and some launches postponed by about a week simply because buyers were not actively touring homes during the worst weather.”

The number of new homes in Philadelphia is down nearly 6% compared to the same period last year, according to the monthly analysis of housing data.

However, Oei points out that while weather events can be disruptive, they rarely change the underlying demand for housing in the market.

“Weather tends to slow down demand rather than eliminate it,” the agent says. “Serious buyers rarely disappear because of a storm. What usually happens is that activity contracts in the weeks immediately after conditions improve.”

Chris Raadowner of Harvey Z. Council Real Estate Agents in Allentown, PA, says major snowstorms cause a mutual standstill: Buyers are hesitant to brave the elements, while sellers are equally reluctant as a parade of wet, dirty boots passes through their living rooms and bedrooms.

“I have a few home sellers who took the extra time to clean and tidy up their homes a little more, using the forced delay to their advantage,” he tells Realtor.com.

In Boston, where the number of new listings fell by 3% compared to last year, George Sarkisco-founder of The Sarkis Team at Douglas Ellimansays he has observed a similar dynamic.

“We saw some sellers pushing the launch of their listings by a week or two, and some showings were rescheduled simply because buyers were reluctant to be outside during the storm,” Sarkis tells Realtor.com. “But demand did not disappear, it was postponed. Once conditions improved, activity quickly resumed, which speaks to the underlying strength of buyer interest.”

Sarkis adds that while weather “absolutely affects the pace of the market,” especially when it comes to the timing of open houses and IPOs, it by itself rarely changes the trajectory of the market.

“Fundamental factors such as inventory levels, pricing strategy, employment trends and interest rates ultimately drive activity,” he argues.

A temporary dip

Notably, the snowstorm hit the Northeast just as mortgage rates began to fall, but Oei argues that most buyers did not miss a meaningful opportunity.

“Buyers who are financially prepared tend to stay engaged in the market and take action when the right property becomes available,” he says. “Weather can affect the timing of activity, but factors like inventory levels, prices and interest rates ultimately determine the direction of the housing market.”

Krimmel agrees, saying it’s best for buyers not to time small moves in interest rates as the market can be very unpredictable in the short term.

“To secure your lowest interest rate, shop around among lenders and get your financial ducks in a row,” the economist advises. “That will be a longer road than trying to time the market to the minute.”

Looking ahead, Krimmel notes that serious opportunities will arise for buyers in the coming months.

“That’s seasonal when the number of new listings really picks up. Ideally for buyers this year, that run-up matches interest rates that are still around three- to four-year lows,” he adds. “Either way, rates appear to be significantly lower than last year, which will hopefully give potential buyers more purchasing power as potential sellers come off the sidelines.”

With the exception of the Northeast, where snowstorms hit hardest this winter, new listings in the other regions rose 3.6% combined.

The top metros with the strongest annual growth in new listings were Salt Lake City (+26.9%); Kansas City, MO (+26.8%); Milwaukee (+25.6%); and Portland, OR (+23.4%).

A zoomed-in look at the weekly national housing data shows how new listing levels changed as the weather deteriorated in the Northeast in February.

The month started strong, with US new listings up 4.8% and 3.6% year-on-year in the weeks of February 14 and 21. That growth hit a wall in the last week of February: when the winter storm Hernando arrived, new listings plummeted by 7.6%.

House prices are falling because the supply recovery is stagnating

In February, the national average list price fell 2.1% from a year ago, to $403,450.

The typical home for sale spent four days longer on the market than it did in February 2025, signaling nearly two years of declining sales.

The number of active listings rose 7.9% year over year – the 28th consecutive monthly gain – but growth has slowed for nine months in a row, signaling that the post-pandemic recovery is leveling off.

Pending listings, which refer to homes under contract, rose 4.2% from a year ago, the biggest increase in more than two years, reflecting the decline in mortgage rates to their lowest level since September 2022.

Despite the market becoming more buyer-friendly, contract cancellations remained steady in February, accounting for 7.2% of active listings, indicating that home buyers are reluctant to let deals go.