South Shore Single-Family Market Analysis

Market Overview

The South Shore single-family market opened 2025 with strong year-over-year growth across transaction volumes, though underlying dynamics reveal a market in transition. While activity increased substantially, absorption metrics indicate softening demand conditions relative to available inventory.

Transaction Activity: Robust Volume Growth

New listing activity surged 42.6% year-over-year to 67 properties, signaling renewed seller confidence or potential seasonal recalibration after January 2024's constrained supply. This influx of inventory translated to meaningful transaction acceleration:

• Pending sales increased 60.0% to 40 properties
• Closed sales rose 41.7% to 34 transactions

This volume expansion suggests buyer engagement remains present despite broader affordability pressures, likely driven by demand in specific price segments or property types.

Pricing Dynamics: Significant Appreciation with Caveats

Price metrics show dramatic year-over-year increases:

• Median sales price: $425,500 (+16.7%)
• Average sales price: $555,806 (+52.6%)

The substantial divergence between median and average appreciation (+16.7% vs. +52.6%) indicates transaction composition shifted heavily toward higher-priced properties. This likely reflects stronger demand in premium segments rather than uniform market appreciation, suggesting segmentation by price point.

Sellers achieved 95.7% of list price (essentially unchanged from 95.8%), indicating stable negotiating dynamics despite increased inventory.

Inventory and Absorption: Extended Marketing Timelines

Days on market increased 11.6% to 77 days, the critical metric for understanding current market friction. Despite strong sales activity, properties required longer marketing periods—a clear signal of softening absorption relative to supply.

Active inventory expanded 22.4% to 191 homes, pushing months of supply to 3.8 months (+5.6%). While still within balanced-market parameters (typically 4-6 months), the upward trajectory warrants monitoring. Markets approaching 4+ months historically favor buyers with increased negotiating leverage.