An inventory boomerang just hit the housing market

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In the second half of 2025, there was a notable jump in delistings, as some home sellers—particularly in the Sun Belt—who couldn’t get their desired price decided to pull their homes off the market. Indeed, U.S. delistings as a share of inventory ticked up to 5.5% in fall 2025—a decade-high reading for that time of year.

In December 2025, ResiClub noted to readers: “Looking ahead, in markets seeing the biggest jumps in delistings right now, many of those listings will likely return to the resale market in spring 2026—or test out the rental market.”

Fast-forward to January 2026, and we are indeed seeing an upswing in relistings, according to Compass chief economist Mike Simonsen’s analysis of Altos Research data.

A relisted property is a home that was previously listed for sale, taken off the market (expired, withdrawn, or canceled), and then later put back on the market.

Relistings as a share of single-family housing inventory for sale:

• January 24, 2025 —> 10.1%
• January 23, 2026 —> 11.0%

Total relistings:

• January 24, 2025 —> 64,410
• January 23, 2026 —> 76,426

What housing markets are most likely to see the biggest upswing in relistings over the coming months?

The answer, of course, is the markets that saw the most delistings last fall. Last fall, Midwestern markets—which, relatively speaking, remain on the tighter side—saw the fewest delistings. Meanwhile, weaker and softer housing markets in places like Texas and Florida saw the highest levels of delistings.

Why should buyers pay attention?

Rising relistings can create buying opportunities. A relisted home often signals that the property was previously marketed, failed to transact at the seller’s desired price, and is now returning with perhaps more realistic expectations. That dynamic can produce real seller fatigue, as months of showings, price cuts, and stalled negotiations reset pricing psychology and increase willingness to negotiate on price, concessions, repairs, or rate buydowns.

Relistings also give buyers an information advantage by revealing prior list prices, time on market, and whether earlier deals fell apart, helping anchor offers to true market-clearing levels rather than aspirational pricing.

Savvy buyers—and their agents—should always do their homework and confirm whether a property was listed in the prior year, how pricing evolved, and why it didn’t sell, as that context can materially strengthen negotiating leverage.

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