The Greater Lehigh Valley Realtors has released its in-depth report on the 2025 local housing market.

Highlights of the report, included in a Feb. 3, press release, include:

Sales: Pending sales increased 2.1 percent, finishing 2025 at 6,577. Closed sales were up 1.2 percent to end the year at 6,525.

Listings: Comparing 2025 to the prior year, the number of homes available for sale was down 9.3 percent. There were 605 active listings at the end of 2025. New listings increased by 0.8 percent to finish the year at 7,848.

List Price Received: Sellers received, on average, 100.8 percent of their list price at sale. Year-over-year list price decreased 0.3 percent.

Distressed Homes: Despite concerns over rates and overall affordability, strong gains in equity seen by most homeowners in the last few years has limited the number of distressed sales.

In 2025, the percentage of closed sales that were either foreclosure or short sale finished the year at 0.8 percent of the market. This is a decrease of properties over 2024, which saw 1.0 percent of sales as distressed.

Prices: Home prices were up compared to last year. The overall median sales price increased 3.7 percent to $350,000 for the year. Single Family home prices were up 5.0 percent compared to last year, and Townhouse-Condo home prices were up 5.4 percent.

Carbon County Review: Closed sales were up 0.7 percent to 677. There were 920 new listings, and the year closed with 134 active listings. Percent of list price received at sale for 2025 was, on average, 97.0 percent. The overall median sales price increased 6.9 percent to $256,500.

2026 Forecast: Looking ahead to 2026, experts are forecasting an improvement in market activity.

Mortgage rates declined through the second half of 2025 and are expected to stay in the 6% range in the year ahead, supporting incremental gains in affordability.

As inventory builds, sales volume is projected to increase. Economists anticipate modest increases in home prices, well below the rapid appreciation of recent years.

While conditions should become somewhat more favorable for buyers, affordability constraints and the effects of a decade-long supply shortfall will continue to shape the market. Taken together, these trends suggest 2026 will be a year of stabilization and recovery, rather than dramatic change.

Report Data

The Annual Report provides thorough data on the 2025 real estate market in Lehigh and Northampton counties. A review of Carbon County and its school districts is also reported.

ShowingTime, the vendor used to create the annual and monthly market reports, uses research collected from the Greater Lehigh Valley Realtors Multiple Listing Service (MLS), which is utilized by more than 3,000 Realtors and Appraisers.

The Annual Report provides commentary on the 2025 real estate market and a breakdown of the following criteria:

* Quick Facts

* New Listings

* Pending Sales

* Closed Sales

* Median Sales Price

* Average Sales Price

* Percent of List Price Received

* Inventory of Homes for Sale

* Monthly Supply of Inventory

* Property Type Review

* Price Range Review

* Distressed Homes Review

* Activity by School District with Review of Median Sales Price

To read and printout the annual report:

https://www.greaterlehighvalleyrealtors.com/app/uploads/2026/02/GLVR_ANN_2025_Revised.pdf

National View

The United States housing market navigated a challenging landscape throughout 2025.

Mortgage rates remained elevated compared with recent years, and home prices continued to rise nationwide.

Demand for affordable housing far outpaced supply, and with fewer buyers able to keep up with rising costs, sales of previously owned homes were subdued.

Younger buyers faced steep hurdles as high rents, inflation and student loan debt limited their ability to save for a down payment.

By mid-2025, first-time buyers accounted for just 21% of all home purchases, while the typical age of a first-time buyer reached a record high of 40, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR).

The aging trend extended across the broader market, as the median age of all home buyers reached 59. NAR data show that homeowners also set a record, staying in their homes a median of 11 years before selling.

With sales activity down, inventory continued to edge higher, and homes spent more time on the market compared with the previous year, signaling a shift toward more balanced market conditions.

The rise in supply has given buyers more options and reduced the sense of urgency that characterized the post-pandemic market, while sellers have rediscovered the importance of strategic pricing, especially in areas where inventory growth is strongest.

Although price appreciation has slowed, home values remain roughly 50% higher than pre-pandemic levels, stretching budgets and prompting many

would-be buyers to delay their home search until affordability increases.

About the GLVR

The Greater Lehigh Valley Realtors is a not-for-profit trade association representing more than 3,000 Realtors in Carbon, Lehigh and Northampton counties.

The association provides professional development and training resources, competitive market information, legislative advocacy, peer review and mediation processes for members and a dispute resolution service for consumers.

The Association owns and operates the Greater Lehigh Valley Multiple Listing Service (MLS) and the Greater Lehigh Valley Real Estate Academy.

Realtors are distinguished from real estate licensees by subscribing to a strict code of ethics and standards of practice as defined by the National Association of Realtors.

Information: www.GreaterLehighValleyRealtors.com