New Listings Boom Nationwide—Except in Storm-Struck Northeast 

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

Across much of the U.S., home sellers charged into the market in February, driving new listings up 2.4% year over year, totaling 362,180 new homes going on sale, and fueling a 10% surge from January, according to the latest Realtor.com® monthly housing market trends report.

At the regional level, the Midwest saw the strongest annual growth in new listings, which rose 7.4% from February 2025, followed by the West (5.8%), and the South (2.6%).

On the other hand, in the snowbound, freezing Northeast, new listings plunged 7.8%.

In late February, Winter Storm Hernando blanketed the densely populated region, dumping 19.7 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 suggests that beyond shuttering schools and disrupting commutes, the powerful blizzard also brought new real estate activity to a standstill.

East Coast sellers pull back

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

However, Realtor.com senior economist Jake Krimmel cautions buyers and sellers against overreacting to these weather-driven fluctuations—whether it's February’s sharp decline or an anticipated rebound in March.

"With a few more weeks of data, we'll be able to tell if February's Northeast number was a result of a real decline in for-sale activity, or, more likely, a temporary blip that will be smoothed out over time," says the researcher.

Echoing Krimmel, Andy Oei, real estate agent at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach Realtors®, says that while a snowstorm may delay a showing, it rarely changes whether someone ultimately purchases a home.

"The snowstorm did create some short-term disruption," Oei tells Realtor.com. "In the Philadelphia market we saw several showings rescheduled and a few listing launches pushed back by about a week, simply because buyers were not actively touring homes during the worst of the weather."

According to the monthly housing data analysis, new listings in Philadelphia decreased nearly 6% compared with the same period last year.

Oei points out, however, that while weather events may be disruptive, they seldom alter the underlying demand for housing in the market.

"Weather tends to delay demand rather than eliminate it," says the agent. "Serious buyers rarely disappear because of a storm. What usually happens is that activity compresses into the weeks immediately after conditions improve."

Chris Raad, owner of Harvey Z. Raad Realtors in Allentown, PA, says major snowstorms create a mutual standstill: Buyers are hesitant to brave the elements, while sellers are equally reluctant to have a parade of wet, dirty boots tracking through their living rooms and bedrooms.

"I have a few home sellers who took the extra time to clean and declutter their home a bit more, using the forced delay to their advantage," he tells Realtor.com.

In Boston, where the new listing count slipped 3% from last year, George Sarkis, co-founder of The Sarkis Team at Douglas Elliman, says he observed a similar dynamic.

"We did see some sellers push listing launches by a week or two, and a number of showings were rescheduled simply because buyers weren’t eager to be out during the storm," Sarkis tells Realtor.com. "But the demand didn’t disappear, it was deferred. Once conditions improved, activity resumed quickly, which speaks to the underlying strength of buyer interest."

Sarkis adds that although weather "absolutely influences the tempo of the market," especially when it comes to the timing of open houses and listing launches, it hardly ever changes the trajectory of the market on its own.

"Fundamentals such as inventory levels, pricing strategy, employment trends, and interest rates ultimately drive activity," he argues.

A temporary blip

Notably, the blizzard walloped the Northeast just as mortgage rates had started dipping, but Oei argues that most buyers did not miss a meaningful opportunity.

"Buyers who are financially prepared generally stay engaged with the market and act when the right property becomes available," he says. "Weather can influence the timing of activity, but factors like inventory levels, pricing, and interest rates ultimately drive the direction of the housing market."

Krimmel agrees, saying that for buyers it is best not to try to time small movements in interest rates as the market can be very unpredictable over the short run.

"To secure your lowest rate, it's best to shop around across lenders and get your financial ducks in a row," advises the economist. "That will go a longer way than trying to time the market down to the minute."

Looking ahead, Krimmel notes that the window of opportunity will begin to open in earnest for buyers in the coming months.

"That's seasonally when new listings really ramp up. Ideally for buyers this year that run-up aligns with rates still around three-four year lows," he adds. "Regardless though, rates look to be considerably lower than last year, which will hopefully give prospective buyers more purchasing power right as prospective sellers are coming off the sidelines."

Excluding the Northeast, where snowstorms hit the hardest this winter, new listings in the other regions were up 3.6% collectively.

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

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

The month began with strong momentum, as new listings across the U.S. rose 4.8% and 3.6% year over year during the weeks of Feb. 14 and Feb. 21. That growth hit a brick wall in the final week of February: As Winter Storm Hernando moved in, new listings plummeted 7.6%.

Home prices drop as supply recovery stalls

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

The typical for-sale home sat on the market four days longer than in February 2025, marking nearly two years of slowing sales. 

Active listings increased 7.9% year over year—the 28th consecutive monthly gain—but growth has slowed for nine straight months, signaling that post-pandemic recovery is plateauing. 

Pending listings, which refer to homes under contract, rose 4.2% compared with a year ago, the largest increase in more than two years, driven by mortgage rates dropping to their lowest levels since September 2022. 

Despite the market growing more buyer friendly, contract cancellations remained stable in February, accounting for 7.2% of active listings, suggesting that home shoppers are reluctant to walk away from deals.