Bright MLS Research

Mortgage rates held steady at 6.74%—still far from the <6% “magic number” that could unlock buyer demand. But new surveys show it’s not just rates keeping buyers on the sidelines—economic uncertainty is playing a bigger role. Get more commentary: brightmls.com/article/bright…

New insights from our latest survey: Nearly 75% of agents say their buyer clients gave up on home searches this summer — with many citing economic or financial concerns. Dive deeper into our market survey: brightmls.com/article/market…

New home sales slowed in June, down 6.6% YoY. Inventory hit its highest level since 2022, easing price pressure. With more supply, buyers have more options—but a rebound isn’t likely. Read more: brightmls.com/article/bright…

Bright Senior Economist Erica Plemmons has the latest for the week ending July 20, 2025! Watch for the full details and get more from #BrightResearch at brightmls.com/weeklystats.

Buyer activity is picking up as home price growth levels off. Showings and new listings are up year-over-year—pointing to a more balanced summer market. brightmls.com/weeklystats

Housing starts rose 4.6% in June, but single-family starts dropped—down 4.6% from May and 10% YoY. Affordability, tariffs & uncertainty are weighing on builders. Cautious consumers mean construction likely stays slow. More from Bright’s Chief Economist: brightmls.com/article/bright…

"With a mortgage rate of 6.75%, a homebuyer would need an annual income of nearly $130,000 to be able to qualify for a loan to buy a median-priced U.S. home" Bright Chief Economist Lisa Sturtevant in @AP's latest. Read the story >>> apnews.com/article/mortga…

.@FreddieMac reports mortgage rates rose again to 6.75%, up from 6.72% last week. But affordability remains a major hurdle—buyers now need nearly $130K income to afford the median-priced home. More from Bright’s Chief Economist > brightmls.com/article/bright…

Tariff impacts may be showing up in inflation data, with furnishings, appliances, and apparel seeing rising prices in June. What does this mean for the housing market? Bright MLS Chief Economist Dr. Lisa Sturtevant weighs in. @RISMediaUpdates 🔗 rismedia.com/2025/07/15/tar…

Inflation hit 2.7% in June. Rising costs in goods like appliances & apparel hint at tariff impacts. With core inflation still high, a Fed rate cut looks unlikely-adding pressure to an already strained housing market. More from Bright's Chief Economist > brightmls.com/article/bright…

Bright Senior Economist Erica Plemmons has the latest for the week ending July 13, 2025! Watch for the full details and get more from #BrightResearch at brightmls.com/weeklystats

More inventory and slower contract times mean buyers don’t have to rush while exploring their options. Get more details in our latest weekly stats. brightmls.com/weeklystats

Bright MLS Chief Economist Dr. Lisa Sturtevant in @APNews latest: "Mortgage rates may come down modestly over the coming months but other economic headwinds…could continue to hold the housing market in the second half of 2025." Read the story >>> apnews.com/article/mortga…

.@FreddieMac reports mortgage rates rose to 6.72% after 5 weeks of declines. But a drop in rates alone may not bring buyers back. High prices & economic uncertainty remain barriers. More from Bright’s Chief Economist > brightmls.com/article/bright…

Mid-year market check-in! Here’s what to expect in terms of sales, inventory, and pricing for the back half of 2025. brightmls.com/marketreports

📍 The MLS is changing fast—are you ready? Join us at RISMedia’s 2025 CEO & Leadership Exchange this Sept. 3–5 in D.C. for “Upheaval and Progress on the MLS Landscape”—a must-attend session featuring top MLS execs breaking down the structural shifts, policy pressures and bold…

Last week saw a bump in buyer activity and new listings over last year. Get the full data breakdown in our weekly stats: brightmls.com/weeklystats

How updated are online home listings? Instantaneous. @Bright_MLS cc:@WTOP wtop.com/business-finan…

Despite hopes for relief, a strong June jobs report makes a mortgage rate drop unlikely in the near term. Bright Chief Economist Dr. Lisa Sturtevant shares insight on what this means for buyers and the housing market. 🔗 Read more via @Inman: inman.com/2025/07/03/mor…

Mortgage rates dropped to 6.67% (lowest since April), but buyers remain hesitant. Falling rates + rising inventory aren’t spurring demand as summer seasonality + solid jobs data mean the Fed likely won’t cut soon. More: brightmls.com/article/bright…