Pending sales posted a big year-over-year increase this week, partly because the boom in early-stage homebuying demand Redfin saw just after the election is translating to sales and partly because Redfin is comparing it to a period in 2023 that included Thanksgiving.

(NASDAQ: RDFN) — U.S. pending home sales rose 12.1% year over year during the four weeks ending November 24, the biggest increase since May 2021. That’s according to a new report from Redfin (redfin.com), the technology-powered real estate brokerage.

One reason for the outsized increase is that early-stage homebuying demand, including home tours, boomed in the two weeks following the presidential election. But another notable reason is that Redfin is comparing it to a period in 2023 that included Thanksgiving, a time of year when home sales are typically very slow.

Redfin will know in the next few weeks whether the increase in pending sales is a Thanksgiving mirage or a sign of sustained strength in the housing market.

Mortgage purchase applications are up 12% week over week, though home tours and other early-stage signals have tapered off. Redfin’s Homebuyer Demand Index—a measure of tours and other buying services from Redfin agents—fell to its lowest level in over two months during the week ending November 24, though it’s up 7% year over year. The recent dip in early-stage demand follows two weeks of big upswings; the demand index hit its highest level in nearly a year and a half in mid-November.

On the selling side, new listings are up 10.6% year over year, the biggest increase since April. That’s also due partly to the fact that Thanksgiving fell into last year’s comparable period. Like the surge in pending sales, Redfin will know more soon about whether the improvement in new listings is here to stay.

For Redfin economists’ takes on the housing market, please visit Redfin’s “From Our Economists” page.

Leading indicators

Key housing-market data

To view the full report, including charts, please visit: https://www.redfin.com/news/housing-market-update-homebuying-demand-thanksgiving/

About Redfin

Redfin (www.redfin.com) is a technology-powered real estate company. We help people find a place to live with brokerage, rentals, lending, title insurance, and renovations services. We run the country's #1 real estate brokerage site. Our customers can save thousands in fees while working with a top agent. Our home-buying customers see homes first with on-demand tours, and our lending and title services help them close quickly. Customers selling a home can have our renovations crew fix it up to sell for top dollar. Our rentals business empowers millions nationwide to find apartments and houses for rent. Since launching in 2006, we've saved customers more than $1.6 billion in commissions. We serve more than 100 markets across the U.S. and Canada and employ over 4,000 people.

Redfin’s subsidiaries and affiliated brands include: Bay Equity Home Loans®, Rent.™, Apartment Guide®, Title Forward® and WalkScore®.

For more information or to contact a local Redfin real estate agent, visit www.redfin.com. To learn about housing market trends and download data, visit the Redfin Data Center. To be added to Redfin's press release distribution list, email press@redfin.com. To view Redfin's press center, click here.

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