Home delistings hit a post-pandemic high as sellers balk at buyer terms
As a deep freeze in the US housing market continues, a trend that's gathered pace this year appears to be showing no signs of slowing: homeowners simply giving up hope of selling their property and pulling it off the market.
New data from Redfin showed that 5.8% of all home listings were removed from the market in April, marking the highest share of delisted homes – tied with December – since March 2020, the first month of the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to 2020, delistings were never as common as they are now.
With mortgage rates climbing since the beginning of the US-Iran war and affordability continuing to bite even despite lower prices and purchase activity in many markets, the impasse between buyers and sellers looks to be continuing.
Redfin Premier agent Patricia Ammann, based in Arlington, Virginia, said sellers are still adjusting to the post-pandemic normal. "Prices aren't soaring like they were five years ago – high gas prices and the rising cost of living overall is trickling down to the housing market, making buyers much less likely to bid prices up. Buyers know they have negotiating power, often offering under the asking price and completing inspections, but some sellers just won't budge."
The trend has been building for some time. Delistings have been rising since spring 2024, with year-over-year growth peaking at 39% in June 2025. They hit a record high of 112,788 in December 2025 before the current spring season brought fresh evidence that sellers are still retreating rather than repricing.
Leading the markets where sellers pulled their homes from the market was Atlanta, with San Jose, Dallas, and Los Angeles also seeing high delisting rates.
Across the country, existing-home sales barely budged in April, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), inching higher by 0.2% as consumer confidence dipped. While some markets are still seeing bidding wars, the pendulum has swung in favor of buyers in many others. "Days on market are lengthening on average," said NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun, "implying that consumers are taking their time before making decisions."
Pending-home sales – which reflect signed contracts on existing homes – ticked 1.4% higher in April, with that jump attributed in part to higher inventory.
Still, elevated rates are keeping plenty of buyers on the sidelines – and total mortgage application volume dropped by 2.5% for the week ending May 29, according to the latest survey by the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). That slip arrived despite a fall in the average contract rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages from 6.65% to 6.57%.
Stay updated with the freshest mortgage news. Get exclusive interviews, breaking news, and industry events in your inbox, and always be the first to know by subscribing to our FREE daily newsletter.
