Houston Has 36% More Homes for Sale Than Before COVID. Buyers Haven't Kept Up.

Houston's housing market isn't short on buyers. It's long on sellers.

According to HAR MLS data, about 184,500 single-family homes were listed for sale in the Houston area over the past 12 months. That's 36% more than in 2019 and 23% more than just two years ago. Most of that jump came in 2025, and 2026 has kept pace: new listings from January through August are running slightly ahead of last year's record.

Buyers are still showing up. About 89,500 single-family homes sold over the same period, which is flat with last year and about 5% above 2019. Demand is steady. It just hasn't grown anywhere near as fast as supply.

Half of new listings sell

For every 100 homes that hit the market in the past year, about 49 sold. Before COVID, that number was about 63. At the height of the 2021 frenzy, it was about 81.

The rest mostly sit, and many eventually come off the market. About one in four new listings was terminated, meaning the seller pulled it without selling. That's up modestly from 2019, when it was about one in five. Behind the percentage, though, are about 47,000 Houston sellers who wanted to sell this year and didn't.

Homes priced right are still selling

This isn't a market where everything is struggling. In August 2026, single-family homes that sold closed at about 96% of their original list price, right in line with pre-COVID norms.

The market is sorting sellers into two groups. Homes priced to recent sales, in good condition, and marketed well are selling close to asking. Homes priced on 2021 or 2022 expectations are sitting, going stale, and getting pulled.

What this means if you're selling

• You're competing with more homes than at any point in the past decade. Buyers compare your home side by side with everything else in their price range.
• Price to recent sold comps, not to active listings and not to what a neighbor got in 2022.
• The first two to three weeks matter most. That's when your listing gets its biggest wave of attention. A price cut later rarely recovers that momentum.
• Condition and presentation count again. With more choices, buyers pass on homes that need work unless the price reflects it.

What this means if you're buying

This is the most choice Houston buyers have had in years. More inventory means more room to negotiate on price, repairs, or closing costs, especially on homes that have been on the market a while.

If your listing expired or was terminated

You're in good company. Tens of thousands of Houston sellers were in the same position this year. Most listings that don't sell come up short on price, positioning, or marketing, and all three can be fixed. Before you relist, get an honest read on what the sold data says your home is worth today.

At Luxintel Property, we use MLS data to price and position homes for the market we have now, not the one we had a few years ago. Whether you're selling, relisting, or buying, let's look at your numbers together.

Source: HAR MLS (Matrix) statistics, single-family homes, trailing 12 months ending August, 20172026. Data not verified or guaranteed by the MLS.