Redfin Reports There Are 72% More Condo Sellers Than Buyers in the U.S.
Would-be condo buyers are spooked by high costs, including rising HOA dues and insurance fees—but the silver lining is bargaining power. The gap between sellers and buyers has shrunk since springtime, though, when there were
That makes spring and summer 2025 the strongest buyer’s market for condo buyers in records dating back to 2013, with the exception of April 2020, when the start of the pandemic halted homebuying activity.
This is according to proprietary Redfin data. A “buyer’s market” means there are at least
There are several reasons why there aren’t nearly enough condo buyers for all the condos on the market:
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High costs. Near-record prices and high mortgage rates mean sellers outnumber buyers across all property types, but the gap is especially large for condos because condo-specific costs are rising. Slow condo sales have pushed prices down slightly, but prices haven’t plummeted: The typical condo sold for
in August; down$350,000 1% year over year. Mortgage rates are still double pre-pandemic lows. HOA fees are rising in many metro areas, as are insurance costs and special assessments. For some people, that means the math of owning a condo is no longer in their favor. -
New condo rules and regulations. Owning a condo has become not only increasingly expensive, but also increasingly complex. For example,
Florida has instituted several new HOA regulations in the wake of the tragic 2021 Surfside condo collapse, including heightened inspection requirements and increased reserve funding. As another example,California has instituted new requirements about balcony inspections that can increase HOA fees and trigger special assessments. Additional costs and complications may encourage buyers to opt for a single-family home or townhouse with no homeowner’s association. -
Florida . The Sunshine State has about 1.5 million condos; by some estimates, that’s about one-fifth of the nation’s condos. Among the 50 biggestU.S. metros, 5 of the 10 metro areas with the biggest surplus of condo sellers over buyers are inFlorida . The rising costs and new rules mentioned above, along with intensifying natural disaster risks, are causing manyFlorida condo owners to list and pushing buyers away. There are also a fair amount of new condo buildings adding to supply. -
Risk of condos losing value. On a long-term basis, condo price growth is somewhat stagnant; condo prices rose
3% from spring 2022 to spring 2025, much lower than the inflation rate for that period. One in 10 U.S. condos are at risk of selling at a loss, a higher share than other property types, according to a recent Redfin analysis. -
Investor exits. Some condo investors are cashing out because the long-term and short-term rental markets have cooled, and investors are hesitant to buy for the same reason. Investor purchases of
U.S. condos dropped13% year over year in the second quarter—the biggest drop in two years.
The imbalance of condo sellers and buyers is one factor in the overall gap between home sellers and buyers in the
Some Condo Sellers Are Starting to Retreat–But Not Nearly As Fast As Buyers
The gap between condo sellers and buyers is large, but it has started to shrink. The
Some would-be condo sellers, those who don’t need to sell now, have started backing off due to slow demand. Many of them don’t want to sell for less money than they want, and/or keep their condo on the market for a long time.
The typical
Buyers Who Want A Condo Can Get a Deal
Redfin economists say that for people who can afford it and don’t plan to sell in the next few years, it’s a good time to consider a condo if you find a listing that interests you. More condo listings than condo demand means buyers have negotiating power.
“With condo buyers in the driver's seat and rents poised to rise as multifamily construction declines, it may be a good time to make the switch from renting an apartment to owning a condo,” said Asad Khan, a senior economist at Redfin. “Condo buyers can negotiate prices down and ask sellers for concessions, and they have a lot of options to choose from. Even though condo prices are still fairly high and HOA fees are rising, condos are still more affordable than single-family homes. That’s especially true for people planning to hold onto their condo for several years. With some would-be condo sellers pulling back, buyers may not have this much negotiating power for long.”
Condo buyers should do their research ahead of time on HOAs in general, and the specific building they’re interested in, to ensure they won’t be in for surprise special assessments or big cost increases. It’s a good idea to talk to a mortgage lender about bundling all the monthly costs of owning a condo, including principal, interest, taxes, insurance, HOA fees, and any potential special assessments to assess affordability in advance.
Summary of Seller-Buyer Gap by Property Type, August 2025 |
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Condos |
Single-family homes |
Townhouse |
Percent more sellers than buyers |
|
|
|
Number of sellers |
259,638 |
1,440,833 |
197,379 |
Number of sellers, YoY |
|
|
|
Number of buyers |
150,693 |
1,110,956 |
143,446 |
Number of buyers, YoY |
- |
- |
- |
Median sale price |
|
|
|
Median sale price, YoY |
- |
|
|
The Gap Between Condo Sellers, Buyers Is Biggest in
In
That’s followed by
There are more condo sellers than buyers in all but seven of the 50 most populous metros. In
To view the full report, including charts, methodology and additional metro-level data, please visit: https://www.redfin.com/news/more-condo-sellers-than-buyers
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Source: Redfin