Girls Just Wanna Have Equity
The National Association of Realtors (NAR) recently released their annual Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers for 2024. While most homebuyers were married couples, the next largest percentage (20%) were single women. Single males trailed at 8%.
Statistics and data for the previous year found that 19% of 2023 homebuyers were women while single males' percentage was slightly higher than 2024 at 10%.
While it's difficult to determine with any certainty why more single women are buying than men, NAR economists think that women's roles as single parents and family caregivers may be factors. One statistic that supports this theory is that women are more likely to choose a multi-generational home for housing an elderly parent or relative.1
Weekly Mortgage Demand on the Rise
After a slow beginning to 2025, Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) statistics reflected a 20.4% increase in mortgage applications during the last week of February when compared to the previous week. Falling rates encouraged first-time and seasoned buyers into the market.
This wasn't just the first increase in three weeks, but a larger than average shift. Applications for a mortgage to purchase a home rose 9% for the week but were still just 2% higher than the same week one year ago. However, purchase volume is still depressingly low, as buyers are facing higher home prices combined with the possibility of tariffs raising prices across the board.2
Showing All Your Listings to a New Prospect? Hang On.
Landing a new buyer is really exciting, especially if you're a new agent or if business has been slow. However, stop and think before sending them all of your property listings to consider. Here's why.
Psychologists have found that, instead of appreciating a wider variety of choices, people actually prefer fewer choices. For example, a supermarket vendor experimented with numbers of items, setting up display tables with different numbers of products each day. While displays with 20-25 products got more attention, purchases were considerably higher on days when the vendor offered six products.
When shoppers are faced with too many items to consider, they get "tired brain". This can cause them to postpone their buying decisions...sometimes indefinitely.
Too many choices also trigger worries about making the wrong choice. For example, when browsing Netflix, you may get tired of scrolling through dozens of new movies and end up watching Despicable Me for the fifth time.
Thankfully there's an easy fix. In addition to limiting your initial listing options to two or three, encourage buyers to decide on mandatory home features. First-time buyers may need some gentle prodding to decide on their "gotta haves", such as a fireplace or two-car garage.
One final tip: prospects are usually better prepared to make decisions earlier in the day. Try to encourage them to go for morning property showings instead of viewing homes after work.3
What FHA Layoffs May Mean For 2025 Buyers
Employees at the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) are waiting to see if the recent wave of federal staff layoffs will affect them, and to what extent. This could eventually affect the numbers of potential homebuyers who need a lower down payment to qualify, such as first-time buyers and those with moderate incomes.
While FHA loans aren't nearly as popular as conforming loans, the numbers are rising. Last December, about 15% of mortgaged home sales used an FHA loan in December, up from mid-2022′s decade-low of around 10%.
If FHA staff numbers are reduced, this could possibly cause a few slowdowns for buyers interested in these loans. If this appears to be a possibility, contact me so we can ensure a faster path to closing for all of your buyers.4
Better Comps Win More Business
Finding the most recently sold homes is more important than ever, considering possible price fluctuations. Ideally, try to use comps that closed within the last three months.
Search for in-depth analytics for the active listings within your neighborhood, as this tells you about current buyer behavior and trends. Be ready to share these details during your CMA presentation.
Take a close look at the properties that aren't selling and determine why this is happening. If your seller's home shares any similarities, sharing this intel within your CMA can be extremely valuable to sellers, especially if other agents' CMAs didn't do this.
Don't limit your info to properties. For example, you may know that a property will be worth more because of nearby schools, zoning changes, or plans for a new shopping center or park.5
Sources: 1nar.realtor, 2cnbc.com, 3jointhefollowup.com, 4cnbc.com, 5luxurypresence.com
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