New listings surged across the country in February, but the Northeast remained an outlier due to a historic blizzard that sidelined sellers—at least temporarily.
In much of the US, real estate agents charged into the market in February, increasing new listings by 2.4% year over year, including 362,180 new homes for sale, and fueled a 10% increase from January, according to the latest Realtor.com® housing market report.
At the regional level, the Midwest saw the strongest annual growth in new listings, up 7.4% from February 2025, followed by the West (5.8%), and the South (2.6%).
On the other hand, in the icy, cold Northeast, new listings dropped 7.8%.
In late February, Winter Storm Hernando blanketed the densely populated region, dumping 19.7 inches on New York City’s Central Park and burying parts of New Jersey and Long Island under more than 2 feet of snow.
Housing data suggests that in addition to closing schools and disrupting travel, the powerful storm also halted new real estate activity.
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Among the Northeast’s largest metros, Providence, RI, saw the sharpest year-over-year decline in new listings (-22.5%), followed by Hartford, CT (-17.2%), and New York City (-11.6%).
However, Realtor.com’s chief economist Jake Krimmel cautions buyers and sellers against overreacting to these weather-driven fluctuations—whether it’s a sharp decline in February or an expected rebound in March.
“With a few weeks of data, we will be able to tell whether the February number in the Northeast was the result of a real decline in sales activity, or, more likely, a temporary blip that will be corrected later,” the researcher said.
Echoing Krimmel, Andy Oyi,real estate agent at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach Realtors®, says that while a snowstorm may delay a showing, it rarely changes someone’s ability to eventually buy a home.
“The snowstorm caused a short-term disruption,” Oei told Realtor.com. “In the Philadelphia market we’ve seen a lot of showings get rescheduled and a few listings pushed back almost a week, simply because buyers weren’t actively visiting homes during extreme weather.”
According to an analysis of monthly real estate data, new listings in Philadelphia are down nearly 6% compared to the same period last year.
Oei points out, however, that although weather conditions can be disruptive, they rarely change the basic demand for housing in the market.
“Weather tends to delay demand rather than eliminate it,” the agent said. “Big buyers don’t usually disappear because of a storm. What usually happens is that activity squeezes in the weeks immediately after conditions improve.”
Chris Raadowner of Harvey Z. Raad Realtors in Allentown, PA, says major snowstorms create a parallel situation: Buyers are hesitant to brave the elements, while sellers are equally reluctant to have a display of wet, dirty boots tracked into their living rooms and bedrooms.
“I have several real estate agents who have taken extra time to clean and declutter their home a little bit, using the forced delay to their advantage,” he told Realtor.com.
In Boston, where the number of new listings fell 3% from last year, George Sarkisfounder of The Sarkis Team at Douglas Elliman, says he saw a similar shift.
“We’ve seen some sellers’ listings go up for a week or two, and a lot of showings were rescheduled because buyers weren’t willing to move out during the storm,” Sarkis told Realtor.com. “But the demand did not disappear, it was postponed. When the conditions improved, the work resumed quickly, which speaks to the basic strength of the consumer’s interest.”
Sarkis adds that while the weather “absolutely affects the market,” especially when it comes to the timing of open houses and listings, it never changes the course of the market itself.
“Fundamentals like inventory levels, pricing strategy, employment trends, and interest rates ultimately drive activity,” he said.
A temporary blip
Notably, the blizzard hit the Northeast just as mortgage rates were starting to sink, but Oei says many buyers didn’t miss out on a valuable opportunity.
“Buyers who are financially ready generally stay tuned to the market and take action when the right property becomes available,” he says. “Weather can affect the duration of the activity, but factors such as inventory levels, prices, and interest rates ultimately guide the direction of the housing market.”
Krimmel agrees, saying that it is best for consumers not to try to make small moves in interest rates as the market can be very unpredictable in the short term.
“To secure your lowest rate, it’s best to shop around lenders and get your financial ducks in a row,” advises the economist. “That will go a long way than trying to stop the market for a minute.”
Looking ahead, Krimmel notes that the window of opportunity will begin to open in earnest for consumers in the coming months.
“That’s the time of year when new listings go up a lot. What’s best for buyers this year is consistent with the remaining levels in about three to four years,” he adds. “Nonetheless, prices appear to have fallen significantly from last year, which will give hope to those who want to buy more buying power as prospective sellers come out of the sidelines.”
Outside of the Northeast, where snowstorms hit hardest this winter, new listings in other regions rose 3.6% combined.
The major cities with the strongest new listing growth for the year were Salt Lake City (+26.9%); Kansas City, MO (+26.8%); Milwaukee (+25.6%); and Portland, OR (+23.4%).
A closer look at the weekly national housing data reveals how new listing rates changed as the weather worsened in the Northeast during February.
The month started with strong momentum, as new listings across the US rose 4.8% and 3.6% year-over-year during the weeks of Feb. 14 and Feb. 21. That growth hit a brick wall in the last week of February: As Winter Storm Hernando moved in, new listings fell 7.6%.
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In February, the national median list price fell 2.1% from a year ago, falling to $403,450.
The average home for sale stayed on the market four days longer than in February 2025, marking nearly two years of declining sales.
Active listings rose 7.9% year-over-year—the 28th consecutive monthly gain—but growth has fallen for nine straight months, indicating that the post-pandemic recovery is gaining momentum.
Pending listings, which refer to homes under contract, rose 4.2% from a year ago, the biggest increase in more than two years, driven by mortgage rates falling to their lowest levels since September 2022.
Despite the growing buyer-friendly market, contract cancellations remained steady in February, accounting for 7.2% of active listings, suggesting that home buyers are reluctant to walk away from deals.
