From C.A.R.
California REALTORS® responding to C.A.R.’s March Market Pulse Survey saw slightly more multiple offers than the previous month and an increase in floor calls, listing appointments, and open house traffic. The Market Pulse Survey is a new monthly online survey of more than 300 California REALTORS® to measure data about their last closed transaction and sentiment about business activity in their market area for the previous month and the last year.
- In a sign of sellers pricing their homes more in line with market conditions, the percentage of properties selling above asking price dropped from its peak in March 2014 at 40 percent to 25 percent a year later. However, the share was up from the lowest point of 16 percent in February. Nearly half of homes (48 percent) closed below asking price.
- The premium paid over asking price declined in March, indicating sellers’ and buyers’ expectations are more in line. In March, homes that sold above asking price sold for 7.5 percent above asking price, down from 10 percent in February, and essentially flat from 7.6 percent in March 2014.
- Homes that sold below asking price sold for 11 percent below asking price in March, unchanged from February. The number of homes that had listing price reductions dropped from 31 percent in February to 22 percent in March.
- Sixty-three percent of properties received multiple offers in March, up from 61 percent in February but down from 74 percent a year ago.
- The average number of offers per property in March was 2.6, unchanged from February but down from 3.2 a year ago.
- Floor calls, listing appointments, and open house traffic were all up in March, compared to both the previous month and year, suggesting the market will continue its upswing in closed escrow sales.
