Sluggish net new listings signal that the lock-in effect is not over

In January, the real estate market saw a 17.5 percent decline in net new listings and a 2 percent decrease in contract signings, driven by mortgage rate fluctuations, according to HouseCanary. Despite a rise in total inventory compared to 2022 and 2023, the market is still behind historical inventory averages as sellers avoid entering a higher rate environment.