While most buyers and sellers would probably prefer a market that was heavily weighted in their favor, a balanced housing market is actually good for everyone. When the number of homes for sale and the number of interested buyers is relatively equal, the market is more stable, predictable, and easier to navigate. For years, there’s been imbalance, with the number of homes for sale lagging behind demand from buyers. There were more interested home shoppers than there were homes for sale and it drove prices higher and gave sellers all the negotiating power. These days, though, balance is returning to the market, as the inventory of available homes grows. In fact, according to one recent survey, the share of real estate agents who say they’re seeing a balanced market has jumped 14 percent since the third quarter of last year. At that point, just 30 percent of surveyed agents reported their local market was balanced, while the most recent survey found 44 percent reporting balance. (source)
