A plethora of active home inventory floods the market, but there are some metros where there are not enough listings, creating a seller’s market.
Realtor.com® economists identified 10 metros that had the lowest months of supply as of October 2025.
The months of supply metric represents how many months it would take for all of the for-sale homes on the market (including pending listings) to be sold at the current sales pace.
Less than four months of supply usually means the market is tilted toward sellers.
“For-sale inventory continues to lag demand in these markets, keeping conditions firmly in seller’s-market territory,” says Hannah Jones, senior economic research analyst at Realtor.com. “With more buyers competing for a limited number of homes, sellers retain greater leverage on price and terms.”
The top seller’s market: Grand Rapids, MI.
“For a normal buyer’s budget in Grand Rapids, homes are either not available or they sell quickly when they are,” real estate agent Ryann Brier of City Lights Home Buyers in Grand Rapids tells Realtor.com. “Inventory stays tight. Buyers are making decisions faster because they know inventory is slim.”
Here are the top seller’s markets, as identified by Realtor.com economists:
Grand Rapids, MI
Median listing price: $397,000
Months of supply: 3
“The swing of bidding wars may not be as grand as they were in 2021, but the market is still competitive here in Grand Rapids,” says Brier. “Coming with a strong offer is key to winning the bid, but it doesn’t always depend on price. Having a strong offer could mean flexibility on inspections, or time after close for the homeowner to move out their belongings. There are other ways to negotiate a strong offer.”
Brier says in this market, you have to have a “need for speed” kind of attitude. “If you don’t, you’ll end up competing with the 11 other people who saw the home and want to make an offer,” she says.
St. Louis, MO
Median listing price: $284,950
Months of supply: 3.1
“We are in a seller’s market due to low inventory and higher buyer demand, and we are seeing bidding wars,” JT Monschein, a partner and listing specialist at the Monschein Team at Compass, tells Realtor.com. “Buyers have been adjusting to our changing market and understand with low inventory that they need to be aggressive with their offer and stand out amongst others that they might be competing with.”
Monschein continues, “In many cases, buyers are still waiving inspections or modifying inspection timelines to remain competitive. For homes that are new to the market, buyers should expect to offer at or above list price, depending on demand and pricing strategy. Additional terms such as stronger earnest money deposits are also being used to strengthen offers.”
Milwaukee, WI
Median listing price: $369,750
Months of supply: 3.1
“Right now, the Milwaukee housing market is still very tight, and inventory remains limited,” Justin Hoffmann, a real estate agent with Team Hoffmann Re/Max Lakeside, tells Realtor.com. “There’s a real shortage of homes coming to market when buyer demand is still strong. Because of that limited supply, buyers are competing for relatively few options.”
Hoffmann says that imbalance between strong demand and low supply is causing bidding wars to reappear, particularly on well-priced homes in desirable neighborhoods. “Multiple offer situations are becoming more common, and buyers are having to move quickly and submit strong, clean offers to compete,” he says.
Hartford, CT
Median listing price: $422,475
Months of supply: 3.3
Realtor.com named the Hartford metro the top market in the United States for 2026, with an expected price growth of 17.1%.
Our economists note that Hartford has “chronically tight inventory.” As of November 2025, Hartford’s active listings sat 74% below pre-pandemic levels.
San Jose, CA
Median listing price: $1,198,500
Months of supply: 3.4
“In San Jose, we’re seeing activity pick up as more buyers reenter the market due to a recent dip in interest rates,” Alexander Kalla, a real estate agent at KW Bay Area Estates, tells Realtor.com. “Inventory has increased slightly, but there’s still a significant imbalance between supply and demand.”
Kalla says he recently had a listing in San Jose with over 140 buyer groups through the open house, and it sold within a week with multiple offers and over asking price. “Homes are selling faster, and serious buyers are competing again,” he says.
Virginia Beach, VA
Median listing price: $399,900
Months of supply: 3.5
Jones says many of these metros such as Virginia Beach “remain relatively affordable and have attracted sustained demand in recent years as homeownership has become increasingly out of reach in higher-cost markets.”
Virginia Beach especially appeals to buyers who want coastal living without paying top-tier prices.
Boston, MA
Median listing price: $772,000
Months of supply: 3.5
“Boston remains one of the most supply-constrained markets in the country,” George Sarkis, CEO of The Sarkis Team at Douglas Elliman in Boston, tells Realtor.com. “While interest rates have tempered some demand nationally, Boston’s fundamentals such as world-class universities, health care, biotech, and a strong luxury buyer pool continue to create consistent pressure on available inventory. The result is a market that heavily favors sellers, especially for well-priced, turnkey properties.”
“Buyers are coming in more prepared than ever,” says Sarkis. “They’re getting fully underwritten pre-approvals, reviewing disclosures upfront, and in many cases making faster decisions to remain competitive. There’s less room for hesitation. Buyers who try to ‘wait and see’ often miss out. We’re also seeing more flexibility around closing timelines to accommodate sellers.”
Indianapolis, IN
Median listing price: $309,974
Months of supply: 3.6
Homebuyers are increasingly turning to Indianapolis, drawn by its affordability. But Jones says the surge of interest in lower-priced markets means “inventory growth has struggled to keep pace.”
Cincinnati, OH
Median listing price: $329,950
Months of supply: 3.6
“Homes in Cincinnati that are priced right and show well are selling fast,” real estate agent Scott Oyler, of Coldwell Banker in Cincinnati, tells Realtor.com. “Just last week, I listed three homes, two of which got into multiple offers and sold over list price with favorable terms for the seller.”
Oyler says it’s a great time to sell: “There is less competition on the market so your listing stands out.”
San Francisco, CA
Median listing price: $872.000
Months of supply: 3.6
Real estate agent Ying He, of BarbCo in San Francisco, tells Realtor.com, “The market is extremely hot, with a major imbalance between supply and demand. Bidding wars are common, and many properties are selling hundreds of thousands of dollars over asking.”
She says, “Buyers had the upper hand over the past two years, but that advantage has disappeared. Today’s market demands that buyers act quickly and bid aggressively just to stay in the running. Homeownership has once again become a fiercely competitive race.”