The short answerWatch three numbers for the area and price range you care about: months of inventory, median days on market and the ratio of sale price to list price. Together they tell you whether buyers or sellers have the stronger hand right now.
Market headlines describe the whole region, but a downtown condo and a James Island house with a dock live in different markets. The trick is to narrow the data before reading it.
The three numbers
| Measure | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Months of inventory | How long current listings would last at the current pace |
| Median days on market | How fast homes are going under contract |
| Sale to list ratio | How much negotiating room buyers are finding |
Questions About Your Own Move?
Ask an AgentHow to read them together
Low inventory, short days on market and a ratio near or above 100 percent point to a seller-leaning market. Rising inventory, longer days and a ratio drifting lower suggest buyers have more room. Mixed signals are common, which is why we look at the last 90 days next to the last year.
90 days
is the window we compare against the prior year for a clear read on momentum
Narrow the data first. The region is not your street.
Questions Readers Ask
From closed sales and active listings in the regional listing data, summarized by our team for the areas you choose.
Monthly is plenty for most buyers and sellers, weekly if you are about to list or write an offer.
Yes. Ask any agent for a custom report covering your area and price range.
