Houston’s new and active single-family home listings in December fell behind 2020 levels while average listing prices reached a record high, according to a new report by the Houston Association of REALTORS® (HAR). 

The First Real Estate Snapshot of Houston (FRESH) report, released by the HAR on the first day of every month, sums up the local real estate market between monthly Multiple Listing Service (MLS) reports. 

New listings were down 2.7% from December 2020, leaving the market lacking inventory in the new year. Realtors entered 7,575 properties into the MLS in December compared to 7,782 a year earlier. 

The number of available properties continues to reflect the record-setting pace of home-buying leading up to the holidays. Active listings fell 18.4% year over year, with 12,339 properties in the MLS versus last December’s 15,118.

The average list price for a Houston home climbed 11.4% to $399,946, breaking the previous record of $399,510 reached in June 2021. The average list price in December 2020 was $359,012.

HAR’s full-year market update for 2021 is expected on Jan. 12.