Salem Real Estate: What 2025’s Numbers Actually Tell Us
Market statistics can feel abstract until you understand what they change — leverage, timing, and outcomes.
Here’s what the year-end comparison between 2024 and 2025 in Salem really says.
Prices Rose, Even as Activity Slowed
The median sales price increased 3.5% year over year. That matters, because it happened alongside fewer closed sales (down 9.2%). In simple terms: fewer homes sold, but values still moved up.
This tells us demand didn’t disappear — it became more selective. Buyers didn’t vanish. They just slowed down, got more careful, and focused on homes that felt worth the price.
Homes Sold Faster, Not Slower
Median days on market dropped 1.6%. That’s not a dramatic shift, but it’s an important one. In a year with higher interest rates and fewer overall transactions, homes still moved slightly faster.
That points to one thing: well-priced, well-prepared homes continued to attract attention. The market didn’t reward “wait and see” pricing — it rewarded clarity.
Fewer New Listings Tightened Supply
New listings declined 2.7%. This matters more than it looks. When fewer sellers list, inventory stays tighter, which helps support prices — even when buyer activity cools. This is one of the main reasons values held steady instead of correcting downward.
Price Per Square Foot Barely Moved — And That’s the Point
Median sold price per square foot rose just 0.4%. That stability is actually healthy. It suggests the market wasn’t overheating or pulling back sharply. Instead, it was absorbing change — rates, affordability, and buyer behavior — without major disruption.
What This All Means
Taken together, these numbers describe a market that adjusted.
• Buyers became more intentional
• Sellers faced more scrutiny
• Pricing and presentation mattered more
• Demand remained, but momentum shifted
This wasn’t a year where everything sold no matter what. It was a year where strategy mattered.
What to Expect Heading Into 2026 (Without Guesswork)
I want to be clear and responsible here: I won’t make specific price or rate predictions. Anyone who does with certainty isn’t being honest.
What can be said with confidence, based on Salem’s recent patterns and long-term fundamentals:
• Inventory is likely to remain constrained unless sellers feel strong confidence
• Demand will continue to exist, even if it shows up unevenly
• Homes that are priced and prepared correctly will outperform the market
• Buyers will stay cautious, not absent
Salem has historically behaved like a steady market, not a volatile one. It tends to adjust gradually rather than swing wildly — and the 2025 data reinforces that pattern.
The biggest difference moving forward won’t be “the market.” It will be how people position themselves within it.
Bottom Line
The 2025 Salem market rewarded clarity, preparation, and realistic expectations. That trend isn’t going away.
Whether someone is buying, selling, or simply watching, understanding what the numbers mean — not just what they are — is where real confidence comes from.
