Q4 2025 Athens + Oconee Market Snapshot

(Data through December 3, 2025 | Clarke + Oconee counties via GAMLS)

Some quarters feel predictable. Q4 has not been one of them.
Nationally, the housing market is in a holding pattern: inventory is up, prices are leveling, and buyers are watching the headlines more than the listings. Locally, Athens and Oconee are doing what we always do — moving with the broader trends, but with our own personality, cadence, and quirks baked in.

Below is where the market actually stands today, based on real data and what I’m seeing firsthand with buyers and sellers across Athens and Oconee.

📊 Inventory (Active Listings)
490 active listings
Average DOM: 94 days
Median list price: $487,400
Average list price: $639,721
Total active volume: $313.46M
What this means:
Inventory has climbed steadily, giving buyers more choices and more breathing room. Homes are sitting longer (94 days on average), which is a meaningful jump from the rapid-fire pace of the past few years. The spread from $140K to nearly $9M shows just how wide the local price spectrum has become.

Many agents have already pulled their stale Q4 listings to reset in January — a pattern we see every year, but especially in higher-inventory markets like this one.

🏡 Closings (Sold Listings)
225 homes sold
Average DOM: 53 days
Median sold price: $389,900
Average sold price: $508,827
Total sold volume: $114.4M
What this means:
Houses that sell are still selling quickly — about half the time of active listings. Pricing matters. Preparation matters. “Right house, right neighborhood, right price” continues to be the winning formula.
The $390K median tells us the mid-market is still the center of gravity, especially for the first-time and under-40 buyers entering the market right now.

📝 Under Contract (Buyer Activity Right Now)
62 homes under contract
Average DOM: 58 days
Median price: $367,000
Average price: $487,723
Total UC volume: $30.2M
What this means:
Pending activity is softer than it should be for this time of year — a direct reflection of buyer hesitation. Many of the buyers I’m working with are financially ready (preapproval in hand) but emotionally not quite ready to jump. They’re planning to start touring more seriously in January.
If your home is on the market right now and feeling quiet… it’s not just you.

📉 Expired Listings (The “Silent Indicator”)
57 expired listings
Average DOM: 142 days
Median price: $439,000
What this means:
This is where higher inventory and buyer hesitation really show up.
These aren’t “bad houses.” Most simply missed the emotional window of buyer confidence. Sellers aimed high, buyers pulled back, and days on market stretched past the point of relevance.
This is why January repositioning is so popular in Oconee and Clarke — it works.

🧭 Buyer Behavior: What’s Actually Happening on the Ground
This quarter has been a study in buyer psychology. Here’s what I’ve seen:
1. Cautious buyers are the norm.
Even financially-ready buyers are moving slowly. Several of mine have already talked with lenders, feel good about their numbers, and then said, “We’ll start touring in January.”
2. Open houses feel like a dying art.
I hosted multiple open houses for 163 Easy Street with max advertising… and no one showed up.
I’ve heard the same from other agents — sparse traffic, even at great properties.
Buyers are moving online-first, and they stay online until they’re serious.
3. Price reductions are everywhere.
We’ve been in a price-reduction-heavy environment for months. It’s not panic — it’s simply what happens when inventory rises and buyers pace themselves.
4. Fewer cash buyers than usual.
Interestingly, lenders say Corcoran sees a lot of cash buyers.
But in my world lately? Most buyers have financing lined up, and they’re younger — generally 40 and under.
5. Emotional fatigue is real.
Buyers are tired. Sellers are tired. The market is tired.
Everyone is asking: “Should I make a move now, or wait?”
But here’s the thing: When buyers are ready, they’re ready.

📈 The Bigger Picture (Atlanta MSA + National Context)
To understand Athens, you have to zoom out.
Atlanta MSA (October 2025)
Median price down 2.02% from September
Inventory up 17.6% YoY
Active listings ~26,727
Units sold steady (+1.04% YoY)
National Trends:
Inventory rising nationwide for over a year
Prices stabilizing after pandemic highs
Open-house traffic declining across the U.S.
Buyers overwhelmingly searching online
2026 forecast: balance + modest improvement + pent-up demand returning
Athens mirrors these trends — but with our own micro-market pulse that makes timing and preparation even more important.

💡 So… What Does All This Mean If You’re Thinking About Buying or Selling?
For Sellers:
Your January-March window will be strong.
Price reductions aren’t a sign that something is wrong — they’re a sign of a thoughtful reposition.
Well-prepped, move-in-ready homes still sell quickly.
Q4 slowness is not a referendum on your house.

For Buyers:
You have more time and more choices than you’ve had in years.
Prices are flattening, not freefalling.
The best strategy right now is to get preapproved and start watching closely.
The moment you’re ready, the right home will move fast — even in a quiet quarter.

✨ Final Thoughts
Q4 in Athens has been quieter, more online-heavy, and more cautious than recent years—but it’s also healthier. Markets breathe. This one needed to.
Homes are still selling. Buyers are still buying. But the pace and psychology have changed, and understanding that rhythm is half the battle.
If you’d like to talk through what this means for your situation — whether you’re thinking about a move next month or next summer — I’m always here.