As someone who closely tracks the local housing market each month, it’s clear that August brought a mix of momentum and caution for Orange County real estate. Bright Multiple Listing Service (MLS) data, published on or about the 10th of each month, reveals how the market stacked up against July as well as the same period in 2024.

The COVID years—when most listings went under contract within days and with few or no contingencies—are long gone. Today, home-sale contingencies (where a seller must sell a current home to purchase another), seller concessions (closing costs paid by the seller), and home inspection contingencies for negotiating repairs are common once again. Interest rates have also risen sharply, from the 3-4% range to a high this year of about 7%. At the same time, limited supply continues to affect the market, contributing to slower sales in 2025.

In August, 155 new listings were reported, up almost 98% over August 2024 and up nearly 11% from July. There were 77 new pendings (homes going under contract), down 19.3% from July but up 7.6% year over year. A total of 66 homes closed in Orange County in August—the same number as in June and nearly a 12% increase from August 2024.

Currently, 230 active listings are on the market in the county, well above the five-year August average of 161. The average days on market is 43, also above the five-year August average. The average sold-price-to-original-list-price ratio declined to 96.5%, almost two points below the five-year August average. The positive note: the median sold price in August was $420,000, continuing to climb and standing well above the five-year August average of $398,500.

While the market shows signs of balancing after several volatile years, these numbers confirm that Orange County real estate remains resilient—and worth watching closely as 2025 unfolds. Learn more about Pat Licata at www.licatagroup.com.

Pat Licata

Pat Licata of The Licata Group/eXp Realty has been a Realtor since 2010. She and her husband, John, also a Realtor, lead a team of professional agents who service the region.