Central Florida’s housing scene, which dragged through much of 2025, is finally stirring. January brought a sharp jump in new listings and more homes going under contract, giving buyers noticeably more to choose from. Local agents say weeks of slim pickings have shifted into a market with some real momentum heading into the spring season.
January Numbers Hint At A Turn
The Orlando Regional Realtor Association’s January State of the Market data show just how abrupt the shift was. New listings jumped 59.5% from December to January, reaching 3,852, while homes under contract (pending sales) climbed 24.4% over the same period. Closed sales, however, were still down, falling roughly 25% month to month.
The report also logged average days on market at 81 days, the longest stretch since 2016, and set the typical January median price at $370,000. According to ORRA, a mix of seasonal listing activity and easing mortgage rates is driving the change.
Buyers Start Seeing More Options
On the ground, shoppers are noticing the difference. Adam Stark, who has been hunting for a home in east Orlando, told Spectrum News 13 that available homes in his range went from “one or two” a week to three or four, giving his family enough inventory to actually be picky.
ORRA President Chris Atwell told the same outlet the market is “more of a buyer-leaning market at this time” and noted that buyers are seeing more concessions from sellers. That anecdotal shift, lining up with the January data, is one reason many local Realtors think the upcoming spring season could feel noticeably busier than last year.
Rates Help, But The Pace Is Uneven
Mortgage costs have eased enough to matter. The 30-year fixed rate averaged about 6.10% at the end of January, according to Freddie Mac, a pullback from 2025 peaks that has nudged some would-be buyers off the sidelines.
That softer rate backdrop, paired with more inventory, is giving buyers clearer leverage on price and terms, while leaving sellers to fine-tune their asking prices and concessions so their homes do not linger in that 81-day territory.
Florida’s Broader Market Moves In Sync
Orlando’s story fits into a bigger statewide pattern. Florida Realtors reported that January brought increases in new listings, pending sales, and closed transactions across Florida, and described it as one of the strongest January starts for listings on record.
Florida Realtors data show closed single-family sales rising year over year while inventory levels grew across many metro areas, including Central Florida. In other words, more homes are coming to market at the same time more deals are actually getting done.
What Comes Next For Central Florida Buyers And Sellers
For now, agents say the current environment tends to reward prepared buyers and realistically priced listings. ORRA has cautioned that closed sales were still lagging in January but added that “We’re likely to see pending sales transition into increased activity in February, setting the stage for an active spring and summer,” and the association plans to watch first- and second-quarter results closely.
If those pending contracts keep converting into closings, Central Florida could gradually move from a buyer-leaning setup toward a more balanced market as the year goes on. For buyers and sellers who sat out most of 2025, that might finally look like a market worth rejoining.
