If you’ve been sitting on the sidelines of the Twin Cities housing market this year, the data from the past few weeks is worth paying attention to. We’re at the peak of the spring market, and three things just lined up in a way buyers haven’t seen in a while.
1. There are more homes on the market than last year
As of the week ending April 11, 2026, there were 8,910 active listings across the Twin Cities region. That’s up 5.8% from the same week in 2025, according to the Minneapolis Area Realtors weekly market activity report.
More importantly, new listings that same week came in at 1,733, up 11.4% year over year. That’s sellers finally stepping off the fence and bringing homes to market, which is exactly what buyers have been asking for since roughly 2021.
2. Buyer competition is actually down
This is what surprises most people. Pending sales for the week ending April 11 were down 7% compared to last year. Fewer buyers under contract means less competition for the homes that are hitting the market. You’re not bidding against a crowd the way you would have been a few years ago.
Pair that with inventory sitting at 2.3 months of supply (up from 2.2 last March), and you’ve got a market that’s slowly but meaningfully tilting toward buyers. It’s not a buyer’s market yet, but it’s the closest thing we’ve seen in a long time.
3. Prices aren’t crashing, and that’s good news
This is where some folks get spooked. If inventory is up and competition is down, shouldn’t prices be falling?
Not really, and not right now. The median sale price in March 2026 was $380,000, flat compared to March 2025. Sellers are still getting 98.5% of their original list price on average. So the market isn’t rolling over, it’s just breathing.
Why does that matter for you as a buyer? Because it means you can negotiate without trying to time a crash that isn’t coming. You get better selection, more room to inspect and negotiate, and you’re not paying peak-frenzy prices from 2021. And you’re building equity in a market that’s holding its value.
What this means if you’ve been “just looking”
Every spring there’s a window where inventory, buyer competition, and rates line up well enough that the people who actually move get the best deals of the year. We’re in that window right now.
The buyers who wait until June or July to get serious are going to run into two problems. First, the best spring listings will already be under contract. Second, if rates drop later this year the way some are predicting, competition jumps right back up and that 2.3 months of supply gets compressed fast.
If you’re targeting Lakeville, Rosemount, Apple Valley, Farmington, Eagan, Burnsville, Savage, Shakopee, or Prior Lake, the inventory picture varies by city. Some of these markets are moving faster than the regional average, others are slower. A regional number doesn’t tell you what’s happening on your specific block.
Two easy next steps
If you want to actually act on this data, here’s how I’d do it.
Get a custom MLS search built around your criteria. Tell me your target cities, price range, and must-haves, and I’ll build you a saved search in the MLS. You’ll get new listings every morning. Fill out this form to let me know what you’re looking for.
Book a 15-minute discovery call. We’ll talk through what you’re actually looking for, I’ll pull the data for your specific target cities, and you’ll walk away with a clear picture of what’s out there right now. No pressure, no pitch. Book here
The spring window is open. It doesn’t stay open long.
Travis Wyman is a licensed Realtor with Pemberton Real Estate serving the South Metro Twin Cities. Reach him at 612-887-9716 or traviswyman.com.
Data sources: Minneapolis Area Realtors Weekly Market Activity Report, week ending April 11, 2026. All comparisons to same week in 2025.