The following article is provided by Claudia Stallings, Chief Operating Officer at Wallace Real Estate, serving East Tennessee since 1936.
December market stats often get overlooked, but they can be some of the most telling numbers of the year. As we closed out December 2025, the data pointed to a market that continues to shift from urgency to intention, with buyers and sellers adjusting to a more balanced environment.
One of the first signals came from new listings. December is typically quieter because of the holidays, yet December 2025 saw stronger seller participation than the year before. That matters. It tells us many homeowners are not waiting for a “perfect” spring market. They are listing because real life is moving, whether that means a job change, a growing household, downsizing, or a new chapter. It also means competition does not disappear in winter. Even in colder months, listings still need to be priced and presented well to earn attention…