The number of home sales last year saw the largest increase since 2021, a 5% gain over 2024.
According to the Columbia Board of Realtors, the number of single-family homes sold in both Boone County and Columbia increased 11%, with 167 homes sold as buyers seemed to take advantage of lower mortgage rates.
The median price of a home in Boone County rose 13% to $338,500, with an average home sale price up 8%, jumping to $376,718.
In Columbia, the median price of homes sold in Columbia was up 11% to $348,400 with the average price reaching $400,000.
The Board of Realtors issued its year-end report this week, covering home sales, inventory, and median and average home sale prices in Columbia and countywide.
There was a 12% decline in the pending listings of homes under contract in December. The inventory of homes on the market decreased by 9%.
“This drop in inventory was influenced less by rising demand and more by a shift in listing behavior,” said Brian Toohey, chief executive officer of the Columbia Board of Realtors.
Delisted listings — homes removed from the market due to canceled, expired or withdrawn sales — increased by 14% in November.
New listings in November fell 23%, and new single-family home building permits declined 17% in 2025.
Active home listings dropped in December due to fewer new listings and an increase in delistings.
The amount of time homes spent on the market in December increased by 26%. Individual listings took 63 days on average to have a signed agreement between the buyer and seller. The longer listing period often caused sellers to remove their unsold homes from the market.
Condominium activity softened slightly with sales down 3% in 2025, although prices increased by 9% to $187,500.
Toohey said median home prices have grown an average of 9% annually during the last five years, showing positive signs for long-term market stability.
“Over the prior five years, median home prices increased by an average of 9% annually, a pace widely viewed as unsustainable, making the more modest 3% price gain in 2025 a positive sign for long-term market stability,” he said.
