2024 surpasses 2023 in all areas. In December, sales increased by 13% compared to last year.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (Jan. 24, 2024) — Central Ohio concluded a robust 2024 in residential real estate sales by recording 2,169 closings in December. This marks a 13.1% increase from the 1,917 closed sales in December 2023.
As projected in last month’s report, 2024 surpassed 2023 in nearly every statistical category. Closed sales increased by 4.2% for the year, with 28,754 sales recorded in the Columbus & Central Ohio Regional Multiple Listing Service (MLS), up from 27,592 sales in 2023.
“In 2024, we saw an increase in new listings, which provided more options for consumers,” said Buffie Patterson, the 2025 President of Columbus REALTORS®. “We also observed a price increase of about 5%, which caused homes to remain on the market roughly four days longer than they did last year.”
“More than anything, I believe we observed the market returning to the pre-pandemic norms of 2019 and earlier,” said Patterson.
The data supports this assertion. During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, closed sales in December—usually one of the slowest months for real estate—were 2,715 in 2020 and 2,897 in 2021. In the past three Decembers, sales have returned to more statistically typical levels (see chart).
The median sales price in central Ohio rose 8.5% year over year, reaching $320,000. Sellers receive 98.5% of the final listing price, indicating that buyers save an average of 1.5% at closing.
In November, there were 4,600 homes for sale in the MLS. That number fell to 3,889 in December, as only 1,600 new homes came online. However, that total still exceeded December 2023, when 1,434 new listings were added to the housing supply.
In the local spotlight, sales increased by 40% year over year in the South-Western City School District, with 139 closings. Grove City proper recorded 59 sales, representing a 60% increase year over year. In Union County, Marysville saw a 48% uptick with 46 closings.
Sortable Housing Statistics
Central Ohio Housing Statistics (PDF)
Columbus REALTORS® is comprised of almost 10,000 real estate professionals engaged in residential sales and leasing, commercial sales and leasing, property management, appraisal, consultation, real estate syndication, land development and more.
The Columbus REALTORS® Multiple Listing Service (MLS) serves all of Franklin, Delaware, Fayette, Licking, Madison, Marion, Morrow, Pickaway and Union Counties and parts of Athens, Champaign, Clark, Clinton, Fairfield, Hocking, Knox, Logan, Muskingum, Perry and Ross counties.