New listings of U.S. homes for sale climbed 1.2% week over week to their highest level in over three months during the four weeks ending August 16. That's according to a new report from Redfin, the real estate brokerage powered by Rocket.

The upswing in new listings comes as homebuying demand slows: Pending home sales fell 1.3% week over week to their lowest level since March. Many house hunters are sitting on the sidelines because the economy is uncertain and housing costs are high. The weekly average mortgage rate is 6.67%, just shy of the highest level in 13 months, and the median home-sale price rose 1.8% year over year. One bit of relief for buyers: the median asking price fell 0.1%, a tiny decline but the first since January.

More sellers are entering the market partly because some of them have come to terms with today's somewhat slow housing market; they are accepting that they may need to sell for a slightly lower price than they want, and it may take them slightly longer to do so. Many homeowners who have been holding off since spring, waiting for the market to pick up, are listing now. In some parts of the country, like the Bay Area and South Florida, homebuying demand is strong, and sellers in those places are likely taking advantage of competitive markets.

Jamie Derouen, a Redfin Premier agent in the Houston area, said that in addition to market dynamics, there are always new listings because there are always people who need to move.

"Some of my clients are selling because they're retiring and downsizing, some are relocating for a job, and some are growing their families," Derouen said. "Some homeowners have been waiting for mortgage rates to fall and demand to surge—but now they realize that's unlikely to happen anytime soon, so they're taking the plunge now."

Redfin economists say that for house hunters, the uptick in new listings coupled with slow demand could be an opportunity. Buyers who see a listing that catches their eye may be able to strike a deal; with half a million more sellers than buyers in the market, some sellers are willing to accept lower prices and/or provide concessions.

For Redfin economists' takes on the housing market, please visit Redfin's "From Our Economists" page.

Leading indicators

Key housing-market data

To view the full report, including charts, please visit:
https://www.redfin.com/news/housing-market-update-new-listings-tick-up-august