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Hilton Head / Bluffton Annual Market Analysis | 2025 Edition

Real Estate Market Analysis | 2025 Edition

In this Market Analysis, you’ll find:


2024 Market Performance Wrap-Up:

by Chip Collins

The greater Hilton Head / Bluffton market notably held its own in 2024, amid very different stories emerging in other market areas of the country where demand and sales slipped (in some cases quite sharply).

Median and Average Sales Prices:

In fact, with slight increases in both new listings volume AND total closed volume year over year, the HHI/Bluffton market ended 2024 with even larger increases in Median Sales Price (up 5.3%) and Average Sales Price (up 8.2%), demonstrating both confidence and strength in local real estate values.

The Average Sales Price of homes sold in our market area in 2024 was $753,195!

Days On Market and Negotiations:

As our Group ushered buyers into the local market from 29 different states across the country last year, we saw that buying conditions improved somewhat over 2023. The Average Days on Market for sold properties inched up to 150 days, providing buyers with a less rushed process for searching, considering, and negotiating their selected properties.  Sellers were slightly more negotiable in their sales prices, yielding a slight drop in the year-over-year Average Sales-Price-to-List-Price Ratio from 98.1% to 97.9%. (NOTE: As we suggested, holiday buyers earned an even more favorable environment where this stat was down to 97.3% in December).

Pending and Closed Sales:

The overall pace and volume of sales was remarkably statistically similar to 2023. For the year, there were 5,213 new Pending Sales compared to 5,219 in 2023. Likewise, 2024 yielded 5,510 Closed Sales, compared to 5,414 in all of 2023. This steadiness year over year tended to offer an even-keeled predictability for the benefit of buyers and sellers alike. 

New Listings:

The number of New Listings to hit the market bumped up slightly (4.8%) in 2024 compared to 2023, with 6,792 new home listings coming to market last year. As a result of a slow but steady climb in New Listings, the overall Inventory of Homes for Sale ended the year up 16.2% compared to the same time one year prior.   

Inventory Levels:

This gain in Inventory resulted in overall market conditions more squarely settling into a “balanced market” statistically with the year ending at a 3.6 Months Supply of Inventory (up from 3.1 in December 2023.  

A Balanced Market is defined as a 3-6 Months Supply of Inventory, with anything under 3 Months yielding a Sellers Market, and anything over 6 Months creating a Buyers Market.

Mood of the Market:

In all, 2024 was a very solid sales year for the greater Hilton Head / Bluffton market.  Buyers and Sellers found more equal footing (certainly than we saw during the Covid market years), and both sides of the equation operated with a fairly high level of confidence in buying and selling. The stable market environment resulted in a return to even-keeled contracts that contained traditional terms such as financing and inspection contingencies, and buyers and sellers seemed to find common ground in a less stressful environment than they’d seen in prior years.  

Top 5 Observations

  1. We are seeing a slow/stable increase in the number of homes for sale in our area – nothing dramatic or alarming
  2. On average, about 250 home listings are being added to the market each quarter
  3. Most inventory has been hitting the market in Q1 and Q2
  4. The largest net inventory drop was in Q4 – 2024 (Distractions like the election and holidays)
  5. Pending Sales tend to align with new listings, with the 1st and 2nd quarters being the most active

Kicking Off 2025:

As we often see the month of January serve somewhat as a bellwether for how the year ahead might perform, we’ve been encouraged by fairly substantial listing and buying activity so far in 2025. We are seeing a steady trickle of sellers enter the market, which gives buyers more options, and we’re eager to see how buyer demand evolves into the Spring market to meet that supply.  

2025 Real Estate Market Steering Factors

As we peer into the future of our local market for the 2025 calendar year, we have a vision of a nice WELCOME MAT appearing before us.  

Market conditions should remain equally favorable for both buyers and sellers to participate confidently in their buying and selling goals. We expect supply and demand to marry up pretty nicely in the year ahead, yielding a balanced market with stable pricing and values. Buyers and sellers can expect to engage in normalized contract terms with financing, inspections, and even sale contingencies to take place with some regularity. In short, the year ahead should be less stressful for buyers who will have more time and choices, while also fairly predictable and rewarding for sellers who pay good attention to the condition of the market as well as their homes.  

Here are some of the stand-out Steering Factors we expect to shape market behavior in 2025:

Interest Rates:

While we are always watching what’s happening with interest rates, it seems as though the buyer audience has largely accepted the “new normal” of where rates sit at this time. Local lenders feel rates could drop slightly in the Spring, but much depends on how the economic outlook unfolds as we gain experience under the new administration.

Costs of Ownership:  

The flip side to steady appreciation in real estate values in the Lowcountry is the associated valuation used to calculate county taxes as well as home insurance rates. With significant insurance losses occurring across the country (notably in Florida, North Carolina, and California), we’ll be eagerly awaiting indicators of how our local insurance rates will be impacted for 2025 renewals. Additionally, infrastructure and ongoing maintenance needs in our local communities and neighborhoods continue to require rising dues structure to keep up with the influence of inflation on contractor/vendor labor and materials costs. 

Supply Levels:  

While the market is somewhat pixelated regarding inventory levels (some communities are sparse while others are plentiful), we believe we have arrived at another “new normal” concerning inventory. As stable conditions continue, we don’t expect to see any substantial spikes (or declines) in inventory across the year. And, while we reflect on how HIGH inventory levels got after 2008, and how LOW inventory levels got during Covid, we think that the overall relatively low level of inventory we saw in 2024 and now in 2025 is likely going to be our new normal for the foreseeable future. 

Buyer Demand:  

The north-to-south and west-to-east migration patterns that emerged during Covid have only strengthened over time, resulting in a high demand for real estate in the Southeast. And, since you are reading this as a likely fan of the Lowcountry, we recognize that our market area has earned a great deal of attention and accolades as a highly desirable place to live. So, it’s our outlook that (despite rising costs of ownership), buyer demand will stay strong (if not actually increase) throughout 2025, bearing in mind that for a long time our market area may have been undervalued and underappreciated. Even amid increased transfer fees and buy-in dues in certain communities, we are hearing from certain segments of the buyer audience that those costs (along with our overall real estate prices) are low/reasonable compared to their current hometown markets. 

Growth and Expansion:  

As our Group serves the entire South Carolina Lowcountry from Hilton Head through Beaufort and into Charleston, we are watching an active evolution of where buyers are considering their next purchase. People who are seeking more “elbow room” and/or affordability are going to be looking more closely at the middle of the Lowcountry region, which we believe is going to produce a new level of interest and sales activity in the greater Beaufort market area. And, of course, we fully expect to see continued westward expansion into Hardeeville and Jasper County in the year ahead. 

As always, we’re doing our best to stay at the forefront of these Steering Factors daily, and we welcome your comments, questions, and concerns to be shared at any time.

Feel free to email us directly at info@collinsgrouprealty.com, and we look forward to hearing from you!   

Thanks for your time and interest in our 2025 Annual Market Analysis and thank you for your business with Collins Group Realty! We are greatly appreciative of your support!! Have a fantastic year ahead!


New & Noteworthy: Exciting Local Spots to Explore

Our real estate team is always on the lookout for the latest and greatest additions to our growing community, and we’re thrilled to share some of our favorite new and upcoming amenities. Whether you’re a longtime resident or new to the area, these exciting attractions offer fresh opportunities to enhance your Lowcountry lifestyle. From state-of-the-art recreational facilities to unique local hotspots, there’s something for everyone to enjoy! Keep reading to discover what’s new and what’s coming soon—starting with the highly anticipated Dill Dinkers Indoor Pickleball facility…

Dill Dinkers Indoor Pickleball Facility Coming Soon
(Jeff Wynne)

Morris Center for Lowcountry Heritage in Ridgeland (Bill Weis)

Yamato Asian Grill & Poke – Open Now in Okatie
(Kristen Parson)

Tin & Tallow – Opening a Permanent Location at Jarvis Creek General Store “for the best cheeseburgers” (Ron Maver & Kathy Fotia)

Jasper County YMCA is breaking ground in East Argent. “It will be a central hub for programs and recreation for all ages in the area.”
(Ryan Stefonick)

Washington Square shops and townhomes are filling in: “Pilates, a Med Spa, and retail shops are open now, plus Wine Time is coming soon! – making this a fun and exciting walkable community.”
(Ashley Smith)

New Riverside Village – shops, including Butcher Shop, restaurants, The Grind coffee shop, Med Spa, and the opening of the New Riverside Park and Playground at the Barn (Charlotte Main and Denise Geiger)

Beach Renourishment by the Town of Hilton Head starting April 2025 (Andrea Albright)

Aldi’s Grocery Store – Coming Soon to Hilton Head (Jon Haldane)

Local Legend Brewing Company – Opening in February (Chris Sanders & Karen Lesch)

Collins Group Realty Concierge Center Opening in Old Town Bluffton – February 2025!
(Chip Collins)

Ma Daisy’s Porch Coming Soon to Old Town bringing Gullah cuisine, bakery, and more! (Brandon & Stefanie Stavola)

Recognition awarded to Hilton Head Island by the League of American Bicyclists for being a Gold Level Bicycle Friendly Community designation. This award recognizes the island’s bike trail system with over 200 miles of bike paths.
(Lori and Howard Cohen)

Southeastern Wildlife Expo in Charleston, SC February 17 to 19th – Tickets are on sale now
(Martha Powell)

Islanders Beach is expanding its parking lot for Island residents. “For locals who don’t live in a community with beach access, this is great news! Beach parking passes will be free!” (Melanie Wynne)