Atlanta REALTORS® Releases December 2021 Statistics on Housing Market
The Atlanta REALTORS® Market Brief examines sales, prices in 11-county metro area
Atlanta, GA (January 21, 2022) – Atlanta REALTORS® Association (ARA), the largest association of its kind in Georgia, released its December 2021 Market Brief on residential housing statistics for 11 area counties in metropolitan Atlanta. The Market Brief, compiled by First Multiple Listing Service (FMLS), provides the only regionally-focused synopsis of monthly sales and home prices for single-family residential properties.
Annual Comparison
| December 2021 | December 2020 | % Change | |
| Total Home Sales | 6,287 | 7,086 | -11.3% |
| Median Sales Price | $378,000 | $310,000 | 21.9% |
| Average Sales Price | $447,000 | $375,000 | 19.2% |
Monthly Comparison
| December 2021 | November 2021 | % Change | |
| Total Home Sales | 6,287 | 6,435 | -2.3% |
| Median Sales Price | $378,000 | $370,000 | 2.2% |
| Average Sales Price | $447,000 | $443,500 | 0.8% |
Demand: December residential sales were at 6,287, a decrease of 11.3% from the previous year.
Price: Average and median sales prices continue to outpace 2020’s figures, with positive gains. The median sales price in December was $378,000, an increase of 21.9% from last December. The average sales price was $447,000, up 19.2% from the previous year.
Supply: Atlanta area housing inventory totaled 6,852 units in December, a decrease of 22.3% from December 2020. New listings totaled 4,950, down 7.3% from December 2020 and down 21.2% from the previous month. The month’s supply over a 12-month period decreased to 1.0 months.
Largest Metro Counties Sales Comparison
| Total Units Sold | Median Sales Price | Average Sales Price | |
| Cobb | 962 | $380,000 | $429,500 |
| DeKalb | 963 | $352,000 | $424,000 |
| Fulton | 1,616 | $395,000 | $522,500 |
| Gwinnett | 1,179 | $380,000 | $413,500 |
A Word from 2022 Atlanta REALTORS® President, Karen Hatcher:
“The market cycles we’re used to seeing are now less pronounced,” notes Atlanta REALTORS® Association President Karen Hatcher. “Historically, there was a window of opportunity for buyers in November and December where inventory had a longer shelf life and buyer activity cooled slightly. But that just wasn’t the case for 2021. In fact, inventory dipped further in December to the lowest on record at a single month of supply.”
“If the December numbers give us any indication, they firm up our predictions that 2022 will continue to see prices rise,” notes Hatcher. “Interest rates are already beginning to tick upward as well, signaling the potential for at least transitory relief in buyer demand. However, this also has the downside of curbing buyers’ purchasing power, which could see more buyers, especially at lower price points, pushed out of the market entirely. For sellers, that may result in a gradual tightening of prices throughout the year. “Prices are likely to continue to increase steadily, just perhaps not as steeply,” says Hatcher, adding that the shallowing of the price growth curve may be very subtle and see price growth returning to a more normal range by the end of the year.
The Atlanta REALTORS® Market Brief is designed to offer an overview of the Atlanta residential market by providing a synopsis of sales and home prices, and covers 11 counties: Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Fayette, Henry and Paulding. The numbers in the reports are updated each month to reflect any additional recordings from the previous month. Each month, the numbers reported for the previous month are updated to reflect additional recordings.
For more information or details on the reports, please contact Atlanta REALTORS® at 404-250-0051.
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About the ATLANTA REALTORS® Association:
The Atlanta REALTORS® is the voice of residential real estate in Metro Atlanta and has been an instrumental factor in the growth of real estate in the state of Georgia for more than a century. As the largest REALTOR® association in Georgia, ARA serves as a central source of information for its members by focusing on real estate education, the promotion of professionalism in the industry and representing members with legislative initiatives to create positive change for the real estate community. While less than 50% of active real estate licensees in Georgia meet the requirements to become REALTORS®, they constitute 80% of the top producing agents. Membership in ARA is the hallmark of quality, professionalism, and production.
About FMLS:
First Multiple Listing Service, Inc. (FMLS) is the premier data services provider for real estate professionals in Georgia and throughout the Southeast. FMLS was founded by a handful of real estate brokers in Atlanta in 1957. Today, membership is growing quickly and is spreading in every direction. Currently, FMLS has over 2,700 offices and serves more than 56,000 real estate agents.
CONTACTS:
Atlanta REALTORS® Association
Geilia Taylor, Community Engagement & Diversity Director
404-732-0650
Reggie McCrary, Chief Executive Officer
Office: 404.732.0601
