From Staff Reports

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Greenville-Anderson, S.C., recently was named one of 10 top hot spots for the 2025 housing market by the National Association of Realtors, according to a Dec. 13 press release from SCRealtors.org. 

‘Greenville-Anderson stands out as the area that checks off the most criteria on NAR’s top 10 list,” the release noted. “This area particularly benefits from a strong net migration rate and affordability.  

“The metro’s average mortgage rate of 6.9 percent in 2023 is well below the national average, providing additional relief for buyers. 

“With 42 percent of homes categorized as starter homes and 43 percent of movers purchasing homes, Greenville offers accessibility and stability for families and young professionals alike.”

In more general terms, the release stated that “this recognition is based on economic, demographic and housing factors predicted to significantly impact local markets as detailed in NAR’s newest report, Housing Hot Spots for 2025: Top Markets Amid Stabilizing Rates,” the release noted.

To that end, Reah Smith, president of the South Carolina Association of Realtors, stated in the release,“We are thrilled to see Greenville recognized as one of the nation’s top housing hot spots... This recognition highlights the dynamic growth, affordability and quality of life that make Greenville such an attractive destination for homebuyers.”

During the NAR’s sixth annual Real Estate Forecast Summit: The Year Ahead, Lawrence Yun, NAR’s chief economist and senior vice president of research, revealed the 10 top housing hot spots, provided a 2025 real estate and economic outlook and reviewed the 2024 housing market.

“Important factors common among the top performing markets in 2025 include available inventory at affordable price points, a better chance of unlocking low mortgage rates, higher income growth for young adults and net migration into specific metro areas,” Yun said.

The top 10 markets have been identified as the best performers for 2025 due to their strengths across several indicators.

All areas offer a favorable financing environment – either with lower proportions of locked-in homeowners or lower mortgage rates. In addition, most of these markets outperform the national average in at least six of NAR’s 10 criteria (details in methodology below).

The following are the NAR’S 10 top housing hot spots for 2025 (listed in alphabetical order):

• Boston-Cambridge-Newton, Massachusetts-New Hampshire

• Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, North Carolina-South Carolina

• Grand Rapids-Kentwood, Michigan

• Greenville-Anderson, South Carolina

• Hartford-East-Hartford-Middletown, Connecticut

• Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, Indiana

• Kansas City, Missouri-Kansas

• Knoxville, Tennessee

• Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, Arizona

• San Antonio-New Braunfels, Texas