Landscaping Services NAICS 561730

Jul 16, 2025 - New Single-Family Home Sales Plummet

• New single-family home sales fell 13.7% month-over-month and were down 6.3% year-over-year in May 2025, according to the US Census Bureau. May’s total new home sales reached 623,000 units. According to Dow Jones estimates, Wall Street analysts had expected May sales to reach 695,000. In recent quarterly reports, some homebuilders said high interest rates and weaker consumer confidence weighed on demand. As sales of new homes remain soft, inventories of unsold homes are increasing. At the end of May, there were 507,000 new homes for sale, up 15% compared to May 2024. The number of unsold new homes in May was the highest since the summer of 2022, after the Federal Reserve began increasing interest rates. New home sales can be a demand driver for landscaping services.
• The NAHB/Westlake Royal Remodeling Market Index (RMI) reading for the second quarter of 2025 was 59, down four points from the first quarter, according to a July 2025 report by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). Any RMI reading over 50 indicates that most remodelers feel market conditions are good. In the second quarter, the Current Conditions Index portion of the RMI fell five points to 66 compared to Q1 2025. The Future Indicators Index component of the RMI declined by four points to 51. While the RMI remained solidly in positive territory in Q2 2025, the NAHB noted that high interest rates and waning consumer confidence continue to pose challenges to the remodeling industry. Remodeling spending is a demand indicator for landscaping services.

• Providers of lawn care and landscaping – “Green” services – have seen bookings gradually soften in 2025 after a strong start in January, according to the recently released Home Service Economic Report by Jobber, a job tracking and customer management software firm. After an 8% year-over-year increase in bookings in January, demand dropped 14% in February and posted a modest 1% gain in March. Unfavorable weather conditions and consumer hesitancy to take on non-essential projects likely led to the Q1 drop in green services demand. However, while new bookings fell, green revenues rose 6% year-over-year in Q1 2025, driven by a 5% increase in average invoice size. Bundling of seasonal service offerings and modest price increases helped boost revenue.
• So-called “missing middle” medium-density housing, which includes duplexes, townhouses, and other smaller multifamily properties, has gained in popularity over the last several quarters, according to the National Association of Home Builders. Multifamily properties in the missing middle (2 to 4 units) have generally been out of favor since the Great Recession, but they are experiencing a resurgence. In the first quarter of 2025, there were 5,000 construction starts for housing properties with 2 to 4 units, which was flat compared to a year earlier. However, over the past four quarters, the number of missing middle residential construction units reached 23,000, marking a 53% increase over the four quarters before that period. The missing middle segment’s gains may be limited absent zoning reform that allows for increased density. Multifamily developments are a demand driver for commercial landscaping accounts.