Moving Companies NAICS 484210

Nov 22, 2025 - Existing Home Sales Improve

• Geographic demand for moving services may vary due to regional differences in affordability for first-time buyers. Sales of existing US homes increased by 1.2% in October from September and were up 1.7% year-over-year, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun said, "Home sales increased in October even with the government shutdown due to homebuyers taking advantage of lower mortgage rates. First-time homebuyers are facing headwinds in the Northeast due to a lack of supply and in the West because of high home prices. First-time buyers fared better in the Midwest because of the plentiful supply of affordable houses and in the South because there is sufficient inventory."
• The National Association of Realtors' 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers reveals a record-low 21% share of first-time buyers and a median age of 40, signaling long-term shifts that could lead to a reduction in residential moving frequency. With affordability challenges delaying homeownership, buyers are likely to move less frequently, which in turn impacts demand for moving services. Sellers are staying in homes longer, with a median tenure of 11 years, and moving shorter distances, now just 30 miles on average. Multigenerational living remains common, although it has decreased slightly, further reducing household turnover. These trends indicate a slower-moving housing market, characterized by fewer relocations and more localized moves, which are reshaping the residential moving industry’s customer base and service models.

• A pullback in homebuilding activity could signal weaker demand for residential moving services. America’s largest homebuilders are struggling to sell new homes despite offering 4% mortgages and deep discounts, according to The Wall Street Journal. D.R. Horton and Lennar have slashed prices and added incentives, but demand remains weak, pushing unsold inventory to levels last seen in 2009. Builders are slowing construction, with D.R. Horton cutting starts by 21% year over year for the three-month period through September. Regional gluts in Texas, Florida, Southern California, and Washington, DC reflect rising resale competition, fewer foreign buyers, and economic uncertainty. Investor activity is at a 15-year low, with institutional buyers demanding steep discounts that builders won’t meet. New homes, often located in less desirable areas and targeted at first-time buyers, are more challenging to sell.
• High home prices and mortgage rates have priced many would-be homebuyers out of the market, creating robust pent-up demand that’s unlikely to be realized in the near term, according to The Wall Street Journal. In 2024, there were about 1.1 million first-time buyers, compared to an annual average of about 2.1 million over the last 20 years, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). To afford a median-priced new home today, a buyer would need an income of $127,000 compared to $79,000 for the same home in 2021, according to Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies. Industry watchers suggest that many first-time buyers may remain stuck on the sidelines, absent a significant drop in mortgage rates or a recession that pushes down home values.