Columbus has more homes on the market than buyers have seen in years. That part is real. But "more than 2021" and "enough" are two different things, and right now Columbus is still closer to the first than the second.
If you are planning to buy in Columbus over the next 6 to 12 months, understanding WHY inventory is still tight matters more than tracking any single month's data. The causes are structural, and they are not going away fast.
How Tight Is "Tight"?
By fall 2025, Columbus REALTORS data showed roughly 5,500 to 5,900 active listings in Central Ohio, near the highest count since 2016. That sounds like a lot until you stack it against what a balanced market actually requires.
A balanced market typically carries 5 to 6 months of supply. Columbus was running closer to 2 to 3.3 months, depending on price point, based on statewide Ohio figures sitting around 3.5 months in October 2025. The metro-level number for Columbus itself was tighter than the state average.
Days on market had climbed to roughly 27 to 40 days depending on the month, up meaningfully from the 7-to-10-day pace buyers faced in 2021 and 2022. Inventory was also up about 19 to 20 percent year-over-year in Central Ohio by November 2025.
So yes, real improvement. But not a buyer's market. The Columbus REALTORS and local analysts were describing conditions as "balanced but still leaning toward sellers," not a discount environment.
Why Inventory Stays Low: The Two Structural Problems
The data points above describe the symptom. Two structural problems explain why Columbus cannot build its way back to balanced supply quickly.
The homebuilding gap
Columbus would need to roughly double its homebuilding pace over the next decade to match projected demand from population and job growth. That is not a short-term fix. It requires land acquisition, permitting, labor, and materials to line up at a scale the region has not consistently hit.
New construction helps at the margins, particularly in outer suburbs like Lewis Center, Powell, and parts of Delaware County. But the pace of new permits has not come close to closing the gap between where supply sits today and where demand is heading.
Rate-locked owners
A large share of current homeowners are sitting on 3 to 4 percent mortgages. Moving means trading that rate for something in the mid 6 percent range (as of fall 2025), which can add several hundred dollars a month to a payment on a comparable home. For many owners, the math on moving simply does not work.
The result is that new listings have stayed nearly flat even as demand persists. Homes that would have come to market in a normal rate environment are staying put, and that keeps the pool of available homes shallow.
This is why "inventory is up 20 percent year-over-year" can still coexist with "sellers still hold the edge." You are gaining from a very low baseline.
What This Means if You Are Buying Right Now
Buyers have more breathing room than they had in 2021 and 2022. That is real. But the extra room needs to be used strategically, not read as a signal to lowball or wait.
You have time, not leverage
The ability to schedule a second showing, run a full inspection, and think for 24 hours without panicking is back. That is valuable. Use it for due diligence, not for delay.
Negotiation exists, but it is selective
On homes that have been sitting for three or more weeks, especially listings that launched overpriced, buyers can often negotiate modest price reductions, closing-cost contributions, or repair credits. On fresh, well-priced listings in high-demand price bands (particularly under the metro median, which was around $325,000 to $340,000 in late 2025), strong interest can still surface quickly.
Lowball offers on well-priced, recently listed homes in desirable submarkets rarely land. They cost time and goodwill with the listing agent, which matters in a market where you may need to come back with a second offer.
Price point shapes your experience
Not all of Columbus is experiencing the same market. Some outer suburbs and higher price brackets had inventory building faster as of late 2025, which gives buyers more selection and slightly more leverage. Tighter segments, particularly in Westerville, Dublin, and New Albany at the $400,000 to $700,000 range, still moved quickly when priced correctly.
Knowing which segments are softening and which are holding tight is where a local agent earns the commission. This is not a market where a national housing headline tells you much about the specific house you are trying to buy.
How to Prepare Before You Start Shopping
In a market that moves faster than a buyer's market but slower than peak 2021, preparation is the differentiator.
Full pre-approval, not pre-qualification
A pre-qualification letter is essentially a handshake. A full pre-approval means the lender has verified income, assets, and credit. Sellers and their agents know the difference, and in a competitive situation, the buyer with the stronger financial documentation wins.
Know your number before you see your first home
Mortgage rates in the mid-6 percent range (as of late 2025) were sensitive to economic data and Fed policy. A quarter-point rate dip can pull additional buyers into the market quickly, increasing competition on entry-level and mid-range inventory. If rates dip and you are not ready, you lose the window.
Clear budget limits and a realistic list of must-haves versus nice-to-haves let you act fast when the right home hits the market. Buyers who spend two weeks thinking about it typically watch the home close for someone else.
Target where inventory is building
Some outer Columbus suburbs and higher price bands had more selection in late 2025. Buyers with flexibility on exact location or a willingness to look slightly above their initial price ceiling often found less competition and more negotiating room.
Do not wait for a crash
The structural reasons inventory stays tight (homebuilding deficit, rate-locked owners, continued population and job growth in Columbus) are not resolving in the near term. Buyers who were waiting for a meaningful price correction in fall 2025 were waiting against a very stiff structural headwind.
That is not a pitch to buy something that does not work for you. It is a read on the data: Columbus supply is constrained for reasons that are not going away, and those reasons support the floor under prices.
Where I Come In
I work daily in the Columbus and Central Ohio market, which means I can tell you in real time which neighborhoods are holding tight, which listings have been sitting long enough to negotiate on, and how far you can push before losing the home.
The extra breathing room that 2025's improved inventory gave buyers is real. The mistake is treating it as something bigger than it is.
If you are thinking about buying in Columbus in the coming months, let's talk through the current data for the specific price range and neighborhoods you are targeting. What you need is a read on your segment, not a general market headline.
Adam Geuy, Realtor, NextHome Experience ABR, SRS, PSA | License #202000794 937-239-2919 | [email protected] Book a call: calendly.com/adam-geuy
Each office is independently owned and operated.