--- title: "Absorption and inventory in agent market reports" description: "Define inventory, sales pace, and months of supply on a real estate website. Match the source method and explain what each calculation leaves out." canonical: "https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/absorption-and-inventory-agent-market-report" --- ## Site navigation - [Scale With Search](https://scalewithsearch.com/) - Services - Services - [AI systems](https://scalewithsearch.com/ai-systems) - [Site build](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#site-build) - [Whole website fix](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#whole-website-fix) - [Content library with SEO](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#content-library) - [Working session](https://scalewithsearch.com/audit) - Start here - [Send your brief](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#send-your-brief) - [Example scope](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#review-the-example-scope) - [Prices and terms](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#prices-and-terms) - Industries - Real estate - [Real estate agents and teams](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate) - [Platforms, ownership, and IDX](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate/real-estate-website-platforms-ownership-idx) - [Search, content, and AI](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate/real-estate-search-content-ai) - [Inquiries, campaigns, and handoffs](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate/real-estate-website-inquiries-campaigns-handoffs) - [Buyer, seller, and local pages](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate/real-estate-buyer-seller-local-resources) - [Rules, privacy, and trust](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate/real-estate-website-rules-privacy-trust) - Browse by business - [Trades and home services](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-trades) - [Health, wellness, and animal care](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-practices) - [Law, finance, and IT](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-professional) - [Marketing and SEO agencies](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-agencies) - [Shops and manufacturers](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-manufacturing) - [Restaurants, shops, studios, and nonprofits](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-local-services) - Chiropractic practices - [Chiropractic and wellness practices](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/chiropractic-and-wellness-practices) - [Chiropractic and physical therapy clinics](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/chiropractic-and-physical-therapy-clinics) - [All industries](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/) - Resources - Free tools - [AI readiness check](https://scalewithsearch.com/check) - [Free tools](https://scalewithsearch.com/tools/) - [Free Starter Kit](https://scalewithsearch.com/kit/business-memory-starter-kit.zip) - Guides - [AI-native library](https://scalewithsearch.com/ai-native) - [Industry intelligence](https://scalewithsearch.com/intelligence) - [Office job guides](https://scalewithsearch.com/guides/) - [Business memory](https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/business-memory-for-ai-agents-guide) - [Agent governance](https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/ai-agent-governance-guide-small-business) - [Migration and ownership](https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/leaving-vendor-ai-memory-guide) - Articles - [All articles](https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/) - [What changed](https://scalewithsearch.com/changes/) - About - Evidence - [Proof](https://scalewithsearch.com/proof) - Scale With Search - [About](https://scalewithsearch.com/about) - [How it works](https://scalewithsearch.com/how-it-works) # Absorption and inventory: publish a real estate market report readers can interpret Publish inventory with its snapshot date, and publish absorption with its formula and unit. A label alone does not tell a reader which listings or sales entered the calculation. Your real estate website needs enough method detail to make the comparison reproducible. This guide concerns your report module and its editing process. It makes no claim about current market conditions or any property's selling time. ## What should an absorption and inventory report help readers understand? **It should explain available stock in relation to a defined transaction pace.** Give readers the reporting boundary, property types, inventory date, and activity period. Keep your explanation beside the chart so a copied image retains its meaning. ## What does inventory mean in the report? **Use the inventory definition supplied by the report's publisher.** The cited MLS InfoSparks manual distinguishes active listings available at month end from new listings entering during a period. Preserve that distinction in your labels. [MLS metric definitions, fetched 2026.10.22](https://support.sdmls.com/support/solutions/articles/150000214678-infosparks-manual-and-faqs). ## Are new listings interchangeable with active inventory? **Keep the report's new-listing and remaining-inventory fields separate.** Ask the editor to retain each source field name in the working file. Do not replace an unavailable inventory input with a field that measures additions. ## Does absorption always mean a percentage? **No. Check the tool's unit before writing the explanation.** The cited MLS manual also calls its months-of-supply calculations absorption rate. Do not change a months value into a percentage because another website uses that label. [MLS absorption terminology, fetched 2026.10.22](https://support.sdmls.com/support/solutions/articles/150000214678-infosparks-manual-and-faqs). ## How does the documented closed-sales supply calculation work? **It divides month-end active listings by average monthly closed sales over the preceding 12 months.** The cited manual names this measure MOINV Actual. That is a documented method, not proof that your local report uses it. [MLS MOINV Actual definition, fetched 2026.10.22](https://support.sdmls.com/support/solutions/articles/150000214678-infosparks-manual-and-faqs). ## How does the pending-sales supply calculation differ? **It uses average monthly pending sales over the preceding 12 months as the denominator.** The same manual calls this MOINV Forecast. Retain its name when using that series. [MLS MOINV Forecast definition, fetched 2026.10.22](https://support.sdmls.com/support/solutions/articles/150000214678-infosparks-manual-and-faqs). ## What formula should appear beside the website chart? **Show the exact formula used by the selected source.** Include its unit and documented lookback beside it. Keep a method link with the chart so the editor can check later changes against the same definition. ## Can the page publish a separate absorption percentage? **Only after its numerator, denominator, period, and unit have been confirmed.** The applicable percentage definition is **UNRESOLVED** until your chosen MLS or agency documents it. Keep that panel out of the public report while the definition is missing. ## Can a national annual sales rate be used as a local monthly count? **No. Keep annualized rates separate from observed monthly counts.** NAR explains that its annualized rate represents a year's sales if the month's relative pace continued. It is not a neighborhood transaction count. [NAR methodology, fetched 2026.10.22](https://www.nar.realtor/research-and-statistics/housing-statistics/existing-home-sales/methodology). ## How should the report identify its geography? **Describe the boundary used to select the records.** Save the source area identifier or approved map alongside the export. If your editorial neighborhood differs from the source boundary, explain the difference before comparing the results. ## Which property filters should remain visible? **Show the filters needed to understand the comparison.** Record the included property types, sale or rental scope, and any price-band restriction. Avoid a combined heading when its chart covers only part of the housing stock. ## How should the editor handle status definitions? **Map each included status to the source documentation before counting records.** Treat the local inclusion of contingent, temporarily unavailable, and coming-soon records as **UNRESOLVED** until confirmed. Do not infer status treatment from a portal badge. ## What happens when the chosen sales denominator is empty? **Withhold the ratio and explain the missing denominator.** Keep a missing value separate from an observed empty inventory count. Do not display an invented supply value or a completed calculation when its required input is unavailable. ## Should the report forecast an individual home's sale date? **No. Present supply as a defined market calculation.** A seller still needs a property-specific discussion about condition, competing listings, pricing, and timing. Keep the inquiry wording separate from the chart's descriptive result. ## Can a supply value alone establish a buyer's or seller's market? **Avoid an automatic label without a documented interpretation standard.** Any universal threshold is **UNRESOLVED** for this page. Explain the observed movement and source method instead of attaching an unsupported negotiation promise. ## How should the report compare periods? **Keep the boundary, filters, and calculation method stable across the comparison.** Record a changed method as a break in the series. Recalculate earlier periods only when the source data and publication permission support that work. ## Should seasonal adjustment be labeled? **Yes. Preserve the source's adjustment label.** NAR documents seasonal adjustment and annualization for its sales series. Do not copy those labels onto an unadjusted local export. [NAR seasonal-adjustment method, fetched 2026.10.22](https://www.nar.realtor/research-and-statistics/housing-statistics/existing-home-sales/methodology). ## What if the publisher revises its history? **Review affected comparisons and record the revision.** NAR states that seasonal-factor revisions affect its supply series. Keep the source release date separate from your website review date. [NAR revision process, fetched 2026.10.22](https://www.nar.realtor/research-and-statistics/housing-statistics/existing-home-sales/methodology). ## What should a reader see beneath the figures? **Show the source, period, boundary, property filter, unit, and method link.** Add a short limitation about how the result should be used. Keep this text visible without requiring a hover or a downloaded spreadsheet. ## How should a phone-sized chart work? **Keep the labels, period, and source readable with the figures.** Ask the builder for a text summary and an accessible data table. Test the actual page layout before accepting a screenshot as sufficient evidence. ## What records should the real estate agent retain? **Retain the permitted export, filter settings, calculation method, and approved copy.** Record unresolved fields and the person responsible for checking them. Keep private transaction details outside the public page brief. ## What should be checked before the module goes live? **Reproduce its result from the retained inputs and compare every label with the selected method.** Check missing values, changed boundaries, narrow samples, and source links. Confirm publication rights through the responsible data agreement before release. ## Who maintains the inventory report? **Assign an editor and a source-change trigger before publication.** Review the module after a new release, corrected export, changed filter, or altered definition. Update the displayed review date only after completing those checks. ## Bring this work into your website scope Bring the approved brief, source records, and unresolved checks to the [real estate hub](/for/real-estate). Describe the pages and acceptance checks in your [written work request](/work). - [Cumulative days on market: explain listing exposure on a neighborhood page](/articles/cumulative-days-market-neighborhood-reports) - [Use the FHFA price index carefully in real estate market reports](/articles/fhfa-price-index-agent-market-reports) - [Median or average home prices: label a real estate website report correctly](/articles/median-average-prices-agent-market-report) ## Related: Real estate - [Cumulative days on market: explain listing exposure on a neighborhood page](/articles/cumulative-days-market-neighborhood-reports) - [Use the FHFA price index carefully in real estate market reports](/articles/fhfa-price-index-agent-market-reports) - [Median or average home prices: label a real estate website report correctly](/articles/median-average-prices-agent-market-report) ---- ```text .|########||. .|########||. .|########||. |##||. .||##|. |##||. .||##|. |##||. .||##|. |#|. .|#|. |#|. .|#|. |#|. .|#|. |#| |#| |#| |#| |#| |#| .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#. .#| .#. .#| .#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |# ...... #| |# ...... #| |# ...... #| .# ||#########| #| .# ||#########| #| .# ||#########| #| .#. |######||######|. .#. .#. |######||######|. .#. .#. |######||######|. .#. #. .##|###|##|#|######| .# #. .##|###|##|#|######| .# #. .##|###|##|#|######| .# || |##|#||||||||||||#||#| || || |##|#||||||||||||#||#| || || |##|#||||||||||||#||#| || # |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. # |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. # |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || # .#||||||||||||||||||||||||#| # # .#||||||||||||||||||||||||#| # # .#||||||||||||||||||||||||#| # || ....|||#||||||##|#|||#|#||##||||....|. || || ....|||#||||||##|#|||#|#||##||||....|. || || ....|||#||||||##|#|||#|#||##||||....|. || #. . ....|# ....#||| ||| .#||| ....#. .# #. . ....|# ....#||| ||| .#||| ....#. .# #. . ....|# ....#||| ||| .#||| ....#. .# # . ||||#| .#####|| . .#| .#||| ||||# #. # . ||||#| .#####|| . .#| .#||| ||||# #. # . ||||#| .#####|| . .#| .#||| ||||# #. .| ||||| #. |#|||||. || #. |#||. .||||| || .| ||||| #. |#|||||. || #. |#||. .||||| || .| ||||| #. |#|||||. || #. |#||. .||||| || || |.... #. ....|#. |. ...|. ....|| || || |.... #. ....|#. |. ...|. ....|| || || |.... #. ....|#. |. ...|. ....|| || #. .||||||##||||||##||####|||||||#||||||#| .# #. .||||||##||||||##||####|||||||#||||||#| .# #. .||||||##||||||##||####|||||||#||||||#| .# # .||####|###########################|. # # .||####|###########################|. # # .||####|###########################|. # # .#||||||.#.|| # |. ..# #| #|||||#| # # .#||||||.#.|| # |. ..# #| #|||||#| # # .#||||||.#.|| # |. ..# #| #|||||#| # # .#|||||| .. |# ## |#| ...#|#|||#| # # .#|||||| .. |# ## |#| ...#|#|||#| # # .#|||||| .. |# ## |#| ...#|#|||#| # # .#|||#|# .# .#| #| ##|.#..#|||||#| # # .#|||#|# .# .#| #| ##|.#..#|||||#| # # .#|||#|# .# .#| #| ##|.#..#|||||#| # # .#||||||############|######|||||#| # # .#||||||############|######|||||#| # # .#||||||############|######|||||#| # # |...||#||||||#||||#|#||||||#|||||#||| |.| # # |...||#||||||#||||#|#||||||#|||||#||| |.| # # |...||#||||||#||||#|#||||||#|||||#||| |.| # #. .. ||||# .|||##|. |#| .|| || .|||#. #| # .# #. .. ||||# .|||##|. |#| .|| || .|||#. #| # .# #. .. ||||# .|||##|. |#| .|| || .|||#. #| # .# || | ...|| ...##| | #| .|. |. ##### .. .| || || | ...|| ...##| | #| .|. |. ##### .. .| || || | ...|| ...##| | #| .|. |. ##### .. .| || || ||||| || ||||#| . |. |. |#. ||||| |#| || || || ||||| || ||||#| . |. |. |#. ||||| |#| || || || ||||| || ||||#| . |. |. |#. ||||| |#| || || .# |.....#|....|#.||||.|||##.|#|....||.#||.#. #. .# |.....#|....|#.||||.|||##.|#|....||.#||.#. #. .# |.....#|....|#.||||.|||##.|#|....||.#||.#. #. #.|||||||#############################| ||| .# #.|||||||#############################| ||| .# #.|||||||#############################| ||| .# || ##||#||#||||||#||#||#||#||##. || || ##||#||#||||||#||#||#||#||##. || || ##||#||#||||||#||#||#||#||##. || # .#|||||||||#||#|||||||||||#| # # .#|||||||||#||#|||||||||||#| # # .#|||||||||#||#|||||||||||#| # || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || .# |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. .# |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. .# |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. || |#||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||#| || #. .######|#|#########| .# #. .######|#|#########| .# #. .######|#|#########| .# .#. |#####||||#####| .#. .#. |#####||||#####| .#. .#. |#####||||#####| .#. |# ||########|| #. |# ||########|| #. |# ||########|| #. |# ...... #| |# ...... #| |# ...... #| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#. |#. .#. |#. .#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. |#| |#| |#| |#| |#| |#| .|#|. .|#|. .|#|. .|#|. .|#|. .|#|. |##||. .||##| |##||. .||##| |##||. .||##| .||########||. .||########||. .||########||. 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