Brighton, MI sits in Livingston County between Ann Arbor and Metro Detroit, and tracking the Brighton housing market matters because local prices, inventory, and mortgage conditions directly affect buyers, sellers, and agents working in this area.
This Market Report pulls together the latest pricing, sales, and value trends for Brighton so you can get a clear snapshot of where the market stands and what is moving the numbers right now for homes for sale in Brighton. I focus on data-driven signals you can verify on official or widely used market services, with date-stamped figures where the metric is volatile.
What is the Current State of the Brighton Real Estate Market?
Year to date, Brighton’s market shows mixed signals: listing activity has recovered from the tightest months of 2024 while sale prices and pace vary by neighborhood and zip code. Some MLS/market trackers show higher sale prices year over year in parts of Brighton, while listing prices and median asking figures moved differently because of differences in the mix of homes on market.
Inventory is higher than the absolute low points of 2021–2022 but still lower than in many out-of-state markets; that imbalance keeps competition alive for well priced, updated homes but leaves slower movement for higher priced or niche properties. Expect micro-differences between 48116 and 48114 and between lakefront/upper-end pockets versus starter neighborhoods; local MLS data and the town assessor are the best places to verify specific listings and comps.
Average List Price
The median listing price reported for Brighton (city-level) in late summer 2025 was in the roughly mid $400,000s; Realtor.com lists a median listing price around $449,500 in August 2025 (median listing price, Aug 2025). That figure reflects asking prices across Brighton and nearby zip areas but will move if the mix of new listings shifts.
Remember that “median listing price” is an asking-side metric and can diverge from final sale prices when higher or lower quality inventory dominates new listings in a given month. For neighborhood-level accuracy, check the active MLS feed for the specific Brighton zip code you are tracking.
Average Sales Price
Median sale prices reported for portions of Brighton showed lower median sale levels than asking levels in some months; Redfin reported a median sale price in the 48114 area of about $357,500 in August 2025 (median sale price, Aug 2025), which reflects closed transactions rather than list price. That gap between list and sale is a useful sign of negotiation room in parts of town.
Average sales price will vary by property type—lakefront and newer subdivision homes routinely fetch higher averages while condos and small-lot houses sit lower—so use closed-sale comps from the MLS to set a local median when valuing an individual Brighton home.
Number of Homes Listed
Active listing counts change week to week; Zillow’s Brighton area pages showed roughly low-to-mid hundreds of active listings across Brighton zip codes in late summer 2025 (listings observed on Zillow’s market pages, 2025). That count captures single family homes, condos, and townhomes across Brighton’s primary zips and gives a practical sense of choice for buyers.
Local listing volume can spike seasonally in spring and early summer; in Brighton that seasonal pulse is visible, but the overall 2025 year to date activity has been uneven because mortgage rate sensitivity is still a factor for many buyers. For seller planning, review weekly MLS feeds to see whether days-on-market are shortening or lengthening for comparable listings.
Number of Homes Sold
Closed sales in Brighton and adjacent zip codes showed fewer transactions in some months compared with the busiest years of 2020–2021, while other months in 2025 saw normal seasonal closings. For example, Redfin reported dozens of closed sales in August 2025 in the 48114 area (sales counted in Aug 2025), which matches the pattern of steady but not overheated demand. Use MLS closed-sales reports for the most accurate month-to-month totals.
If you want a running total, ask a local MLS or broker for a year-to-date sold count by price band and zip code; that is the best way to gauge absorption and to compare Brighton’s activity to county or metro totals.
Average Days on Market
Homes in the Brighton area have trended to go Pending faster than many suburban Detroit neighborhoods for competitively priced homes; Redfin showed average days on market in the low 20s for parts of Brighton in August 2025 (average days on market, Aug 2025). That pace slows when inventory includes higher priced or fixer properties.
Days on market compared with “days last year” is a reliable short term signal: when DOM rises materially versus the prior year, sellers typically need to price more competitively or update presentation. For a precise DOM comparison, use MLS export for the specific subdivision or zip you are analyzing.
Price Drops
Price reduction activity has increased in markets where list prices outpaced buyer affordability; national trend analysis and Zillow forecasts in 2025 suggested cooling pressure on list prices late in the year. In Brighton this shows up as periodic price drops on higher asking homes that have been on market for months, while well priced homes continue to sell quickly. Check the price history on MLS listings to see reductions by amount and timing.
Where price drops cluster (by neighborhood, by property type) is as informative as the raw count; a handful of meaningful reductions in a single subdivision can change perceptions of value for nearby properties. Use local MLS filters for “price reduced” to map that pattern.
How Have Home Values Changed in Brighton?
Brighton’s home values have climbed steadily over the past decade, with short-term price gains stacking onto longer-term appreciation fueled by limited inventory, consistent buyer demand, and the area’s strong position within the Metro Detroit housing market.
One-Year Change
One-year measures vary by data provider. Zillow’s ZHVI for Brighton shows a roughly 5.0% increase in typical home values over the past 12 months (Zillow Home Value Index, 1-year change, latest 2025 data). Redfin’s closed-sale series for some Brighton zip codes reported a larger year-over-year rise in median sale price in summer 2025 in certain pockets (Redfin’s Aug 2025 regional figures). Differences come from methodology (asking vs closed prices, trimming for outliers) so use both to understand a range.
Three-Year Change
At the state and metro level, FHFA and FRED series show materially higher index values versus three years earlier. FHFA’s All-Transactions HPI for Michigan was 562.95 in Q2 2025 (Michigan HPI, Q2 2025), which reflects cumulative appreciation over the prior three years at the state level even while local patterns differ. For Brighton, expect a meaningful multi-year gain driven by low inventory, interest from regional buyers, and limited new supply.
Five-Year Change
Five-year trends have been stronger in many parts of Michigan compared with national averages; FHFA and Zillow research both show multi-year gains from 2020 to 2025 for Michigan and for many communities around Metro Detroit. The Michigan HPI series (Q2 2025) documents that broader five-year growth in state index terms, though Brighton’s lakefront and higher-end neighborhoods often outperformed the middle market. Use FHFA or local MLS historical closed sales to compute precise five-year percent change for a Brighton neighborhood.
Ten-Year Change
Over a ten-year span, Brighton has generally posted solid cumulative gains compared with many national suburbs because of its location, school district reputation, and limited developable lakefront inventory. For long-run analysis, use FHFA or Case-Shiller metro series as a baseline and then layer local MLS comps to see how Brighton specifically compared.
How Are Mortgage Rates?
National mortgage rates moved lower through parts of 2025 but remained well above the mid-single digits of the pre-2022 cycle. Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey reported a 30-year fixed average of 6.34% as of the weekly release dated October 2, 2025 (30-yr FRM, Oct 2, 2025). That level is an important affordability input for Brighton buyers and shapes monthly payments and qualifying.
Forecasts vary. Fannie Mae’s Economic and Strategic Research group in 2025 expected mortgage rates to trend modestly lower into 2026, with forecasts showing end-of-2025 and end-of-2026 averages around the mid-6s to high-5s in various releases (Fannie Mae Economic and Housing Outlook, 2025). Short-term moves can be volatile; for immediate borrower decisions use current Freddie Mac weekly data plus lender quotes.
How those rate paths affect Brighton: higher rates reduce buyer purchasing power and typically cool top-end demand; modest declines or stabilization around 6% can restore some activity for first-time or move-up buyers, especially where local incomes and jobs remain steady. If rates retreat toward the 5.5% range as some economists say would materially boost sales, expect more competition on well priced listings.
Is it a Buyer or Seller’s Market in Brighton?
The market in Brighton in 2025 is mixed and market-segment dependent. For competitively priced, updated single-family homes and desirable lakefront or newer-build neighborhoods, sellers still retain leverage and see multiple offers in many cases. For higher priced or non-updated homes, buyers have more negotiation room, and price reductions are more common. Use days-on-market and list-to-sale ratio at the subdivision level to decide which side you are on.
Practical takeaway: if you are a seller, price realistically and stage to stand out; if you are a buyer, get preapproved and be ready to act on well priced listings because those move faster than the average. Local brokers who pull recent closed comps and DOM for your street will provide the most actionable answer for a specific property.
FAQs
Brighton Area Schools is the primary district serving the city and surrounding township; district enrollment and program reputation are often a factor in demand and can influence pricing in certain neighborhoods. For enrollment, programs, and school boundaries consult Brighton Area Schools and state resources for the most current data.
Competitive listings in Brighton often go pending in roughly three weeks or less in pockets; Redfin showed average days on market in the low 20s for parts of town in August 2025, while slower segments can remain listed for months depending on condition and price. Use recent closed-sale DOM in the MLS for the specific subdivision.
It depends on the metric and the neighborhood. Zillow shows modest year-over-year gains in 2025, while some closed-sale series and zip-level trackers show larger swings in specific pockets of Brighton. Different data providers use different methods so compare both asking and closed numbers.
Mortgage rates determine monthly payment and qualifying income. At 6.3% (Freddie Mac weekly average, Oct 2, 2025), borrowing costs remain a central affordability constraint for many buyers; a drop toward the mid-5 percent range would materially expand purchasing power for typical buyers. Shop local lenders for current locked rates and lender fees when planning.
Seasonality still exists, with spring and early summer historically the busiest listing windows. However, inventory can spike in fall if sellers who delayed earlier need to move; monitor weekly MLS new-listing counts in Brighton to see whether the market follows a typical seasonal curve or responds to macro signals like rate moves.
The local MLS, Livingston County assessor, and a licensed Brighton real estate agent are the primary resources for verified closed comps and official tax records.
