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Photo courtesy of Norfolk County Registry of Deeds. Located in Dedham the Norfolk County Registry of Deeds is a resource for land record information.
4-05-2025 1:35am
Norfolk County Real Estate Activity in March 2025: Mixed Results
Darlene Cancell
Editor
Thanks to Norfolk County Registry of Deeds for sharing this news with Westwood Minute.
Dedham, MA – Norfolk County Register of Deeds William P. O’Donnell reports that Norfolk County recordings for the month of March 2025 shows mixed results, stating, "While there was a slight decrease in overall recordings compared to March 2024, there was a notable increase from February 2025."
The average sale price of commercial and residential properties for March 2025 was $1,166,825. That represents a 12% increase in sale price compared to March 2024. However, the total dollar volume of $519,237,415 in commercial and residential sales represents as decrease by 13% from last year.
The decrease in month of March real estate activity occurred even though average mortgage rates were lower in March 2025 (6.63 to 6.67 percent) than they were in March 2024 (6.74 to 6.88 percent), as reported by The Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation.
“Lending activity and property sales and transfers represent a majority of the documents recorded at the Registry of Deeds, and March 2025 showed a slight decrease in both categories compared to last year,” notes Norfolk County Register of Deeds William P. O’Donnell.
“The slight decrease in real estate activity may be an indication of various economic factors affecting the country as a whole, which are now impacting the local real estate market," says Register O'Donnell. "However, it is still early in the home buying season, and this decrease may be a result of potential buyers waiting for more favorable economic conditions.”
He suggests that buyers may be concerned about affordability and economic uncertainty, inflation, and employment. These concerns can make it difficult to commit to a long-term financial obligation like a mortgage.
The Norfolk County Registry of Deeds has been closely monitoring the foreclosure market. In March 2025, there were 7 foreclosure deeds recorded, down 42% from the 12 recorded in March 2024. Additionally, there were 29 notices to foreclose, the first step in the foreclosure process, which is a slight increase from the 28 recorded in March 2024.
“Unforeseen events can happen to any of us, and sometimes these events can have severe emotional and financial impacts. I urge anyone struggling to pay their mortgage, or who knows someone in this situation, to reach out to one of the non-profit organizations listed on our website, www.norfolkdeeds.org,” says Register O'Donnell.
For the past several years, the Norfolk County Registry of Deeds has partnered with NeighborWorks Housing Solutions (508-587-0950) to help anyone facing challenges paying their mortgage. Another option for homeowners is to contact the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Consumer Advocacy and Response Division (CARD) at 617-727-8400.
“Despite challenges like limited property inventory and economic strains, Norfolk County remains a desirable location for both residential and commercial real estate," says Register O'Donnell.
