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Editor's note: This story has been updated to attribute all data to Unlock MLS, not Austin Board of Realtors.
Leasers in the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos Metropolitan Statistical Area now have access to some additional insight into the MSA's residential rental market.
Unlock MLS announced Feb. 13 that it would begin tracking leasing data across the MSA through its monthly Central Texas Housing Report, which already includes home sales data.
Explained
Unlock MLS is the multiple listing service owned by the Austin Board of Realtors, which Realtors use to share information about homes on the market.
The expansion to include leasing data gives a more transparent and robust picture of the region’s real estate market, said Brandy Wuensch, 2025 Unlock MLS and ABoR president, in a news release.
“With the increased leasing activity we’re seeing alongside home sales, it’s clear that both buyers and renters are actively engaging with Central Texas’ housing market,” Wuensch said.
A quick note
ABoR and Unlock MLS housing economist Clare Knapp said the leasing data only reflects single-family homes including townhomes and detached condominiums, and does not include multifamily units such as apartments or duplexes.
“That is a whole different set of data that we don’t have access to,” Knapp said.
Breaking it down
According to January data from the monthly report, there were 2,425 new lease listings on the market across the MSA, up 10.7% from last January.
There were also 1,871 closed leases, up 11.7% from last January, and median rents across the MSA were down by 1.3% at $2,195.
The number of new lease listings and closed leases were up from last January in Travis, Williamson and Hays counties. Additionally, median rents were lower compared to last January.
In Bastrop County, new lease listings were down and median rents were up.
In Travis County, year over year:
Officials say the year-over-year increase in closed leases highlights the "persistent demand” for rental options amidst housing affordability challenges.
Knapp said single-family rentals are something that first time buyers are more likely to consider, at least temporarily. According to Unlock MLS data, home prices increased nearly 40% from 2019 to 2024 in the MSA, but rents only rose 25%.
"They're waiting to save more for their down payment [or] waiting for incomes to increase," Knapp said.
While leasing provides short-term affordability and flexibility, Knapp said, renters do miss out on the long-term financial benefits of building equity through homeownership.
In similar news
Unlock MLS recently entered into a data share agreement with the San Antonio Board of Realtors and Houston Association of Realtors. All three entities now have access to each other's MLS.
However, Knapp said leasing data within SABoR and HAR's region will not be included in the new monthly report.
"Given the kind of constraints of that agreement, we won't be publicly releasing any housing data from [SABoR or HAR] and we certainly want to respect their right to their own data," Knapp said.
