Market report · MI

Detroit, MI

Buyer's market

Cash-flow-friendly fundamentals: 21.0% gross rent yield and 61% of sales closing below list make Detroit a steady BRRRR and rental market.

DATA · Zillow Research (via scrape.do) · AS OF APRIL 2026

$76k
Typical home value
↑0.7%
-3.9%
YoY change
$1,338
Median rent
↑13.6%
20.99%
Gross yield
41
Median DOM
90/100
MDR score
Detail Value Detail Value
Median list price $99,933 Median sale price $85,667
Sale-to-list ratio 0.965 % sold below list +60.6%
Active inventory 3,258 New listings 718
Trends · 36-month series

How Detroit has moved.

Typical home value $76k → $76k · ↑0.7% (36mo)
$74k $77k $79k $82k May 23Nov 24Apr 26
Median rent (ZORI) $1k → $1k · ↑13.6% (36mo)
$1k $1k $1k $1k May 23Nov 24Apr 26
Median days on market 50d → 41d · ↓18.1% (36mo)
41d 44d 47d 50d Feb 26Mar 26Apr 26
Sale-to-list ratio 0.972 → 0.965 · ↓0.8% (36mo)
0.965 0.967 0.970 0.973 Jan 26Feb 26Mar 26

Detroit sits at a median home value of $76,488 as of the latest Zillow read, down 3.9% year-over-year — a meaningful softening that’s putting deal flow back on the table for cash buyers.

The sale-to-list ratio sits at 0.965, and 60.6% of closed sales are landing below list. That’s a clear buyer’s market — sellers are negotiating, and motivated-seller direct mail is converting at rates we haven’t seen since 2014.

Rents tell a stronger story. The Zillow Observed Rent Index for Detroit is $1,338/mo against a $76k median — that’s a 20.99% gross annual rent yield, well above the national 4-5% baseline. BRRRR and long-term rental strategies have real cushion here.

Median days-on-market is running around 41 days against 3,257.667 active listings. Pace is moderate — neither chaos nor stagnation. Standard wholesaling cadences work here.

MDR’s composite investor score for Detroit is 90/100 based on rent yield, sale-to-list discount, motivated-seller proxies, and DOM. That puts it in our top tier — actively recommended for new capital deployment this cycle.

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FAQ

Detroit for investors.

Is Detroit a good market for real estate investors in 2026?

Metro Deal Report's composite investor score for Detroit is 90/100, based on rent yield, sale-to-list ratio, motivated-seller proxies, and days on market. That puts Detroit in our top tier — actively recommended for new capital deployment this cycle.

What is the median home price in Detroit?

The typical home value in Detroit as of the most recent Zillow read is $76,488. Median list price is $99,933 and median sale price is $85,667. Year-over-year change: -3.9%.

What can a landlord expect to rent a property for in Detroit?

Zillow's Observed Rent Index for Detroit is $1,338/mo. Against the typical home value of $76k, that produces a gross annual rent yield of 20.99% — above the national 4-5% baseline, supportive of BRRRR and long-term rental strategies.

Is Detroit a buyer's or seller's market?

Detroit's current sale-to-list ratio is 0.965 with 60.6% of homes closing below list. That's a clear buyer's market — sellers are negotiating. Median days on market: 41 days. Active inventory: 3,258 listings.

Which investment strategy works best in Detroit?

Detroit's data favors a mixed approach — no single strategy dominates, so selective deal sourcing wins. See the per-strategy breakdowns at /wholesaling/detroit, /brrrr/detroit, and /flipping/detroit.

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