09/23/2026
Maryland Housing Market Update —
As of September 23, 2026, Maryland’s housing market is showing some cooling in buyer demand, but inventory remains the key constraint. The market is becoming more balanced in some respects, but it is not yet a broad buyer’s market.
🏠 Inventory: Still the biggest issue
The latest statewide Maryland REALTORS® data, covering August, shows:
16,897 active listings, down 13.7% from August 2025.
New listings fell 23.6% year over year.
Maryland had roughly 3 months of inventory, versus 3.5 months a year earlier.
Nationally, inventory was moving in the opposite direction, making Maryland's supply shortage particularly notable.
So while buyers may have a little more negotiating room, there still aren't enough Maryland homes coming onto the market.
📉 Buyer demand is cooling
August sales fell 8.5% year over year, to 5,582 homes. Pending sales also declined 1%, ending a 12-month streak of annual increases.
Bright MLS's September assessment similarly describes the broader Mid-Atlantic market as cooling as buyers contend with mortgage rates, affordability, and economic uncertainty.
This is important: the market is getting less competitive primarily because some buyers are stepping back—not because Maryland suddenly has an abundance of homes.
💰 Prices: Not falling substantially
Maryland's August median sale price was $445,000, up 2.3% from a year earlier. The average sale price was $530,442, up 2.5%.
Realtor.com's August statewide data also showed the median sold price up about 3.4% year over year, although its median listing price was lower than a year earlier.
So I'd characterize prices as relatively firm, rather than entering a meaningful statewide decline.
📈 Mortgage rates remain a major headwind
The 30-year fixed mortgage averaged 6.95% for the week ending September 17, up from 6.76% the previous week and considerably higher than the 6.26% average a year earlier.
That means affordability remains difficult even where sellers are becoming more negotiable.
All information is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and is subject to change without notice.
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