09/01/2026
📣August Market Update📣
Heading into fall, the homes that sell will be the ones priced to move. Here is what the numbers are telling us.
🏡The Market Has Been Split Into Two
The summer peak is behind us. New pendings, which are the best read on what buyers are actually doing right now, dropped 12% from June to July across the five-county market, even while sellers kept listing. New listings have carried this market all year, and that supply is expected to taper off through the rest of 2026. So we head into fall with fewer active buyers competing for a larger pool of available homes.
The averages hide what is really going on, because the market has split into two very different stories. Well-priced homes are still moving fast. The typical home that went pending in June did it in 25 days compared to 27 days in July. Half of July’s new pendings were under contract within 10 days of listing, and 61% of July’s closed sales sold at or above full asking price.
The homes that miss that early rush are a different story. The average unsold listing has now been on the market for 85 days. Inventory is climbing mostly because the homes that don’t draw an early offer sit longer.
🏡Why Fall Raises the Stakes
Sales at or above asking peaked at 64% in June and should cool off through the end of the year, the same way they did in 2025. Price cuts and days on market both bottomed out this summer and are already creeping back up. The deeper we get into fall, the more leverage shifts to buyers. The best listings will continue to sell quickly, but with fewer fall buyers, a home in average condition may take a little longer to sell in October.
🏡The Consulting Conversation that We are Going to Have
Price is the single fastest lever you control as a home seller, with how your home shows running a close second.
When preparing to sell in the fall market, aiming for that initial 10-day window of maximum buyer interest is key. That first week and a half on the market is where competitive offers and over-asking premiums happen—not three months down the line after reaching for a summer peak price that the current season no longer supports.
🏡The Strategy: Price to Entice
Position your listing price right at, or even slightly below, where comparable move-in-ready homes are currently landing offers. Creating early momentum invites multiple buyers into the conversation, allowing healthy market competition to push your final sale price up naturally.
🏡The Alternative: Push for the Peak
Overreaching on your launch price often leads to:
- Extended Days on Market: Watching your listing sit past the prime activity window.
- Chasing the Market: Executing a series of price reductions to regain buyer attention.
- Lower Net Return: Ultimately closing at a lower bottom-line number than if the property had been priced strategically from day one.
Choosing a strategy designed for the active season protects both your timeline and your leverage at the negotiating table.
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Are you interested in the statistics for your specific city? Or in how much your home is worth? I'll be happy to provide you with the most detailed information and a complementary home assessment so that you can turn market data into your greatest leverage for a confident, high-value decision.
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Best wishes - Judy🏡
