DC Market Insights

The market is finding its footing.

Inventory is up over 33% year-over-year across the DC metro. Active listings rose 18% compared to January 2025. More supply. More options for buyers. More competition among sellers. But underneath that headline, the story is more layered than it appears.

Demand is not retreating. New pending contracts edged up 1.9% year-over-year — a modest number, but a meaningful one. Historically, pending contract growth precedes improvements in closed sales within 30 to 60 days. The early signs of spring reengagement are here. The underlying market is stronger than the headlines suggest.

Context matters. Days on market have extended across the region, but that number is being shaped by properties that are overpriced, underprepared, or concentrated in the softer condo segment. Set those aside and the picture changes.

WHAT THE DATA SAYS

[CHART PLACEHOLDER: DC Metro Active Listings, 2022-2026 YoY comparison]

WHAT IS MOVING

The short answer: everything — though not at the same pace.

Single-family homes are leading the way. Georgetown and Friendship Heights led the city in demand and price appreciation through February and March. Attached homes in the $1M-$2.5M range remain the strongest segment citywide.

Northern Virginia continues to move at a pace that rewards decisiveness. Fairfax County is averaging seven days on market. Arlington, eleven. Alexandria, twelve. These are not conditions that tolerate hesitation.

Townhomes and attached homes are close behind, with pending sales tracking ahead of last year's pace. If you are positioned correctly in this segment, you are operating in a seller's environment.

Condos tell a more nuanced story. Supply has grown and timelines have extended on paper. Rising HOA fees, remote work trends, and elevated inventory are all contributing factors. But well-priced condos in desirable locations are still drawing multiple offers. For sellers who price to the market rather than above it, the condo segment is open for business. For buyers, this is where you will find the strongest negotiating leverage in the city right now.

LOOKING AHEAD

For sellers: the window is here. What you do in the next four to six weeks determines how you enter the spring market's peak demand.

For buyers: you are better positioned today than you were twelve months ago. The question is not whether to act — it is how to act well.

The DMV has navigated complex moments before. The fundamentals here have a way of holding.