Washington DC Real Estate Market Update: November 2026

Key Takeaways

Prices are flat, not falling: the DC Metro median sold price held at $610,000 in September, up 1.6% year over year (Bright MLS), the third straight month of low single-digit growth off the spring peak.
Inventory is climbing hard: active listings in the NVAR region rose 30.7% year over year in September to 3,477, with months of supply up 29.5% to 2.5 (NVAR), the most buyer leverage the Virginia side has seen in years.
Demand is measurably quieter: new pending sales across the DC Metro fell 17.1% year over year in September (Bright MLS), and NVAR closed sales dropped 7.5% to 1,250. Sellers can no longer count on a crowd.
Rates are easing off the October peak: the 30-year fixed mortgage averaged 7.18% the first week of November, down from 7.28% in early October and the third consecutive weekly decline (Freddie Mac). Still up sharply from 6.22% a year ago.
This is a pricing and preparation market: average days on market of 28 on the Virginia side (NVAR) means a home priced against current comps still moves, while a home priced to last spring will sit through the slow season.

The Washington DC real estate market in November 2026 is a balanced market tilting toward buyers. The metro median sold price held at $610,000 in September, up just 1.6% year over year (Bright MLS), while active inventory climbed about 20% and new pending sales fell 17.1%. The key trend: prices are flat, choices are up, and for most homes negotiation has replaced the bidding war.

This is the November 2026 edition of Claude's monthly DMV market update. It covers the most recent full-month data from Bright MLS (September 2026, released October 12), the NVAR market statistics (September 2026, released October 16), GCAAR (September 2026), Redfin (three months ending September 2026), and the Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey of November 5, 2026. For the previous month's numbers, see the October 2026 market update.

The Headline Numbers for November 2026

$610,000

DC Metro Median Sold Price

+1.6% YoY | September | Bright MLS

$744,950

NVAR Region Median Sold Price

+4.2% YoY | September | NVAR

3,477

NVAR Active Listings

+30.7% YoY | September | NVAR

2.5

Months of Supply, Virginia Side

+29.5% YoY | September | NVAR

Average Days on Market

Virginia side | unchanged YoY | NVAR

7.18%

30-Year Fixed Mortgage Rate

Nov 5, 2026 | Freddie Mac

Washington DC Real Estate Market: Prices Flat, Inventory Climbing

The September numbers describe a Washington DC real estate market that stopped rising and started filling up. The metro median sold price was $610,000, up 1.6% from a year earlier, the third straight month of modest growth off the spring peak (Bright MLS). Median days on market for the metro was 22 days. Active inventory was up about 20.1% year over year, and new pending sales fell a sharp 17.1%. Fewer buyers entering contracts, more homes to choose from: that is the definition of a market shifting toward balance.

The Virginia side of the region is where the shift is loudest. NVAR reported 3,477 active listings in September, up 30.7% year over year, with months of supply climbing 29.5% to 2.5 and closed sales down 7.5% to 1,250. Condo and townhome inventory jumped 49.7% year over year, which is real negotiating room for buyers in Ballston, Clarendon, Rosslyn, and Old Town Alexandria.

Note the split in the price data. The NVAR region median rose 4.2% to $744,950, but the city-level medians tell a different story: Alexandria's median fell 11.4% to $660,000, and Arlington County's fell 4.6% to $655,000 (NVAR). The regional number is carried by the mix of high-end sales in Fairfax County, McLean, and Falls Church. When you are pricing a specific home, use the comps beside it, not the regional headline.

Where Is the Washington DC Market Strongest and Weakest?

Regional averages hide real differences between jurisdictions. Our county-by-county breakdown explains the full picture; here is how the three legs of the DMV read this month.

Washington, DC Proper

The District's median sale price over the three months ending September was $664,683, down about 1.5% year over year (Redfin), with values holding best in the tightest corners: Georgetown (20007), Capitol Hill (20003), and Dupont Circle (20036). Across the GCAAR area, which combines DC and Montgomery County, the September median was $625,000, up 1.1% year over year, with 1,079 closed sales, up 8.5%, and a median 26 days on market (GCAAR). The softest corner remains condos, where inventory is building fastest and buyers can negotiate terms that did not exist a year ago.

Montgomery County, MD

Montgomery County's median sale price over the three months ending September was $609,636, up 2.5% year over year (Redfin), one of the healthiest growth rates in the region. Months of supply across the GCAAR area reached 4.1 in September, well above the 2.9 five-year September average (GCAAR), but demand in Bethesda (20814), Chevy Chase (20815), Rockville, and Silver Spring (20910) still rests on the county's schools and Metro access. Well-priced single-family homes in the $800,000 to $1.5 million band remain competitive.

The Virginia Side of the Region

Fairfax County's median sale price over the three months ending September was $747,577, up 4.6% year over year (Redfin), while the NVAR region median hit $744,950, up 4.2% (NVAR). Price and inventory diverge sharply: active listings were up 30.7% and condo and townhome supply up 49.7%, so buyers now walk into Arlington (22201), Alexandria (22314), McLean (22101), and Falls Church (22046) with real choices. Sellers on the Virginia side need to price against the listing beside them, not a spring 2026 comp.

Rates: Easing Off the October Peak

The 30-year fixed mortgage averaged 7.18% the first week of November 2026, down 6 basis points from 7.24% the prior week and the third consecutive weekly decline (Freddie Mac, November 5). That is off the 7.28% peak of early October, though still about a full point above the 6.22% of a year ago. The 15-year fixed averaged 6.57%.

Three weeks of easing is a signal, not a trend, but it matters at the margin. A buyer at 7.18% can afford slightly more home than one at 7.28%, and sellers who offered rate buydowns in October are finding they work. The bigger picture: rates near 7% are still the quiet force behind the slower market, and they are why pricing accuracy, not hope, decides whether a home sells this fall.

Appraisal gaps are worth planning for in any market where a contract comes in above recent sales. Our guide to what an appraisal gap means for your sale walks through the options, from price adjustments to negotiation strategy.

Leafy residential street in the DC Metro area in mid-November with colonial and brick homes, mostly bare trees with a few amber leaves, warm low afternoon light on manicured lawns, and a discreet real estate sign in one front yard, reflecting the slower fall market

What This Means for You

For Sellers

This is a pricing market. Average days on market of 28 on the Virginia side (NVAR) and 26 across the GCAAR area (GCAAR) tell you with numbers what buyers already show by behavior: they are comparing, and a home priced above current comps will sit through the slow season. The disciplined play is an accurate asking price on day one, professional presentation, and marketing that reaches local buyers and relocating professionals. The full playbook is in the selling guide.

For Buyers

You have the strongest position of this entire cycle. Inventory is up about 20% across the metro, active listings on the Virginia side are up 30.7%, and sellers are negotiating again. The catch is still affordability at 7.18%, so pre-approval and a clear budget matter more than price per square foot. Buyers who are ready can negotiate closing-cost help, inspection contingencies, and even rate buydowns in the condo-heavy corners of Arlington, Alexandria, and Fairfax. Start with the buying guide, then target the markets with the most new supply.

For Investors

The condo and townhome surplus on the Virginia side, with inventory up 49.7% year over year (NVAR), is the entry point investors have been waiting for. Asking prices have reset to lender reality, financing exists, and renters value stability near Metro stations in Ballston, Clarendon, and Crystal City. Montgomery County's 2.5% median growth (Redfin) makes it the steadiest buy-and-hold play. Compare apples to apples across the region with our DMV market, county by county.

Timing questions matter more in this market than they have in years, and the timing is almost always personal. Weighing a fall sale on the Virginia side? Read the complete guide to selling a home in Arlington in 2026. If days on market puzzles you, what days-on-market really tells you before you list explains the signals buyers follow, and the full market report page keeps the regional numbers in one place.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Washington DC real estate market a buyer's market in November 2026?

It is balanced and tilting toward buyers. The September DC Metro median held at $610,000, up 1.6% year over year (Bright MLS), while active inventory climbed about 20% and new pending sales fell 17.1%. On the Virginia side, months of supply reached 2.5, up 29.5% (NVAR), and across the GCAAR area it reached 4.1 (GCAAR). Prices are not falling, but buyers have more choices and more room to negotiate than at any point in years.

What are DC Metro home prices doing in November 2026?

Prices are flat to slightly softer. The DC Metro median sold price was $610,000 in September, up 1.6% year over year (Bright MLS), and the NVAR region median rose 4.2% to $744,950 (NVAR). City-level medians fell in some spots: Alexandria down 11.4% to $660,000 and Arlington down 4.6% to $655,000. Over the three months ending September, the Washington DC median was $664,683, down about 1.5%, and Montgomery County was $609,636, up 2.5% (Redfin).

Why are home sales slowing in the Washington DC area?

Mortgage rates near 7% are the main driver. The 30-year fixed averaged 7.18% the first week of November 2026 (Freddie Mac), down from 7.28% in early October but about a point above a year earlier. Higher monthly payments shrink the buyer pool, and the numbers show it: new pending sales across the metro fell 17.1% year over year in September (Bright MLS), and NVAR closed sales fell 7.5% to 1,250.

Is now a good time to sell a home in the DMV?

For a well-priced, well-prepared home, yes. Serious buyers are still active, but they have far more options than a year ago: NVAR active listings rose 30.7% in September and the GCAAR area sits at 4.1 months of supply. Average days on market of 28 on the Virginia side (NVAR) means homes priced against current September and October comps still receive offers, while a home overpriced to spring levels risks sitting through the winter. Read the selling guide for the full checklist first.

Where in the DMV is inventory growing fastest?

The Virginia side leads the region. NVAR active listings rose 30.7% year over year in September, with months of supply up to 2.5 and condo and townhome inventory up 49.7% (NVAR). That puts real room to negotiate in Ballston, Clarendon, and Rosslyn in Arlington, in Alexandria, and across Fairfax County. The GCAAR area, covering DC and Montgomery County, reached 4.1 months of supply in September, up from a 2.9 five-year September average.

Claude Labbe

Local market expert and curator · REALTOR, Douglas Elliman · DC, MD, VA

703-868-7774 | Claude.Labbe@elliman.com

Have questions about what these numbers mean for your home? Reach out anytime to Claude Labbe at 703-868-7774 or visit the contact page to schedule a conversation.

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Data Sources

This market update draws on the most recent public data available as of November 5, 2026: the Bright MLS September 2026 Housing Market Report for the Washington DC metro (released October 12, 2026), the NVAR September 2026 market statistics (released October 16, 2026), the GCAAR September 2026 cumulative housing report for its DC and Montgomery County market area, Redfin housing market data for the three months ending September 2026, and the Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey of November 5, 2026. Where jurisdiction-level figures were not available for the most recent month, the most recent published figures are cited with that month named. This page is for information only and does not constitute professional advice; mortgage rates and market data change weekly.