2026 Market Outlook

Before we look at where we are going, let’s take a look at where we have been. In 2024, the United States saw the lowest number of home sales in 30 years. Year over year as of November 30, 2025 home sales were down 1% nationally. Locally, sales actually increased 3% over the past year and our median sales priced increased to $255,000 versus $240,000 the previous year. However, our average days on market increased 6.5%. Which means it’s normal for houses to take longer to sell than the last few years.

Nationally, 6.24% was the average interest rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage in November, according to Freddie Mac, down from 6.25% in October and 6.81% one year ago.

Dr. Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist for the National Association of REALTORS(R), predicts a national increase in home sales in 2026 of 14% over 2025. He also anticipates mortgage interest rates decreasing to around 6.00%.

So what does that mean for you if you plan to list your home for sale in 2026?

Typically, buyer activity slows down between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, which held true in 2025. I expect that we will have a new push of showing activity coming out of our holiday slump. I’m already starting to see early signs of this. I believe we’ll continue to see more buyers actively start, or re-start, their home search again in January with some optimism of slightly lower interest rates.

Though our number of new listings were down over 12% November to November, overall new listings increased 8.4% in 2025 compared to 2024. I think that will remain steady into 2026 which means sellers should be prepared for competition with other sellers. A common misconception among homeowners is that when you list your house for sale that buyers are your competition. While you may negotiate against a buyer, other sellers are actually who you’re competing against. The other houses a buyer could choose to make an offer on instead of yours. Those houses are your competition.

More competition means that sellers, who want to sell, will need to be realistic regarding the market value of their house. This is often one the most challenging things for homeowners; to view their home in current market conditions. Letting your emotions cloud your judgment of what your house is worth to potential buyers is hard. Especially, if you’ve put your blood, sweat and tears into updates or if you have countless family memories there. Looking at what your home was worth in 2021 or what you paid for it, is also irrelevant to what it is currently worth. Ideally, we want to look at comparable sales in the most recent 6-12 months as well as what other homes are currently for sale, because those are your competitors. To learn more about how value is determined read Understanding Value.

Sellers in 2026 will want to make sure their homes are marketed well with nice photos, description and a strategy to get in front of the most buyers. Standing out becomes more important as competition increases. If you’re considering selling interview agents now, don’t wait until Spring when competition usually increases. It’s never too early to ask questions and start the process. If you're not sure where to start, read How to choose the Right Agent to List your House. Overall, we expect more total home sales for 2026 locally and nationally. We should continue to see a more balanced market because as more buyers come back to the market that creates competition among buyers as well.