2026 April Housing Market Update

By Matt Stark

Matt Stark is a top 1% REALTOR® in Seattle with over 19 years of experience. A Seattle native, he began his career in 1999 as an investor before transitioning to full-time real estate.

If you’ve been wondering what’s happening with the housing market right now, I just pulled all the numbers through the end of April and wanted to give you a quick update on where things stand.

Inventory Is Up Almost 50%

The number I always look at first is inventory. How many homes are sitting on the market right now compared to this time last year? At the end of April, we’re at 1,492 active listings. Same week last year, there were 987. That’s almost exactly 50% more inventory than we had a year ago.

Because of that, homes are taking longer to sell. About 62% of homes right now have been on the market for more than three weeks, and the average days on market is sitting at 41 days. That’s up about 20% over last year.

What’s Driving the Shift

So why is this happening? Is it more homes coming on the market, fewer buyers, or a combination? I looked at it and it’s both. New listings from January through April are up 12% compared to the same stretch last year. And in that same time frame, the number of closed sales is down 8.5%. A little more supply and a little less demand, and that’s what’s pushing inventory up by 50% year over year.

Where Does That Leave Us?

I always think about whether we’re in a buyer’s market or a seller’s market. Generally, three months of inventory or more is considered a buyer’s market. Anything under two months is a seller’s market. Right now we’re at about 2.1 months of inventory, which puts us right in that middle ground, a balanced market.

Homes are still selling. They’re just taking a bit longer and buyers have more to choose from. Pricing is really critical right now. Homes that are priced right for the current market are still moving. The ones that aren’t are sitting.

If there’s anything I can do for you or if you have questions about what this means for your situation, reach out anytime. Call or text me at (206) 940-4557, email me at matt@mattstarkrealestate.com, or visit searchhomesnw.com.