2026 June 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.

June is behind us, so it’s a good time to look at where the year is actually going. A few numbers stood out.

Inventory is the highest since 2018. There are 2,040 active listings on the market right now. Last year at this point, there were 1,575. That’s a meaningful jump, and everything else in this update flows from it.

More listings mean slower sales. That’s just how it works. Right now, 70% of homes have been on the market for more than 3 weeks. Last year it was 58%. That’s a 12-point swing, and it shows up in almost every conversation I have with sellers.

New listings are up 12%. Closed sales are down 6.5%. Put those together, and you get a little over three months of inventory sitting on the market.

None of this is new, and that’s the point. I’ve been saying the same thing on these videos for a long time. More inventory; homes are taking longer to sell. What’s changed is that the trend keeps holding, and the effect on buyers is getting more pronounced.

They’re not feeling the pressure anymore. Nobody’s rushing to write an offer before someone else does, and the bidding situations that defined the last few years have mostly gone quiet. Buyers now have the luxury of time, and they’re using it.

When they do move, they’re moving on one of two things: the best-priced home, or the home in the best condition and the best neighborhood. And even then, always with the best price.

So whether you’re buying or selling, the same fact applies. There’s more on the market than there’s been in years, and buyers have real options.

What that means for your specific home depends on your price point and your neighborhood.

If you want to talk through where your home fits, call or text me at 206-940-4557, email me at matt@mattstarkrealestate.com, or visit searchhomesnw.com. I run these numbers every month, and I’m happy to run them for your street as well.