Published October 18, 2026 in Market Update

More listings are giving buyers a little more room in the Primary market

The one fact that changes what a homeowner should do right now: more homes are sitting on the market. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 342 homes for sale across the Primary market in the three months ending August 31, 2026. That is up 18.8% from the same months of 2025. More competition means pricing carefully matters more than it did a year ago.

Realtor.com reported that for-sale listings were growing nearly 7% year over year across the U.S. The Primary market is moving faster than that national pace. That tells you this is not just a national trend. It is showing up right here.

Fewer homes are selling, and buyers are taking a little longer to decide

The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 427 homes sold in the Primary market in the three months ending August 31, 2026. That is down 9.9% from the same months of 2025. Pending sales fell 9.5% too, to 401. Demand is softer. Sellers who price too high may wait longer than they expect.

Freddie Mac put the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate at 7.40% as of October 15, 2026. That is a three-year high, according to Redfin. Higher rates slow buyers down. That is part of why demand is softer across the whole country, not just here.

Each ZIP code tells a different story

The market-wide numbers are real, but the ZIP codes underneath them pull in different directions. Some are loosening. One is still very tight.

ZIP 22204 is where the shift is most visible

The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 130 homes for sale in ZIP 22204 in the three months ending August 31, 2026. That is up 51.2% from a year before. Median days on market stretched to 51 days, 12 days longer than the same period last year. Homes still sold at 100% of list price on average, which is a sign that well-priced homes are moving. But buyers here have more to choose from than they did a year ago.

ZIP 22205 is moving in the opposite direction

ZIP 22205 is the tightest part of this market. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted just 18 homes for sale there in the three months ending August 31, 2026. That is down 18.2% from a year before. Supply sat at 0.9 months. Half of all homes sold above list price. The median sale price was $1,247,500, up 0.2% from a year before. Homes went under contract in a median of 21 days, 13 days faster than the same period last year.

ZIP 22206: prices dipped a little, but buyers are still moving fast

The Real Estate Data Aggregator put the median sale price in ZIP 22206 at $592,000 in the three months ending August 31, 2026. That is down 0.5% from a year before, a small dip. Homes for sale rose 26.7%. Still, 49.3% of homes went under contract within two weeks of listing. Pending sales were actually up 12.7% from a year before. So while inventory is growing, engaged buyers are still acting quickly on the right homes.

The national picture adds context

The National Association of Realtors reported that existing-home sales across the U.S. reached 3.99 million units in September 2026. National inventory rose to 1.60 million homes. Existing-home prices were up 1.3% nationally. The Primary market's price gains in most ZIP codes are running ahead of that national pace, which is worth noting.

Freddie Mac also reported the 15-year fixed rate at 6.71% as of October 15, 2026. Some buyers are using shorter terms to manage costs. That is worth knowing if you are thinking about your next move.

What this means for sellers and buyers right now

Sellers: more listings means more competition. Pricing sharply from day one matters more than it did a year ago. Homes that are priced right are still selling. ZIP 22205 proves that. But ZIP 22204 shows what happens when supply builds and buyers slow down.

Buyers: you have more to look at than you did a year ago. That is true across most of the Primary market. You still need to move quickly on well-priced homes, especially in ZIP 22205 and ZIP 22206. But the window to compare is a little wider than it was.