Welcome to the first edition of the DMV Market Brief. Every month five numbers that tell you what is actually happening in DC, Maryland, and Virginia real estate. No fluff.
1. $572,150
The DC metro median list price, down 4.6% from last year (Realtor.com, September). The capital region is giving back some of its pandemic-era gains. Buyers, this is your opening.
2. 16.2%
The jump in DC metro active listings year over year. Inventory is nearing pre-pandemic levels nationally, and the DMV is no exception. More choice, more negotiating room.
3. $765,000
The Northern Virginia median sold price, up 2% from last August (NVAR). Note the split: fewer closed sales (down 8%), but prices holding. Well-priced homes still command money. Overpriced ones sit.
4. $375,000
The Baltimore median list price, down 2.6% year over year. The most affordable entry point in the DMV by a wide margin, and the gap between Baltimore and NoVA prices has rarely been this wide.
5. 22%
The share of Baltimore listings that just took a price cut, versus 20.1% across the DC metro. Sellers are adjusting everywhere. The message is the same in every zip code: price to the market, not to your hopes.
WHAT THIS MEANS
For buyers: You have leverage you have not had in years. Inventory is up, price cuts are at yearly highs, and sellers are negotiating. Get pre-approved and go shopping.
For sellers: The market rewards accurate pricing on day one and punishes wishful pricing with weeks of silence followed by a cut anyway. Price it right, prep it well, and you still win.
That is the DMV in five numbers. See you in two weeks.
Best deal or no sleep!
PS. Stats sourced from Realtor.com's September 2026 housing report and NVAR's August 2026 data.
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