​​​​​​​This is a market that rewards attention right now. Not because it is chaotic, but because the story varies so much depending on what you are looking at. Luxury is outperforming nearly everything. Single-family homes are holding their ground. And condos are in a chapter of their own. If you have been watching and waiting, here is what the data is saying.

The clearest takeaway: where you are and what you are selling matters more than any regional headline.

The Luxury Market Is Leading

At the upper end, things are moving with real purpose. The BrightMLS Q4 2025 Mid-Atlantic Luxury Housing Report tells a story of a market under genuine pressure from buyers. Luxury inventory across the region dropped nearly 20% year-over-year, even as overall housing inventory grew by close to 30%. That gap is keeping competition strong at the top.

The numbers reflect it. Luxury homes in the DC market spent a median of just 17 days on the market in Q4. Around 30% sold above asking price. The luxury benchmark price in Washington DC reached $1,795,000, representing a 9% year-over-year increase. One in three luxury transactions closed as an all-cash deal.

For buyers at this level, well-positioned properties are not waiting. For sellers, this remains one of the more favorable environments in recent memory.

The Broader Market Is Finding Its Balance

The wider market is telling a different story, and it is one that actually creates real opportunity. The DC Metro median home price sits at $585,000, up 4.8% year-over-year. Sales volume has slowed, with closed sales down about 10% compared to January of last year, and homes are taking a bit longer to sell. The metro median days on market is now 36 days.

What is changing in buyers' favor is inventory. Active listings are up 18% year-over-year, giving people more options than they have had in years. Bright MLS projects the DC Metro median price to ease modestly from $623,140 in 2025 to around $616,700 in 2026. That is not a correction. It is a recalibration, and for buyers who have been waiting for a more breathable market, this is it.

There is also a layer of uncertainty tied to federal workforce dynamics that is making some buyers more deliberate before committing. That is reasonable. The sellers navigating this well are the ones pricing honestly to where the market is today, not where it was in 2022.

Condos and Single-Family Homes: Two Very Different Conversations

The most striking divide in the DC market right now sits between condos and single-family homes, and it is worth understanding clearly.

The condo market is soft. Sales are down 22% year-over-year, supply is elevated, and listings are taking longer to find buyers. Condo inventory is up nearly 60% on a rolling 90-day average, more than double the 29% growth seen in single-family home inventory. New condo listings are up 29% annually.

Much of DC's broader inventory increase traces back to this segment, driven by a combination of rising HOA fees, shifting demand away from smaller urban units since the pandemic, and greater buyer scrutiny around building finances. For condo sellers, the market is asking for honest pricing from the start. Chasing the market down gradually is costing time and leverage.

Single-family homes are a different conversation entirely. Detached home prices rose year-over-year across most of the region. In Arlington, single-family median prices are projected to increase around 3.8% in 2026. Alexandria is tracking closer to 4.2%. Buyers continue to prioritize space and stability, and that steady demand is keeping pricing firm in this category.

A well-prepared single-family home in a desirable neighborhood is operating in its own market—one that looks quite different from the condo down the street.

Looking Toward Spring

Spring is arriving into a market that has more room to breathe than DC has seen in several years. More inventory means more choices. Mortgage rates are expected to settle near 6% through much of 2026, and that stability is encouraging buyers who have been on the sidelines to start moving. Bright MLS projects home sales in the DC region to rise approximately 8% this year.

Opportunity is here for buyers who come prepared. Sellers who price with clarity and present their homes well are closing. And at the luxury level, the window for buyers is genuinely narrow. That inventory is not building.

Spring is a good time to move. Let’s talk about what that looks like for you.