Spring has arrived in Washington, and the energy on the ground reflects it. Conversations with agents across the city confirm what you would expect: buyer activity is picking up, open houses are busy again, and the market feels meaningfully different than it did two months ago.

That said, the most recent data we have is from February, and it is worth understanding what those numbers show and why they do not tell the whole story.

A Market Still Reflecting Winter

Across all property types in DC, 385 homes closed in February, down 18.8% from the same month last year. The median sold price came in at $599,000, a 6.2% decline from February 2025. And the median time on market jumped from 38 days a year ago to 70 days.

These are backward-looking numbers, and they carry the weight of a tough winter. January’s major snowstorm and the weeks of freezing temperatures that followed had a real impact on market activity. Showings dropped, open houses were canceled, and many buyers and sellers simply hit pause. February closings reflect contracts that would have been written during that stretch, so the year-over-year decline is largely a weather story.

The month-over-month trend supports that. Closed sales were up 12.9% from January, and the market has continued to gain momentum since.

Inventory Remains Tight Where It Matters Most

For detached single-family homes, only 61 closed in February, with a median sold price of $840,000. New listings for detached homes dropped more than 30% from last year, which is keeping supply tight in neighborhoods where inventory was already limited.

That supply dynamic continues to support well-positioned sellers, particularly in the parts of the city where detached housing is always in short supply and buyer demand tends to return quickly once conditions improve.

The More Important Signals Are Forward-Looking

The forward-looking indicators are more encouraging. New pending sales rose 3% across all property types compared to last February, and townhome pending sales jumped 13.7%. Nationally, the Pending Home Sales Index rose 1.8% in February.

Buyers are engaging, and from what we are seeing in March, the pace is accelerating.

Rates and Strategy Still Shape the Outcome

There are a couple of things worth watching. Mortgage rates had dipped below 6% in late February, which gave the market a real lift. Since then, the war in Iran has reversed that trend. Rising oil prices and higher Treasury yields have pushed the 30-year fixed rate back up to around 6.4%, its highest level since September, climbing for four consecutive weeks.

Rates are still well below last year’s 6.65% average and far from the 7.79% peak of late 2023, but the recent move is a reminder that global events have a direct impact on borrowing costs here at home.

The other reality is that pricing strategy matters more than it has in years. Across the Mid-Atlantic, roughly a third of sellers who closed in February had to reduce their asking price. Canceled listings are up more than 33% from a year ago. Well-priced, well-presented homes are still moving with confidence. The homes that sit tend to be the ones that entered the market without a clear strategy.

What This Means for Sellers Right Now

Spring is the strongest selling season for a reason. If you are considering a move this year, the fundamentals are in your favor, and the right preparation makes all the difference.

Questions about what this means for your home or your neighborhood? I am always happy to walk through the numbers with you.