Market Recap

Housing supply continued to expand across the NWMLS service area in April, with active listings rising 28.4% year over year and increasing more than 23% from March as the spring market gained momentum. While inventory expanded, market activity remained mixed: closed sales declined 3.7% year over year, even as showings and keybox accesses increased from both March and April 2025. The median sales price remained unchanged from a year ago at $650,000, reflecting a market with more choices for buyers but continued affordability constraints.

Mortgage rates remained elevated in April, with average rates slightly higher than in March, and the Federal Reserve held short-term rates steady, citing ongoing inflation pressures, including rising energy costs. Ongoing global uncertainty, including the war in Iran, continued to put upward pressure on interest rates and weigh on housing demand.

Steven Bourassa, director of the Washington Center for Real Estate Research at the University of Washington, said, “We are continuing to see relatively weak demand in the NWMLS market area (as elsewhere in the U.S.), with listings substantially higher than a year earlier, transactions down almost 4%, and median prices unchanged. At the moment, it is difficult to see any improvement on the horizon with the Iran war stuck in a stalemate.”

Key Takeaways

Active Listings

• The total number of properties listed for sale increased 28.4% year over year, with 18,563 active listings on the market at the end of April 2026, compared to 14,459 at the end of April 2025. Month over month, active inventory increased by 23.4%, up from 15,049 in March 2026.

Closed Sales

• Closed sales decreased by 3.7% year over year, with 5,674 transactions in April 2026 compared to 5,887 in April 2025. Month over month, sales increased by 4.7%, up from 5,417 in March 2026.

Median Sales Price

• The median sales price for residential homes and condominiums sold in April 2026 was $650,000, showing no change from April 2025 ($650,000). Month over month, the median price increased 1.6% from $640,000 in March 2026.
• The counties with the highest median sales prices were San Juan ($1,225,000), King ($859,000), and Snohomish ($750,000), while the lowest median prices were recorded in Ferry ($250,000), Adams ($290,000), and Columbia ($322,000). 

Source: NWMLS 5/5/26