Published October 4, 2026 in Market Update

More homes are on the market, but demand is still moving in Primary market

By Tamika R. Johnson, MBA, Associate Broker

Real estate, Primary market

Here is the number that matters most right now: the Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 1,993 homes for sale across Primary market in the three months ending July 31, 2026, and 1,894 of them had a pending sale. That is not a market that has gone quiet. That is a market where prepared, well-priced homes are still getting contracts.

Nationally, Realtor.com reported active listings up 6.3% from a year ago, the fastest pace in at least six months. More choice means buyers can compare. That changes the job for sellers: pricing and preparation matter more than they did a year ago.

Mortgage rates are part of the picture too. Freddie Mac put the average 30-year fixed rate at 7.28% as of October 1, 2026. Realtor.com noted rates crossed 7% in late September for the first time since January 2025. Buyers are still moving, but they are doing the math carefully before they do.

What the ZIP codes are telling us

The market is not moving the same way everywhere. Some ZIP codes are tighter and faster. Others have more supply and more days on the clock. Here is how the ZIP codes stack up on two things that matter most to sellers: how long homes are sitting, and how often they sell above list price.

ZIP 20733 had the shortest median time on market at 34 days, per the Real Estate Data Aggregator. ZIP 20695 was the slowest at 65 days, 18 days longer than the same period a year before. That kind of gap inside one market is exactly why the ZIP code matters more than a market-wide average.

ZIP 20603 led the market: the Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 52.1% of homes there selling above list price in the three months ending July 31, 2026. ZIP 20720 was at the other end at 14.5%, down 24.4 points from a year before. That is a significant shift in one ZIP code.

Where supply is tightest and where it has loosened

Months of supply tells you how long it would take to sell every home currently listed, at the current pace of sales. Below 3 months leans toward sellers. Above 5 months gives buyers more room to negotiate.

ZIP 20623 had just 1.4 months of supply, the tightest in the market. ZIP 20020 had 7.2 months, though that is actually down 2 months from a year before, per the Real Estate Data Aggregator. That direction matters. Improvement is still improvement, even when the number is high.

ZIP 20707 is worth watching. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted homes for sale there up 75.4% from a year ago, with months of supply rising 3.1 months to 5.8. Prices dipped 7.3% in that same period. That combination tells sellers in that ZIP code that positioning is doing more work than it was a year ago.

The national picture adds context

The National Association of Realtors reported existing-home sales were up 1.6% year-to-date through the first eight months of 2026. That is not a collapsed market. It is a market that is moving, carefully.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency reported U.S. house prices up 2.1% year over year between the second quarter of 2025 and the second quarter of 2026. Prices are not falling nationally. They are just growing more slowly than buyers and sellers got used to.

What this means if you own a home here

More inventory does not mean demand disappeared. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 1,894 pending sales across Primary market in the three months ending July 31, 2026. Buyers are out there. They are just comparing more carefully.

With Freddie Mac reporting a 30-year rate at 7.28% as of October 1, 2026, buyers are sensitive to price. A home priced right for its ZIP code still moves. A home priced for last year's market sits longer and often sells for less.

The gap between ZIP codes is real. One street can read very differently from the numbers for the whole ZIP code. These market-wide figures are a starting point, not the final answer for your specific address.