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October has arrived, and the fall market is fully underway across the DMV. As buyers and sellers adjust to the season, we’re seeing thoughtful decision-making on both sides, with buyers carefully weighing their options and sellers preparing strategically for the months ahead.
Thinking Ahead
With the end of the year approaching, now is also a valuable time to start thinking ahead, whether that means planning a move, preparing a home for the spring market, or simply staying informed about local market conditions. We’re continuing to watch how the market evolves and help our clients navigate each opportunity with a clear, informed approach.
September also brought a little extra reason to celebrate around the office as we marked both Maggie and Will’s birthdays. Susie and Theo are also looking forward to all that October has in store, especially the excitement of Halloween and the trick-or-treating festivities ahead!
Market Update
The Great Sorting: Fewer Sales, Firmer Prices, and the Detached-Home Squeeze
If July was the month the market blinked, August was the month it made up its mind. Closed sales across Northern Virginia fell 8% year-over-year to 1,324 — yet the median sold price rose 2% to $765,000, reversing July’s dip and outpacing the national rate of 1.6%. Fewer transactions, higher prices: that’s not a market losing steam, it’s a market getting choosier. Days on market held at exactly 26, unchanged from a year ago, which tells you the homes buyers actually want are still moving on the same clock they always have.
The real story lives one layer down, in what is for sale. Active listings jumped 18.5% — but that growth came entirely from condos (up 44.8%) and townhomes (up 29.9%). Detached-home listings actually fell 8.5%, from 1,091 to 998. As a result, detached homes shrank from 28% of what’s for sale to just 21%. For our corner of the map, that’s the whole ballgame: in McLean’s 22101, the six-month median sold price sits at $1.825 million, and Great Falls has quietly posted a rolling 12-month median of $1.75 million — up 8.8% year-over-year, with recent closings landing in just 13 median days. The region’s luxury detached stock isn’t just holding; it’s appreciating faster than the market around it.
Zoom out and the context is almost unfair. Northern Virginia has 2.08 months of supply; the nation has 4.9. We’re adding inventory three times faster than the country, and we still sit at less than half the national level. So here’s the October playbook: if you own a well-kept detached home in McLean, Great Falls, or North Arlington, you’re sitting on the scarcest asset class in the region, and fall buyers are serious ones. If you’re buying a condo or townhome, this is the deepest selection in years — the leverage has shifted your way, and it’s worth using. Either way, the market is rewarding preparation over speed. Come prepared.
October Around Town
Discover scenic mountain views and vibrant fall foliage.
Celebrate autumn with family-friendly local festivities.
Enjoy pumpkins, wagon rides, live music, food, and family fun.
Thinking About Selling in Spring?
October Is When the Planning Should Begin.
If you’re considering putting your home on the market in the first quarter of the new year, now is the time to start planning. Meeting with an experienced real estate professional this fall can help you identify repairs or improvements that may make a meaningful difference, develop a staging strategy, and create a timeline for everything that needs to be completed before listing.
October is also an ideal time to think ahead about photography and landscaping. If you’re planning to sell in early spring, capturing exterior photography while your landscaping is at its best can provide beautiful seasonal imagery for your spring listing, helping your home make a strong first impression. Taking care of photography now also means you’ll have fresh, seasonal images ready to use when the time comes to launch your property.
Starting early allows you to approach the spring market with a clear plan and a home that is prepared to make the strongest possible first impression. Thinking about selling in the spring? Reach out to start planning now.
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