What the Recent Headlines Mean for Your Real Estate Plans
If you read Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty’s (RSIR) recent blog covering July’s S&P Cotality Case-Shiller Home Price Index, you might be wondering how buyers and sellers should proceed with their real estate goals in a market facing several obstacles.
Seattle posted the weakest year-over-year home-price performance among the 20 major metropolitan markets for the second consecutive month. In other words, of the real estate markets examined in the report, Seattle’s 1.6% year-over-year price decline put it last.
Although this news is not generally reassuring for buyers and sellers making their moves in the greater Seattle area, the headlines do not dictate your personal results. After all, the headlines don’t tell the whole story. Understanding how the market has performed and what the trends mean in a practical sense is the first step towards making your goals a reality.
Let’s zero in on the specific markets we specialize in.
As of September, Seattle’s single-family home market has 4.7 months of inventory, making it a neutral or balanced market. This year-over-year shift from a seller’s market to a neutral market is largely due to lower demand and higher inventory. After a long period of an inventory deficit, this is a welcome change for buyers. The new market landscape does require sellers to be even more thoughtful with their listings, including pricing accurately and marketing strategically.
The Seattle condominium market offers even more inventory than the single-family home market, with 8.3 months of inventory (compared to 5.5 months of inventory in September 2025). This market saw year-over-year price growth, with a 3.1% increase in the median sales price. However, in September, homes sold for 98% of the listing price, on average, meaning that sellers should still price their homes accurately, despite the increase in median sales prices.
In contrast to Seattle, Tacoma’s September market offered just 3.3 months of supply, making it a seller’s market. There was price growth in the city, with the average sales price increasing by 4.3% year over year to $539,000. Taking higher prices and less inventory into account, the Tacoma market is currently less buyer-friendly than the Seattle market in some ways. However, with a significantly lower average sales price than Seattle, this is still an excellent market to search for your first or next home.
It’s easy to see a concerning article or headline and worry if now is the right time to pursue your real estate goals. However, with decades of experience serving clients through all market cycles, we know how to turn obstacles into opportunities. The first step is discussing your goals. Then we’ll look at the market data and use it to our advantage and come up with a plan personalized to your needs, budget, and lifestyle.
Reach out to us today to get started.
All data sourced from NWMLS.