After a steady start to 2026, the DC metro area’s real estate market heated up in April. New monthly data from listing service Bright MLS shows that the number of pending home sales spiked last month, and some NoVA localities are seeing rises in home sale prices.
“Warmer weather, more inventory, and a temporary drop in rates fueled a strong April across most of the Mid-Atlantic,” Bright MLS Chief Economist Lisa Sturtevant said in a news release. “There is significant pent-up demand in the marketplace, but higher-income buyers are the ones primarily driving activity while budget-conscious buyers remain more sensitive to rate volatility and economic uncertainty.”
According to Bright MLS, the beginning of the year saw a “slow and steady” market in the DC region, with only modest increases to pending home sales. But in April, new pending sales were up 9.3% year over year.
The number of homes on offer increased, too. There were 6,496 new home listings across the region in April, a year-over-year increase of 7.1%. That put the total number of active listings at 10,340, a 5.3% increase year over year.
And homes are continuing to sell fast. The median days on the market was eight days; it was seven last year.
Price Changes
When it comes to price, the region’s overall median sale price stayed relatively steady at $661,000, with a 0.9% increase from last year. But by locality, price changes vary.
Arlington saw the highest spike. Median sale prices hit $928,000, a 14.7% year-over-year increase. If you look at averages rather than medians, prices have surpassed the $1 million mark. The average home price in Arlington, as reported by the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors, was $1,061,497, a 7.1% increase.
Fairfax County also saw higher prices. The median sale price hit $805,064, a 4% increase from last year. The average price in the county is creeping toward the $1 million mark, too. Averages hit $953,289, a 6.3% year-over-year increase.
Other areas have seen decreases in median sale prices but increases in average sale prices. For example, Alexandria City’s median price of $770,000 was 2.5% lower than last year. But its average price was $895,787, a 4.5% increase.
The City of Falls Church’s median price decreased by 13.1% to $1,172,561, but the average home price was $1,212,784, an 8.6% increase.
Loudoun County stayed relatively steady, with no median price change and a modest 1.8% average price increase.
Feature image, stock.adobe.com
