Northern Virginia housing market expected to stabilize for buyers and sellers in 2026
Housing market expected to stabilize for buyers and sellers in 2026
The forecast for the Northern Virginia Real Estate Market is looking up — buyers will have more choices and sellers’ steady prices. FOX 5's Tisha Lewis has the details.
VIRGINIA - The forecast for the Northern Virginia real estate market is looking up.
According to a new forecast released by the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors, buyers will have more choices and sellers will see steady prices.
What they're saying:
The Northern Virginia Association of Realtors made an announcement on Tuesday after a tumultuous year for the housing market and thousands of job cuts in the federal government.
They're expecting more balance in the 2026 market, which means a slow increase in prices on homes for sellers along with more inventory for buyers.
It’s a win-win, based on data from Prince William, Stafford, Loudoun, Alexandria, Arlington and Fairfax counties.
Big picture view:
It’s expected that home prices will rise at mid-pace – with the exception of condos in Fairfax County and single-family homes in Prince William and Stafford counties.
This means buyers will reportedly have a bit of an edge thanks to increased inventory expected to hit the market.
Even so, at Tuesday's announcement, the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors says the region is still at pre-pandemic lows with inventory expanding.
Expert opinion:
"Three of the big takeaways from today’s forecast are that 2026 should be a market that moves more toward balance, to be a healthier experience for both buyers and sellers, and is demonstrating resilience," said Ryan McLaughlin, CEO of the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors. "What we expect to see across all jurisdictions, generally, is for prices to rise, which is a good sign for our region, but at a moderate pace.
McLaughlin goes on to say the impact has not been fully realized regarding federal government job losses.
The exact impact of the federal government job losses on the real estate market is unknown right now.
The research and analysis in today’s reports comes from the George Mason University Center for Regional Analysis and explorpricing, sales activity, inventory levels and more.