This fall, the DC area housing market conditions are “uncertain” amid changes to the federal workforce, a new report from multiple-listing service Bright MLS suggests.
Bright MLS’ September report shows that the DC metro area had a 4.4 percent increase in closed sales year over year, which it attributed to lower mortgage rates. There were 3,894 closed sales.
But new pending sales are down 3.3 percent “as mortgage rates stabilized and concerns about a federal government shutdown weighed on potential buyers.”
Inventory in the region remains elevated, with 10,993 active listings — a 39.1 percent increase from last year. And homes are taking longer to sell, with an average of 21 days on the market, up 10 days from last year.
“The Washington, DC, area has been disproportionately impacted by federal workforce layoffs and budget cuts and now faces the potential of a lengthy government shutdown,” the report said. “Some buyers will be able to capitalize on lower rates and more inventory. Overall, however, expect slower home sales and softer home prices in fall amidst the ongoing uncertainty.”
Home prices remained relatively stagnant, with just a 0.3 percent year-over-year increase. The September 2025 median was $600,500.
A Closer Look at Local Markets
Locally, Alexandria City and Arlington County saw more dramatic changes than Fairfax and Loudoun counties. Alexandria had a 22.8 percent increase in home sales and a 50.6 percent increase in active listings. Arlington, similarly, had a 28.7 percent increase in home sales and a 51.8 percent increase in listings.
Loudoun County’s home sales were up just 5.7 percent, with a 33.3 percent increase in listings. And Fairfax County had a 3.6 percent increase in sales, with a 33.6 percent increase in listings.
Falls Church City’s home sales stayed steady, with seven closed sales. But its active listings spiked 488.9 percent, with 53 homes listed.
NVAR Takes an Optimistic View
A recent report from the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors showed similar activity. While Bright MLS analyzes the full DMV area, including DC and Maryland, NVAR looks specifically at NoVA. Within NVAR’s region, September saw a 9.5 percent increase in homes sold, with a total of 1,351. The median home price remained relatively steady, with a 1.4 percent year-over-year decrease to $715,000.
This report echoes Bright MLS’ findings of higher inventory and longer time on the market. There was a 40.5 percent increase in listings and homes stayed on the market an average of 28 days, up 40 percent.
But NVAR had a more optimistic approach to the numbers, calling it “a sign that buyers are responding to a growing supply of homes across the region.”
The increase in sales volume tells us that buyers are reengaging as more listings become available,” said NVAR CEO Ryan McLaughlin. “After several years of constrained inventory, the market is opening up — and when buyers see more options, they feel more confident making a move. That’s good news for the health and stability of our regional market.”
Feature image, stock.adobe.com
