D.C. market trails suburbs in spring housing rebound
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Washington-area real estate saw a bump in activity last month, per a new BrightMLS report — a ray of sunshine after a gloomy stretch.
Why it matters: The local market has been sluggish in the wake of federal government cuts and economic worries.
State of play: The DMV's April market saw more sales, listings and showings compared to a year ago, per Bright.
What they're saying: Sure, the bump is partly due to the typical busy spring market, Bright MLS chief economist Lisa Sturtevant tells Axios. But many people who've been waiting on the sidelines are now jumping in to take advantage of recent stable rates and slower price growth.
- "I think we're going to see the tailwinds of pent-up demand beat the headwinds of economic uncertainty and volatility," says Sturtevant.
By the numbers: Pending DMV sales were up 9.3% last month compared to April 2025.
- New listings were up 7.1% year-over-year — a potential sign of more activity to come, says Sturtevant: "Sellers usually lead buyers."
Zoom in: D.C. and Prince George's County are performing weaker than other local jurisdictions.
- Median sale price was down 1% year-over-year in Prince George's, and almost 12% in D.C.
- And they both had the area's highest median days on market in April: 21 for Prince George's, and 18 for D.C.
- Why? Likely because D.C. has a lot of condos — difficult to sell right now — and because both places have a high number of federal workers affected by layoffs, says Sturtevant.
Meanwhile, the Northern Virginia 'burbs and Montgomery County are still looking strong, she says.
What we're watching: "It's kind of a wait-and-see," says Sturtevant. "Which wins out? The pent-up demand or the economic uncertainty and fragility in people's economic situations?"
- "For those who are feeling economically in a good place, there's going to be opportunities to be a buyer in this market, for sure."
The bottom line: "There is a surprising resiliency in the D.C.-area housing market that we weren't sure we would see after the concerns in last year's market," says Sturtevant.