Arlington home sales were down substantially last month, following trends throughout the D.C. area and across the nation.
January typically is one of the softest months of the year in local real estate, but last month was unusually anemic. In Arlington, 97 properties went to closing, down just over 20% from January 2025, according to data reported Feb. 10 by MarketStats by ShowingTime.
Home sales in the D.C. area as a whole decreased by about 10% year-over-year. And nationwide, they dropped by 8.4% month-over-month — the biggest monthly decline since February 2022, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The WSJ cited snowstorms and low consumer confidence to explain the larger-than-expected decrease. The drop broke a four-month streak of increasing sales nationwide.
In Arlington, the total sales volume for January was $87.17 million, down 19.3%.
The median sales price in Arlington rose 15.3% to $700,000, and the average sales price was up 7.8% to $891,676. However, that increase was largely due to a larger share of single-family homes in the overall sales mix, plus the sale of some expensive condominiums during the month.
The average sales price of single-family homes in January was down 5.3% to $1,427,266.
The condo market showed a 25.1% increase to an average price of $593,440. The average sales price in the third category — attached homes, including townhouses, rowhouses and condominiums — was up 14.9% to $614,512.
For the month, the average per-square-foot sales price for all types of Arlington residential real estate was $497, up from $494 a year before.
Homes that sold in January garnered 96.7% of original listing price, down from 98.1% a year before. Homes spent an average of 52 days (up from 39) and a median of 44 days (up from 29) between listing and ratified sales contract.
At the end of the month, total inventory countywide stood at 300 properties, up 22.5% from a year before.
Pending sales for the month pointed slightly upward, rising 4.1% from a year before. Most of those properties likely will move into the sold category in February or March.
The local and regional real-estate market entered 2026 with different dynamics from 2025, said Lisa Sturtevant, chief economist of Bright MLS, the region’s multiple-listing service.
“We are seeing a subtle shift from an extremely tight sellers’ market toward something more balanced, where both buyers and sellers need to reset expectations on pricing, time on market and negotiations,” Sturtevant said.
“Understanding local market dynamics is going to be increasingly important for home buyers and sellers in 2026,” she said.
As often is the case, quality will win out, analysts predicted.
“Buyers have a bit more leverage on terms and concessions than they have had in recent years, but in many local markets, limited supply means well‑priced homes in desirable neighborhoods will still attract strong interest this spring,” Sturtevant said.
Falls Church is region’s most expensive in January
The 11 properties that sold in Falls Church in January recorded both the region’s highest median sales price and the priciest cost per square foot.
The median sales price of $1,015,000 was up 35.3% from a year before, according to Bright MLS data.
Falls Church often records the most expensive sales prices because of the large percentage of single-family homes in the overall sales mix. But because of the relatively small number of sales in a given month, swings up and down can be volatile.
The four single-family detached homes that went to closing citywide in January had an average sales price of $1,468,750, up 6.8% from a year before. The other seven sales were of condominiums, with an average sales price of $831,857.
The cost per square foot of $577 was down slightly from $583 a year ago, but was both highest in the region and the only one above $500 for the month.
The 11 sales compared to five in January 2025.
January sales down 10.3% across region
Closed sales across the D.C. area dropped 10.3% to 2,450 in January, according to data from Bright MLS.
Of the major jurisdictions comprising the metro area, only Montgomery County, Md. (+3.5%) and Fairfax County (+1.4%) and Falls Church posted year-over-year gains.
Declines of more than 20% were recorded in D.C., Arlington and Loudoun counties and the city of Alexandria.
While the median sales price increased 4.8% to $585,000 across the region in January, the figure comes with an asterisk attached. Fewer sales of condominiums, which tend to be priced lower than single-family homes and townhouses, gave rise to the overall sales-price increase.
Overall, the median number of days required between listing and ratified sales contract was 36, up from 23 days a year ago.
According to Bright MLS, the increase in overall median sales price for the month was concentrated in just one of three housing types:
- The median sales price for the 1,084 single-family homes selling in January was up 2.1% to $750,000
- The median sales price for the 711 townhouses sold during the month was $575,000, unchanged
- The median sale price of the 654 condominiums that sold was down 1.3% to $375,000
One reason for the decline in condominium sales prices has been the rise in monthly condo fees due to inflationary pressures. Those higher costs have pinched prospective homebuyers in the sector.
Real-estate taxes, which in Northern Virginia typically can run about $4,000 to $5,000 or more annually for a typical condo, also are squeezing buyers.
The typical condominium listing that sold in January had been on the market for 43 days, compared to 31 days for single-family homes and 36 days for townhouses.
Bright MLS analysts do anticipate market conditions to improve — up to a point — as winter gives way to spring.
“The spring 2026 housing market across the Mid-Atlantic is expected to be more active as mortgage rates come down and seasonal listings rise. Price growth is likely to remain slower and conditions more balanced than in recent years. However, some local markets will continue to be competitive as inventory remains constrained.”
However, February and perhaps March figures are likely to be impacted by the regional struggle to rebound from the late January snow-ice storm, which limited in-person house-hunting opportunities for as much as a week.
Figures represent most, but not all, homes on the market. All January 2026 figures are preliminary and are subject to revision.
