Updated October 28, 2026 by David Mount, REALTOR®, The Redux Group of eXp Realty | Arlington, Virginia
Quick Answer: Arlington’s housing market cooled through Q3 2026, and the price headline depends on which month you read. The average sold price was $1,012,720 in July (the second highest on record), $933,380 in August and $883,455 in September, down 10.4% from a year earlier (Bright MLS data reported by ARLnow; these are averages, not medians). About 595 homes closed in the quarter, roughly 3% fewer than in Q3 2025. Homes still sold faster than last year (32 to 33 days on average) and closer to asking (97.7% to 98.7% of list), but listings climbed to 582 by the end of September, 22.5% more than a year earlier. Arlington is still a seller’s market for well priced homes, with noticeably more competition on every street.
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In this report:
Q3 2026 Arlington Market Snapshot
Q3 2026 Arlington key numbers at a glance:
- Average sold price: $1,012,720 in July, $933,380 in August and $883,455 in September (down 10.4% from September 2025)
- Closed sales: about 595 for the quarter, roughly 3% fewer than Q3 2025
- Days to a ratified contract: 32 in August and 33 in September, faster than a year earlier (41 and 36)
- Sale price vs. list price: 97.7% in August and 98.7% in September
- Active listings: 582 at the end of September, up 22.5% from 475
| Metric | July 2026 | August 2026 | September 2026 | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average sold price (all home types) | $1,012,720 (change from 2025 not reported) | $933,380, down 0.5% | $883,455, down 10.4% | Bright MLS data via ARLnow (Aug 12, Sep 15, Oct 14, 2026). Averages, not medians. |
| Median sold price | Not reported | $860,729, up 14.8% | Not reported | Bright MLS data via ARLnow, Sep 15, 2026 |
| Single-family homes, average | $1,605,272, up 19.1% | $1,430,685, down 6.9% | $1,534,451, down 15.4% | Bright MLS data via ARLnow |
| Attached homes (townhouses, rowhouses and condos), average | $601,471, up 9.4% | $566,001, down 9.4% | $586,098, down 13.1% | Bright MLS data via ARLnow |
| Condos only, average | $518,446, up 3.7% | $509,530, down 9.7% | $421,094, down 15.9% | Bright MLS data via ARLnow |
| Closed sales | 227, down 5% (239 a year earlier) | 193 (192 a year earlier) | 175, down 5% (184 a year earlier) | Bright MLS data via ARLnow |
| Total sales volume | $230.23 million, up 10.4% | $181.12 million, down 1.2% | $155.15 million, down 15.8% | Bright MLS data via ARLnow |
| Average days on market (listing to ratified contract) | Not in article text | 32 (41 a year earlier) | 33 (36 a year earlier) | Bright MLS data via ARLnow |
| Sale price compared to list price | Not in article text | 97.7% of original list price (97.1% a year earlier) | 98.7% of list price (97% a year earlier) | Bright MLS data via ARLnow |
| Active listings at month end | 480, up 11.4% | 470 (419 a year earlier) | 582 (475 a year earlier) | Bright MLS data via ARLnow |
| Pending sales at month end | 205, down 2.4% | 188 (195 a year earlier) | 180, down 9% | Bright MLS data via ARLnow |
| Average price per square foot | $521 ($497 a year earlier) | $510 | $486 ($500 a year earlier) | Bright MLS data via ARLnow |
| Months of supply | Not published for Arlington | Not published for Arlington | Not published for Arlington (about 2.9 by David’s rough math; see below) | No Arlington-only figure found |
Two cautions on reading that table. First, Arlington sells fewer than 250 homes a month, so a handful of expensive North Arlington closings can move the average by tens of thousands of dollars. That is why September’s 15.4% drop in the single-family average deserves a second month of data before anyone calls it a price decline. Second, no source publishes an Arlington-only months-of-supply number. My own rough math, 582 listings measured against the quarter’s average pace of about 198 closings a month, works out to roughly 2.9 months. Treat that as an estimate, not an official statistic.
The regional picture points the same way. The Northern Virginia Association of Realtors, whose footprint includes Arlington, reported a September median sold price of $744,950, up 4.2% from a year earlier, with closed sales down 7.5%, new pending sales down 16.2%, an average of 28 days on market, and active listings up 30.7% to 3,477, which works out to 2.5 months of supply. Bright MLS called its September report for the wider Washington, D.C. metro “A Stalling Housing Market This Fall,” with a $610,000 median sold price, up 1.6%.
How does Q3 compare to earlier in 2026?
Arlington went from near-record prices in the spring and early summer to a softer, more selective fall. The first half of 2026 was strong: 1,169 sales, up 1.3% from 2025, at an average of $968,102, up 5.7%, per ARLnow. ARLnow’s July report noted that April’s average of $1,061,497 set the county record, with July’s $1,012,720 second only to it. Then August’s average slipped 0.5% and September’s fell 10.4%, while active listings rose from 480 in July to 582 in September. Pending sales, the best preview of the next two months of closings, were down 9% at the end of September.
The part of the story that has not weakened is speed and price discipline for homes that are right. Average days on market were faster than 2025 in both August (32 versus 41) and September (33 versus 36), and sellers kept 97.7% to 98.7% of their list price, better than a year earlier. Buyers are still paying close to asking for the homes they want. They are simply passing on more of the homes they do not.
What does Q3 2026 mean for Arlington sellers?
Your list price now has to be right on day one, because buyers have about 22% more homes to compare yours against than they did last fall. The spring comp is not your comp. If you own a single-family home, price from the most recent 60 to 90 days of closed sales on your side of the county, because North and South Arlington behave like different markets (I explain why in my North Arlington vs. South Arlington guide). If you own a townhouse or rowhouse, you are competing with a growing pile of condo listings for the same first-time and move-up buyers, so condition and photos carry more weight than they did in April. Plan for a three to five week marketing window rather than a weekend, and have every repair finished before the first showing.
What does it mean for Arlington buyers?
For buyers, Arlington offers noticeably more choice than it did a year ago. With 582 listings at the end of September and condo prices down 15.9% on average, there is real room to negotiate on homes that have sat past their second weekend. Well priced single-family homes in the most sought-after neighborhoods still draw competition, so do not assume every listing is soft.
Thinking about selling in Arlington this winter or in 2027?
Call or text David at 571-946-8418. He will tell you what the house could sell for today and what has to happen first.
12+ years, 200+ transactions, $130M+ sold, 100+ five-star reviews across Google, Zillow, Realtor.com and FastExpert.
Recent Arlington proof: in 2026 David listed a single-family home in Claremont that sold at full price in four days.
David’s take
Arlington’s Q3 numbers look scarier in a headline than they feel on the ground. A 10.4% drop in the average sold price is a real signal, but it came from 175 closings in a single month, and the same data shows homes selling faster and closer to asking than they did last year. What has changed is that buyers now have options, and they use them. In my experience, the Arlington homes that sold well this year, like the Claremont home that went under contract at full price in four days, had three things in common: a price grounded in current comps, a house that was ready on day one, and a plan for the first weekend. If you are thinking about selling in 2027, this winter is the time to get a pricing and prep plan in place while the Q3 data is fresh.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the average home price in Arlington in Q3 2026?
The average sold price was $1,012,720 in July, $933,380 in August and $883,455 in September 2026, per Bright MLS data reported by ARLnow. Those are averages across all home types, which run higher than the typical home because of luxury sales. The only median reported for the quarter was $860,729 in August, up 14.8% from a year earlier.
Are Arlington home prices dropping?
September’s average fell 10.4% from a year earlier, but one month of 175 sales is not a trend on its own. The single-family average fell 15.4% to $1,534,451 and condos fell 15.9% to $421,094, while July’s average was close to a record high. The clearer signal is inventory: 582 active listings at the end of September, up from 475 a year earlier. Watch the October and November numbers before concluding that prices are falling.
How long does it take to sell a house in Arlington right now?
About a month: an average of 32 days in August and 33 days in September 2026 from listing to ratified contract, per Bright MLS data via ARLnow. That is faster than the same months of 2025, which averaged 41 and 36 days. Settlement usually adds another 30 to 45 days after the contract is ratified.
Is Arlington a buyer’s or seller’s market in late 2026?
Still a seller’s market, but a less forgiving one. Sellers received 98.7% of their list price in September, and supply sits around 2.5 months by NVAR’s regional measure and roughly 2.9 months by my own rough Arlington math, well short of the 4 to 6 months that signals a balanced market. With 582 listings, up 22.5% from a year earlier, buyers can be pickier, so pricing and preparation matter more than they did in the spring.
Should I sell my Arlington home now or wait until spring 2027?
If your timeline is flexible, a well prepared spring listing is reasonable; if it is not, the data does not argue for waiting. Spring usually brings more buyers, but it also brings more listings, and Arlington’s inventory was higher than the year before in every month of Q3. Your timeline, your next home and your home’s condition should drive the decision more than the calendar.
Get a Personalized Arlington Home Valuation
A county average blends Lyon Village single-family homes with Crystal City condos, so no number above is your number. I will run a free, no-obligation comparative market analysis using current Bright MLS data for your neighborhood and property type, and tell you plainly what the Q3 data says your home would sell for today.
Want a real number for your Arlington home, not a county average?
Call or text David at 571-946-8418. He will tell you what the house could sell for today and what has to happen first.
12+ years, 200+ transactions, $130M+ sold, 100+ five-star reviews across Google, Zillow, Realtor.com and FastExpert.
Free, no-obligation comparative market analysis from current Bright MLS data. David reads every message himself and replies by call or text.
Where these numbers come from
Every figure in this report is traceable to a public source, checked on October 28, 2026:
- ARLnow, “Arlington home prices approached record highs in July” (August 12, 2026; July figures from Bright MLS / MarketStats by ShowingTime)
- ARLnow, “Softer Arlington real estate market expected through rest of the year” (September 15, 2026; August figures)
- ARLnow, “Average sales price of Arlington single-family homes drops 15% year over year” (October 14, 2026; September figures)
- ARLnow, “Arlington home sales, prices trended up in first half of 2026” (July 14, 2026)
- Northern Virginia Association of Realtors, Market Statistics: September 2026 (October 16, 2026; Bright MLS data as of October 12)
- Bright MLS, “September 2026 Housing Market Report: A Stalling Housing Market This Fall” (October 12, 2026)
ARLnow’s monthly figures are preliminary and can be revised. Quarterly totals in this report (595 closings) are the sum of the three monthly counts, not a separately published number.
About David Mount, REALTOR®
The Redux Group of eXp Realty | Fairfax, VA | Serving Fairfax, Loudoun, Arlington, Prince William, Alexandria and Falls Church
David grew up in Burke, in the heart of Fairfax County, and graduated from Lake Braddock Secondary School and James Madison University. He has 12+ years of full-time experience and 200+ transactions in Northern Virginia residential real estate, with a particular focus on life-transition sales (inherited property, downsizing, military relocation, and out-of-state moves).
Credentials and recognition: NVAR Platinum Top Producer (2024) · CPRES and MRP certified · 100+ five-star client reviews across Google, Zillow, Realtor.com and FastExpert · Zillow Premier Agent · Veterans United preferred agent.
Contact David: 571-946-8418 · Text · david.mount@thereduxgroup.com
Related Resources
- Arlington Home Sellers: Your Complete 2026 Guide to Selling in Arlington, VA (the full selling guide)
- Northern Virginia Housing Market Update: What Sellers Need to Know (2026) (the regional picture earlier in 2026)
- North Arlington vs. South Arlington: Why Home Values Differ
- How We Sold a Claremont Home in Arlington for Full Price in Just 4 Days
- Sell Your House Fast in Arlington, VA: Cash Buyer vs. Listing Agent
- Downsizing in Arlington, VA (2026)
- Selling Your Arlington Home to Retire and Relocate
- How Long Does Probate Take in Arlington County, VA?