Updated October 17, 2026 by David Mount, REALTOR®, The Redux Group of eXp Realty | Fairfax, Virginia
Quick Answer: the Fairfax County housing market spent Q3 2026 shifting from hot to steady. Average sold prices held in the high $800,000s ($898,670 in July, $892,657 in August, per Bright MLS data reported by FFXnow; both figures are averages, not medians). The August median was $752,250. Homes took 20 to 25 days to go under contract, sellers collected 98.8% to 99.1% of asking price, and the big story was inventory: active listings ran about 20% above last year all quarter. Sellers still hold the better hand, but for the first time in years buyers have real choice.
Have a question about your own home? Call or text David at 571-946-8418. Send a text and he will reply himself.
In this report:
Q3 2026 Fairfax County Market Snapshot
| Metric | July 2026 | August 2026 | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average sold price (all home types) | $898,670, up 2.1% YoY | $892,657, down 0.1% YoY | Bright MLS data via FFXnow (Aug 12 and Sep 15, 2026). These are averages, not medians. |
| Median sold price | Not reported | $752,250, down 0.4% YoY | Bright MLS via FFXnow, Sep 15, 2026 |
| Single-family detached, average | $1,208,722, up 3.2% | $1,174,860, down 1.9% | Bright MLS via FFXnow |
| Attached homes (townhouses and condos), average | $569,659, down 0.2% | $577,988, up 4.5% | Bright MLS via FFXnow |
| Closed sales | 1,148, up 0.4% YoY | Down 5.7% YoY from 1,015 (about 960 closings; see verification note) | Bright MLS via FFXnow |
| Total sales volume | $1.031 billion, up 1.8% | $857.4 million, down 6.3% | Bright MLS via FFXnow |
| Average days on market | 20 (19 a year earlier) | 25 (24 a year earlier) | Bright MLS via FFXnow |
| Sale price as share of list price | 99.1% (98.7% a year earlier) | 98.8% (98.3% a year earlier) | Bright MLS via FFXnow |
| Active listings at month end | 2,035, up 20% YoY | 1,985, up 20.3% YoY | Bright MLS via FFXnow |
| Average price per square foot | $375 | $366 | Bright MLS via FFXnow |
September county-level figures had not been published when this report was written (October 17, 2026), but the September regional data is out, and it points one direction. The Northern Virginia Association of Realtors, whose footprint is anchored by Fairfax County, reported a September median sold price of $744,950, up 4.2% year over year, alongside 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, for 2.5 months of supply. Nearly all of that new inventory is condos and townhomes (up 49.7%); detached inventory rose just 5.7%. Bright MLS reported the same pattern across the wider Washington, D.C. metro: a $610,000 September median, up just 1.6%, with inventory up 20.1%, and titled its release “A Stalling Housing Market This Fall.” This report will be updated when the September county numbers land.
How does Q3 compare to earlier in 2026?
The county went from beating last year to matching it. July still showed year-over-year gains almost everywhere: average price up 2.1%, closings up slightly, volume over $1 billion. August flipped the sign on most of those lines: the average price slipped 0.1%, closings fell 5.7%, and homes took five more days to sell than they did in July. NVAR’s regional numbers trace the same arc: an August median of $765,000 (up 2.0% year over year) with closed sales down 8.0% and 2.08 months of supply, then a September that pushed supply to 2.5 months with inventory up 30.7% and pending sales down 16.2%. One month is noise; the July-to-August-to-September sequence is a trend, and the trend is a market easing off its spring pace.
Worth keeping in perspective: 20 to 30% more inventory than 2025 is still not much inventory. Two and a half months of supply remains well short of the 4 to 6 months that defines a balanced market. Fairfax County is cooling from extremely tight to merely tight.
What this means for Fairfax County sellers
Price accuracy now does the work that scarcity used to do. Sellers were still getting 98.8% of list in August, which is a strong number, but it is drifting down a half point at a time, and the share of detached inventory tells you where the pressure sits: the county’s price softening in August came from the single-family segment (average down 1.9%), while attached homes actually rose 4.5%. If you own a townhome, you are in the strongest position in the county right now. If you own a larger detached home, your buyer pool is more deliberate and has roughly 20% more alternatives than last year, so the April comp is not your comp. Practical checklist for a Q4 or early 2027 listing: price from the last 60 days of closed sales in your school pyramid, complete every repair and photo before day one, and plan around a 3 to 4 week marketing window instead of a weekend.
For buyers, this is the most workable market since before the pandemic. Roughly 2,000 active listings, two full price points of choice between the $578,000 average attached home and the $1.17 million average detached home, and sellers who negotiate after week two. Condos and townhomes have the most new supply, so that is where the leverage is largest.
Thinking about selling in Fairfax County 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.
David has sold homes across the county, from Burke, Springfield and Annandale to Vienna, Fairfax Station and Centreville, including a Fairfax Station colonial that sold at full price in one week.
David’s take
The honest read on Q3 is that Fairfax County stopped being a market where listing was enough. I watched homes in the same neighborhood go two different directions this quarter: the prepared, accurately priced listing still drew its offer inside two weeks, while the one priced on springtime optimism sat, cut, and eventually sold for less than it would have fetched on day one with the right number. That gap between the best and worst outcome is widening, and it is now the agent’s job, not the market’s, to put you on the right side of it. If a 2027 sale is anywhere in your plans, the useful move this fall is a pricing and prep conversation while the Q3 closed data is current.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the average home price in Fairfax County in Q3 2026?
The average sold price was $898,670 in July and $892,657 in August 2026, per Bright MLS data reported by FFXnow. Those are averages, which skew higher than the typical home because of luxury sales; the August median was $752,250. September county figures had not been published as of October 17, 2026.
Are Fairfax County home prices dropping?
They are flattening rather than dropping. The August average was down 0.1% and the median down 0.4% from a year earlier, after July posted a 2.1% average gain, and NVAR’s regional September median of $744,950 was up 4.2%. The softness is concentrated in single-family detached homes (average down 1.9% in August), while attached homes rose 4.5%.
How long does it take to sell a house in Fairfax County right now?
About 20 to 25 days from listing to ratified contract, per Bright MLS data via FFXnow. July averaged 20 days and August averaged 25, each about one to five days slower than the same month in 2025. Accurately priced homes still move in the first two weeks; the average is stretched by overpriced listings that sit and reduce.
Is Fairfax County a buyer’s or seller’s market in late 2026?
Still a seller’s market, but the gap is closing. County listings ran about 20% above 2025 all quarter, and the NVAR region ended September at 2.5 months of supply with inventory up 30.7%, against the 4 to 6 months that would signal balance. Sellers kept collecting roughly 99% of asking price, so the leverage has shifted from “any seller wins” to “the correctly priced seller wins.”
Should I sell my Fairfax County home now or wait until 2027?
The inventory trend argues for sooner. Listings have climbed 20 to 30% year over year, regionally and in the county, and Bright MLS described the metro’s September as a stalling market. Every quarter you wait is likely to bring more competing listings, not fewer. That said, supply is still historically tight, so this is about optimizing your outcome, not escaping a decline. Your own timeline and next home should drive the call.
Get a Personalized Fairfax County Home Valuation
County averages blend McLean estates with Centreville townhomes, so no single 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 Fairfax County 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 17, 2026:
- FFXnow, “Home sales volume tops $1B in Fairfax County, as prices rise modestly” (August 12, 2026; July figures from Bright MLS / MarketStats by ShowingTime)
- FFXnow, “Sluggish August home sales in Fairfax may portend a softer fall market” (September 15, 2026; August figures from Bright MLS). Note: the article prints an August closings count of 757, which does not match its own 5.7% decline from 1,015 or its $857.4 million volume; this report uses the derived figure of about 960.
- Northern Virginia Association of Realtors, August 2026 Market Statistics (published September 14, 2026)
- Northern Virginia Association of Realtors, September 2026 Market Statistics (published 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)
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
- Selling Your Home in Fairfax County: 2026 Guide
- Burke, VA Housing Market Report: Q3 2026 (the neighborhood-level view)
- Burke, VA Real Estate Market Report: Q2 2026
- Selling an Inherited Home in Northern Virginia: Estate Sale Guide
- Downsizing in Fairfax County, VA (2026)
- Home Improvements That Add Value Before Selling in Virginia
- Selling a Fairfax County Home That Did Not Sell the First Time