We profile the most important market indicators every month – contract activity, interest rates, inventory, affordability, and direction of the market – in an easy-to-read and digestible summary. It's not just the numbers; it provides context to understand why the numbers are important and what they mean for the future of the market, published for Washington, DC, Montgomery County, Prince George's County, Northern Virginia, Loudoun County, and the Virginia Countryside. A quick summary of last month's contract activity is shown below. To see the complete "Market in a Minute" reports for each jurisdiction we cover, click on the corresponding links.
This is simply the measure of the percentage of homes going under contract that were on the market 30 days or less, giving a sense of how quickly buyers feel they must act to put an offer on a home. To see your market's Urgency Index click the link to view the full report.
For Washington DC, contract activity in September 2026 was down 9.3% from September 2025 and was down in four price categories. Through the first nine months of the year, contract activity is down 3.1%. The average number of days on the market for homes receiving contracts was 70 days in September 2026, down from 67 days last September.
For Montgomery County, contract activity in September 2026 was down 17.4% from September 2025 and was down in all six price categories. Through the first nine months of the year, contract activity is down 2.6%. The average number of days on the market for homes receiving contracts was 47 days in September 2026, up from 40 days last September.
For Prince George's County, contract activity in September 2026 was down 17.0% from September 2025 and was down for all five price categories. Through the first nine months of the year, contract activity is down 2.2%. The average number of days on the market for homes receiving contracts was 57 days in September 2026, up from 53 days in September 2025.
For Northern Virginia, contract activity in September 2026 was down 15.8% from September 2025 and was down for five price categories. Through the first nine months of the year, contract activity is down 0.3%. The average number of days on the market for homes receiving contracts was 35 days in September 2026, up 2.9% from last September.
For Loudoun County, contract activity in September 2026 was down 25.7% from last September and was down for all six price categories. Through the first nine months of the year, contract activity is down 6.0%. The average number of days on the market for homes receiving contracts was 37 days in September 2026, down 9.8% from last September.
For Virginia Countryside, contract activity in September 2026 was down 17.0% from last September and was down for five price categories. Through the first nine months of the year, contract activity is down 1.1%. The average number of days on the market for homes receiving contracts was 51 days in September 2026, up from 46 days last September.