What changed this week in the King County market?
Last week’s burst of buyer activity didn’t carry through. Pending sales across King County dropped about 9 percent and closings fell nearly 20 percent, even with active inventory holding near a multi-year summer high. Price cuts stayed elevated, with more than 675 active listings now carrying at least one reduction.
The Eastside saw the sharpest pullback. Pending sales there fell 14 percent and closings dropped more than 20 percent week over week, while price reductions jumped 17 percent. Weeks of supply climbed to 21, the highest reading in months. Buyers who showed up last week went back to being selective.
South King County slowed too, but less sharply. Pending sales eased 11 percent and the median sale price pulled back to $650,000 from $698,000 the week before. Still, new listings actually rose here while price cuts eased slightly, a sign this end of the market keeps absorbing supply better than the Eastside.
The takeaway: sellers priced right are still finding buyers, but overpriced listings are sitting longer and racking up reductions, especially east of the lake.
Looking further out than this week? Read the King County housing market forecast for 2026.
Nationally, the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index fell to 34 in July, its 15th straight month below the key 40 threshold, as builders point to mortgage rates above 6.5 percent. King County’s slower week fits that mood, even with local supply and pricing still outperforming the national trend.
Is King County a buyer’s or seller’s market right now?
King County at a glance: June 2026 (NWMLS)
| Metric | Residential | Condo |
|---|---|---|
| Median sale price | $998,000 | $510,000 |
| Change vs. last month | +2.4% | −6.4% |
| Change vs. last year | −4.8% | −12.1% |
| Closed sales | 1,768 | 419 |
| New listings | 3,175 | 968 |
| Active listings | 5,087 | 2,468 |
| Months of supply | 3.6 | 5.7 |
| Median days on market | 10 | 24 |
| % of list price received | 100% | 98.9% |
King County, June 2026 closed-sale data. Source: NWMLS via InfoSparks.
Two different markets are hiding in that table. Single-family homes county-wide are still moving quickly at asking price. Condos are carrying nearly twice the supply, taking more than twice as long to sell, and their median price has fallen harder over the past year. If you own a condo and plan to sell, pricing honestly matters more for you than for anyone else in this report.
The table below is the heart of this page. It compares all seven cities I serve, plus the county itself, using June 2026 NWMLS closed-sale data. The pattern to notice is the split: the three Eastside cities are carrying noticeably more supply and selling below asking, while the four South King cities are still closing at full list price with prices up from last year.
City comparison: June 2026 (single-family, NWMLS)
| City | Median price | YoY | Active listings | Months of supply | Median DOM | % of list received | Closed sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bellevue | $1,750,000 | −16.7% | 353 | 4.5 | 11 | 98.0% | 114 |
| Sammamish | $1,567,500 | −8.2% | 222 | 4.7 | 12 | 98.4% | 56 |
| Issaquah | $1,235,000 | −5.0% | 139 | 4.6 | 10 | 99.2% | 45 |
| Renton | $785,000 | −7.6% | 292 | 3.5 | 11 | 100% | 97 |
| Kent | $697,000 | +2.9% | 230 | 3.3 | 12 | 100% | 79 |
| Auburn | $650,000 | +3.7% | 240 | 3.4 | 8 | 100% | 77 |
| Federal Way | $675,000 | +4.1% | 167 | 3.2 | 11 | 100% | 63 |
| King County (single-family) | $998,000 | −4.8% | 5,087 | 3.6 | 10 | 100% | 1,768 |
| King County (condo) | $510,000 | −12.1% | 2,468 | 5.7 | 24 | 98.9% | 419 |
June 2026 closed-sale data. Each city’s figures are its own true NWMLS numbers. I never average medians across cities. Source: NWMLS via InfoSparks.
How is the Bellevue housing market right now?
| Median price | YoY | Months of supply | Median DOM | % of list | Active | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,750,000 | −16.7% | 4.5 | 11 | 98.0% | 353 | 114 |
Single-family, June 2026. Source: NWMLS.
Bellevue is really two markets. Move-in-ready homes under the luxury tier still draw serious competition, while the condo segment and un-staged or dated listings carry the most negotiating room in the entire county. If you are comparing renting against owning here, my Bellevue rent vs. buy breakdown runs the actual numbers.
Is the Sammamish market cooling off?
| Median price | YoY | Months of supply | Median DOM | % of list | Active | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,567,500 | −8.2% | 4.7 | 12 | 98.4% | 222 | 56 |
Single-family, June 2026. Source: NWMLS.
Sammamish is almost entirely one product type, larger single-family homes, so when supply builds the whole city feels it at once. Buyers here are taking their time and looking hard at lot slope, drainage, and road noise before they write. My neighborhood guides for Sahalee and East Lake Sammamish Parkway cover the pockets buyers ask about most.
Is Issaquah still a good buy on the Eastside?
| Median price | YoY | Months of supply | Median DOM | % of list | Active | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,235,000 | −5.0% | 4.6 | 10 | 99.2% | 139 | 45 |
Single-family, June 2026. Source: NWMLS.
The Issaquah Highlands keeps pulling steady showing traffic because it is the most affordable way into Eastside schools without paying Bellevue or Sammamish prices. I wrote up the full case in my Issaquah buyer opportunity guide.
What are home prices doing in Renton?
| Median price | YoY | Months of supply | Median DOM | % of list | Active | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $785,000 | −7.6% | 3.5 | 11 | 100% | 292 | 97 |
Single-family, June 2026. Source: NWMLS.
Renton is three markets wearing one name. The Highlands, Benson Hill, and downtown each price and move differently, which is why the citywide median bounces around. It stays the top landing spot for buyers who work on the Eastside but will not pay Eastside prices. Start with my downtown Renton guide if you are new to the city.
Is Kent a good place to buy a home right now?
| Median price | YoY | Months of supply | Median DOM | % of list | Active | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $697,000 | +2.9% | 3.3 | 12 | 100% | 230 | 79 |
Single-family, June 2026. Source: NWMLS.
East Hill family homes are the engine here, and demand for them has not let up. Steady markets punish guesswork, so pricing accuracy matters more in Kent than almost anywhere I work. If you are weighing the move, start with my guide to buying a home in Kent and the Kent family neighborhoods breakdown.
Why are Auburn homes selling so fast?
| Median price | YoY | Months of supply | Median DOM | % of list | Active | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $650,000 | +3.7% | 3.4 | 8 | 100% | 240 | 77 |
Single-family, June 2026. Source: NWMLS.
Auburn is the most affordable single-family entry point of my seven cities, and buyers know it. When the median home goes pending in eight days, showing up without a pre-approval letter means losing the house. Lakeland Hills and the Enumclaw plateau side keep drawing families who want newer construction for less. My guide to living in Auburn covers the neighborhoods and what your budget buys in each.
Is Federal Way the best value in King County?
| Median price | YoY | Months of supply | Median DOM | % of list | Active | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $675,000 | +4.1% | 3.2 | 11 | 100% | 167 | 63 |
Single-family, June 2026. Source: NWMLS.
Federal Way sits in the sweet spot between Seattle and Tacoma commutes, and starter homes here have stayed insulated from the cooling happening on the Eastside. My Federal Way neighborhood guide maps out where those values are.
What does this mean if you’re buying or selling right now?
If you’re buying: your leverage depends on which half of the county you’re shopping. On the Eastside, use the extra supply. Ask for inspection time, negotiate on homes that have sat past three weeks, and don’t chase overpriced listings. In South King County, come prepared to move fast on the good ones, because they still go in under two weeks. Either way, with rates near their best level in almost two months, it may be worth a look at a rate buydown to bring the payment down further.
If you’re selling: the market is telling sellers one thing loudly: price to the current comps, not to your neighbor’s sale from March. Hundreds of King County sellers cut their price this week alone, and every one of those cuts started with an asking price the market rejected. Condition matters more than it has in years. If you get the first two weeks right, you sell. My guide on how to price your home to sell in King County walks through exactly how I build a list price.
Frequently asked questions
Is now a good time to buy in South King County?
If the payment works for you, yes. Prices in Kent, Auburn, and Federal Way are up modestly from last year, so waiting has not been rewarding buyers there. Inventory is better than it has been in years, and rates just hit a seven-week low. The value end of the county is competitive but not frantic.
Which King County suburb has the lowest home prices?
Among my seven cities, Auburn had the lowest single-family median in June 2026 at $650,000, with Federal Way and Kent close behind. For the lowest entry point of all, Federal Way condos sold at a median near $250,000, the cheapest way to own in King County right now.
Are Eastside home prices dropping?
June medians in Bellevue, Sammamish, and Issaquah all came in below last year, and supply on the Eastside has grown faster than anywhere else in the county. That reads as a real cooling, not a collapse. Well-priced homes still sell in under two weeks. The overpriced ones are the ones sitting and cutting.
How often is this page updated?
Every Monday I refresh the “what changed this week” section with the newest NWMLS activity. Once a month, when the new monthly data lands, I rebuild every table and city capsule on this page. Bookmark it. The URL never changes.
Your guide to life outside Seattle.
253-350-0045 ·
greg@livingoutsideseattle.com ·
www.livingoutsideseattle.com