What changed this week in the King County market?

Two things changed this week: the market kept doing what it’s been doing, and NWMLS added a way to look at what’s coming next. King County saw 439 closings and 514 new listings against 7,442 active listings — inventory eased slightly from last week (7,717) but stays well above where it sat a year ago. Weeks of supply held near 17, still a buyer’s market. On the Eastside, new listings and pendings both slowed from last week; South King County held closer to flat. Closings this week reflect offers written back in late July and early August, not last week’s activity — the two don’t move in lockstep.

NWMLS also rolled out a new First Look status on September 4: an optional pre-market listing sellers can use for up to 21 days before going Active, letting agents market a home while it’s being prepped without a public days-on-market clock running. 65 First Look listings appeared county-wide in their first few days — small for now, but worth knowing the term when you start seeing it on listings.

Nationally, mortgage rates ticked up to 6.71% this week, and 20.4% of active listings nationwide have now cut price — matching last year’s pace for the first time in 2026 (Freddie Mac, Realtor.com). Looking further out than this week? Read the King County housing market forecast for 2026.

Freddie Mac’s weekly survey put the 30-year fixed rate at 6.66% as of August 27, essentially flat from the week before, so this week’s local pickup in closings is coming from buyers adjusting to today’s rates rather than any rate relief.

Is King County a buyer’s or seller’s market right now?

King County at a glance: August 2026 (NWMLS)

Metric	Residential	Condo
Median sale price	$925,000	$515,500
Change vs. last month	−7.4%	−0.9%
Change vs. last year	−6.1%	−5.4%
Closed sales	1,414	337
New listings	2,510	885
Active listings	5,308	2,516
Months of supply	3.8	6.1
Median days on market	17	35
% of list price received	98.8%	97.5%

King County, August 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 August 2026 NWMLS closed-sale data. Two different stories are playing out this month. Renton and Federal Way both flipped from year-over-year gains to declines, and that tracks with what’s happening nationally: mortgage rates climbed back to 6.71% in late August, and tariff and inflation pressure has been squeezing first-time and value-range buyers hardest — exactly the buyer pool that drives both cities. Sammamish is a separate story: it posted the sharpest pullback anywhere in my service area, down nearly 15 percent, but that’s a higher-end market absorbing a supply glut, not a rate-affordability story.

City comparison: August 2026 (single-family, NWMLS)

City	Median price	YoY	Active listings	Months of supply	Median DOM	% of list received	Closed sales
Bellevue	$1,737,500	−3.2%	353	4.7	13	97.5%	76
Sammamish	$1,400,000	−14.9%	243	5.4	22	96.6%	51
Issaquah	$1,395,000	+5.3%	127	4.1	14	98.0%	38
Renton	$749,950	−9.4%	313	3.9	24	98.3%	81
Kent	$720,000	+5.1%	271	3.8	26	98.7%	65
Auburn	$675,000	+9.8%	275	4.0	22	99.8%	69
Federal Way	$630,000	−5.5%	196	3.7	37	98.6%	60
King County (single-family)	$925,000	−6.1%	5,308	3.8	17	98.8%	1,414
King County (condo)	$515,500	−5.4%	2,516	6.1	35	97.5%	337

August 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
$1,737,500	−3.2%	4.7	13	97.5%	353	76

Single-family, August 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.

How much has the Sammamish market cooled?

Median price	YoY	Months of supply	Median DOM	% of list	Active	Closed
$1,400,000	−14.9%	5.4	22	96.6%	243	51

Single-family, August 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
$1,395,000	+5.3%	4.1	14	98.0%	127	38

Single-family, August 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
$749,950	−9.4%	3.9	24	98.3%	313	81

Single-family, August 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
$720,000	+5.1%	3.8	26	98.7%	271	65

Single-family, August 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
$675,000	+9.8%	4.0	22	99.8%	275	69

Single-family, August 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.

Are rising rates hitting Federal Way buyers hardest?

Median price	YoY	Months of supply	Median DOM	% of list	Active	Closed
$630,000	−5.5%	3.7	37	98.6%	196	60

Single-family, August 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 Living in Federal Way 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.

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