Insights
Seattle & Bellevue market insight.
Market reports, buyer and seller guides, and neighborhood deep-dives — updated as the market moves.
Market pulse · May 2026
How we read it
Seattle is no longer one market
Entry-level single-family homes in strong school districts and near tech campuses are holding firm — Bellevue houses under $1.3M have barely moved. Homes above $2M, and luxury above $4M at 8.8 months of supply, are where the real softening is.
Condos and townhomes need realistic pricing
With 5.5 months of supply, downtown condos and HOA townhomes bought in the last two years often sell at or below cost after fees, and can sit for months. Price to the market, not to your basis.
A soft landing, not a crash
Rates keep prices from running, while debt costs and a construction shortfall keep them from collapsing. Expect a flat-to-slightly-lower nominal market for the next year or two, with real value drifting down after inflation.
Buyers with time have leverage
If your job is stable and you plan to stay, this is a negotiating market — we recently closed a new-construction home in core Bellevue 98004 for far less than the same house would have taken two years ago.
$877K · King County median sale price
+2.7% · Median price, year over year
~6.5% · 30-year mortgage rate
3.2 mo · Single-family months of supply
5.5 mo · Condo months of supply
109 articles
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Market Reports
Who Pays Realtor Fees in Washington State?
Direct answer: payment responsibility comes from signed agreements and the final transaction terms, not from a universal rule. The listing services agreement governs what the seller owes the listing firm. The buyer servi
Market Reports
How to Choose a Real Estate Agent in Bellevue, WA
Direct answer: choose a Bellevue agent by testing experience against the exact property—not by accepting a “top agent” label. Downtown condominiums, West Bellevue special properties and older single-family homes in other
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Questions to Ask a Realtor Before Hiring
Hiring an agent before you have a way to compare their answers is one of the more expensive mistakes a buyer or seller can make, because a warm phone manner tells you almost nothing about how someone will price your home
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How to Find and Vet a Good Buyer’s Agent
This article assumes you have already decided you want a buyer's agent and answers a narrower question: how do you find candidates, what should you ask them, and how do you independently verify what they tell you before
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How to Choose an Agent to Sell Your Home
Direct answer: compare written listing proposals, not the highest suggested price or a fee in isolation. A useful proposal ties pricing evidence, preparation, marketing, responsible people, reporting, compensation and ag
Market Reports
How Much Commission Does a Real Estate Agent Make on a Sale?
Direct answer: the amount shown as brokerage compensation is not the individual agent’s take-home pay. Compensation is negotiated in written agreements and is generally paid to a licensed real estate firm. Separate firm,