Late January’s winter storm may have pushed back the start of the spring housing market, but realtors said signs are already pointing to a busy season ahead.
And even with some snow and ice still melting, buyers are out there, which experts said is a sign that a lot more activity is on the way.
Even during what would normally be a slow stretch because of cold, agents said interest is picking up.
“The last two weekends have had a lot of examples of multiple offer properties,” said Corey Burr with TTR Sotheby’s International Realty.
Burr said the storm delayed the spring market by about three weeks, but buyer interest never fully cooled off. He also said he believes the anxiety that slowed last year’s market is fading.
“I’m expecting a very big spring market in Washington,” he said.
Burr said each property type is acting like its own submarket this year. Some homes are seeing heavy competition while others sit longer. As condominiums in D.C. remain challenging because of aging buildings, special assessments and high fees, family sized homes in convenient neighborhoods are drawing the most attention,
“I would say, around a million dollars, say 750 to a million, seem to be affordable for many people in the area, and those are the ones that really are flying off the market very quickly,” he said.
Weather has also played a major role. The snow and ice delayed many listings, and Burr said sellers have been waiting for better conditions.
“We’ve postponed a number of listings, and we’re aiming towards March 1 for many of them, and I think that’s when the spring market is really going to take flight,” he said.
Burr said the strongest period of the entire season is coming soon. He calls it “the really big eight-week period,” which he said goes from mid-March to mid-May.
Last year’s softer market is also part of the story. Burr pointed to several factors that dampened activity a year ago.
“Last year, the market just had a very difficult time, when we considered DOGE and the tariffs and the extended government shutdown, people just lost their confidence to buy real estate for the most part,” he said.
But recent activity shows that confidence is returning.
“Yes, I think the anxiety from last year is wearing off,” he said.
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