Published September 24, 2026 in Market Update

Boston has more choices, but buyers are still showing up

By Lais F

Real estate, Boston

Here is the number that changes what you should do right now. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 457 homes for sale across Boston in the three months ending July 31, 2026. That is up 25.9% from the same months a year before. More competition is real. But buyers did not disappear.

The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 486 homes sold across Boston in that same period. That is up 6.8% from a year earlier. Pending sales hit 478, also up 5.5%. Freddie Mac put the 30-year fixed rate at 7.03% on September 24, 2026. Rates are not low, but buyers are still moving.

More supply means buyers have options. That shifts power slightly toward them. Realtor.com reported that 20.4% of listings nationally carried a price cut in August 2026. Boston is not immune to that pressure. Pricing your home right from day one matters more than it did a year ago.

The ZIP codes tell very different stories

ZIP 02129 was the strongest pocket the Real Estate Data Aggregator tracked. The median sale price there hit $1,215,450, up 15.8% from a year before. Homes sold in a median of 16 days. The average sale came in at 101.7% of list price. That means sellers there were still getting more than they asked.

ZIP 02143 also held up well. The Real Estate Data Aggregator put the median sale price at $1,052,500. Homes averaged 100.9% of list price. Nearly half, 41.9%, sold above asking. Sales volume jumped 22.9% from a year before.

ZIP 02113 told a harder story. Only 14 homes sold there, down 50% from a year before. The median sale price fell 18.2% to $570,000. Months of supply climbed to 5.3, up 3.2 months from the prior year. That is a market where buyers have real leverage.

Speed: some ZIPs moved fast, one moved slow

ZIP 02129 had the fastest pace. The Real Estate Data Aggregator put median days on market there at 16. ZIP 02143 was close at 22 days. ZIP 02141 was the outlier, at 37 days, up 14 days from a year before. Not every home in Boston sells quickly.

Above-list sales: still happening, but less often

A year ago, bidding wars were more common. The Real Estate Data Aggregator shows that share of above-list sales fell in most ZIPs. ZIP 02145 dropped 16.8 points. ZIP 02149 dropped 14.2 points. ZIP 02129 still had 45.7% of homes sell above list, the highest of any ZIP tracked. That is a real split inside one city.

Rents dipped, which matters for investors

Realtor.com reported the median asking rent in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton metro was $2,959 in August 2026. That is down 2.4% from a year before. If you own a rental or are thinking about one, that is worth knowing. Rents are not climbing the way they were.

Realtor.com also put the Boston median list price at $795,000 in August 2026, with days on market up 6 days from a year before. That lines up with what the Real Estate Data Aggregator showed across the ZIPs: more time, more choices, buyers with a bit more room to think.