Published October 8, 2026 in Market Update

Portsmouth has more choices, but homes are taking longer to sell

By Lais F

Real estate, Portsmouth, NH

The number that matters most right now: the Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 44 median days on market in Portsmouth's 03801 ZIP code for the three months ending August 31, 2026. That is 12 days longer than the same stretch a year ago. If you are selling, your home needs to be priced and prepared better than it did last year.

Why are homes sitting longer? Supply is up. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 111 homes for sale in 03801, up 16.8% from a year before. New listings rose too, up 8.7% to 150. More choices for buyers means more competition for sellers. That shift is showing up in the data.

This is not just a Portsmouth story. Realtor.com reported that active listings topped 1.16 million homes nationally in September 2026. And Realtor.com also noted that mortgage rates climbed above 7% for the first time since January 2025, which slows buyer demand. Freddie Mac put the 30-year fixed rate at 7.28% as of October 1, 2026. Higher rates mean fewer buyers can qualify, and the ones who can are taking their time.

Prices dipped, but most homes still sold close to asking

The Real Estate Data Aggregator put the median sale price in 03801 at $790,000 for the three months ending August 31, 2026. That is down 7.3% from the same period a year ago. Prices pulled back. That is worth knowing. Still, homes sold at an average of 99.3% of list price, down just 0.1 points from last year. Sellers who priced well were still getting close to what they asked.

Nearly 3 in 10 homes still sold above list price, according to the Real Estate Data Aggregator. That number actually ticked up 0.3 points from last year. Not every home is struggling. The ones priced right are still drawing competition.

Fewer homes went under contract quickly

The Real Estate Data Aggregator found that 45.3% of homes in 03801 went under contract within two weeks of listing, for the three months ending August 31, 2026. That sounds solid, but it is down 7.3 points from the year before. Fewer buyers are moving fast. The Real Estate Data Aggregator also counted 101 homes sold, down 25.2% from a year ago, and 128 pending sales, down 5.2%. The market is still moving. It is just moving more slowly.

For context on the broader economy: the Federal Housing Finance Agency reported that U.S. house prices rose 2.6% from July 2025 to July 2026. Nationally, prices are still moving up, just more slowly. Portsmouth's 7.3% dip shows that local conditions can run differently from the national picture.

One more thing: these numbers cover the whole 03801 ZIP code. One street can read very differently from the ZIP as a whole. Price, condition, and location still drive individual results. If you want to know what the data looks like for your specific block, just reach out.