The Greater Boston residential real estate market had more homes for sale at the end of August 2026 than a year earlier, and median sale prices increased modestly for both single-family homes and condominiums.
From January through August, single-family home sales declined slightly, while condo sales increased year over year, according to data from MLS Property Information Network, Inc. (MLS PIN).
Single-family home sales declined modestly during the first eight months of 2026. Homebuyers bought 12,926 single-family homes, down 204 sales or about 2 percent from 13,130 during the same period in 2025.
Despite the lower sales total, the median single-family sale price increased to $850,000 from $837,000, a gain of $13,000, or nearly 2 percent. The median sale price as a percentage of the original list price slipped to 100.18 percent from 100.75 percent, indicating some homes still sold above the asking price.
Inventory increased substantially. On Aug. 31, 2026, 3,061 single-family homes were listed for sale across the Greater Boston communities included in the report, compared with 2,465 on Aug. 31, 2025. The increase of 596 listings represented a 24 percent year-over-year jump.
The approximate number of months of supply also increased, rising to 1.86 months from 1.50 months a year earlier. Less than two months of inventory isn’t much, and it’s still considered a seller’s market. Prospective homebuyers should ask their buyer agent for inventory information for the specific location where they're making an offer.
The 12-month activity figures through Aug. 31 (Sept. 1, 2025, through Aug. 31, 2026) showed more price changes but little movement in total sales. During the 12 months ending Aug. 31, 2026, 6,552 single-family listings had a price change, up 11 percent from 5,911 during the comparable 12-month period a year earlier.
At the same time, 19,714 single-family homes were sold during the 12 months ending Aug. 31, 2026, compared with 19,752 during the prior 12-month period, a decline of less than 1 percent.
The condominium market showed a little more momentum during the eight-month start to 2026, according to MLS PIN.
From January through August, 8,696 condominiums sold, up 224 sales and nearly 3 percent from 8,471 during the same period in 2025.
Condo sellers received a lower share of their original asking prices than a year earlier. The median sale price as a percentage of original list price was 99.01 percent through August 2026, down from 100 percent through August 2025, indicating condominium buyers had less competition.
Condominium inventory rose more sharply than single-family inventory, with 3,084 units listed for sale on Aug. 31, 2026, compared with 2,382 one year earlier, a 29 percent jump. Compared to the 1,569 available condos on Aug. 31, 2023, inventory has increased 97 percent.
While inventory jumped year over year, the approximate months of supply of condominiums rose modestly to 2.93 months from 2.31 months. The Massachusetts Association of Realtors defines “Months Supply of Inventory” as “The inventory of homes for sale (at the end of a given month) divided by the average monthly pending sales from the last 12 months.”
The 12-month figures showed substantially more condominium price changes than houses, as a percentage of listings. During the 12 months ending Aug. 31, 2026, 6,124 condo listings recorded a price change, up 23 percent from 4,967 during the prior 12-month period.
Condominium sales also increased over the 12 months. A total of 12,640 condos sold during the 12 months ending Aug. 31, 2026, compared with 12,380 during the comparable period ending Aug. 31, 2025, a 2 percent increase.
The good news for homebuyers is that both single-family homes and condominiums had higher inventory on Aug. 31, with single-family listings increasing 24 percent and condominium listings rising 29 percent from a year earlier. The increased inventory didn’t translate into more house sales (down 2 percent), but condominium closings increased about 3 percent.