Published October 18, 2026 in Market Update

Fairfax had more listings, but buyers still kept the market moving

By Elizabeth Sachero-Perez

Real estate, Fairfax

More homes came to market in Fairfax this summer. That is worth knowing before you set a price or plan a move.

For the three months ending August 31, 2026, the Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 732 new listings across Fairfax, up 8% from the same period in 2025. Homes for sale rose 5.2%, to 367. Nationally, Realtor.com reported 1.16 million active listings, the most in years. More selection means buyers have options. That changes how a home needs to be priced and presented.

Even with more competition, buyers stayed active. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 688 homes sold, up 1.9% from a year before. Pending sales across Fairfax reached 621, up 0.2%. Buyers are still making decisions. They are just choosing more carefully.

What the numbers look like by ZIP code

The Fairfax-wide numbers tell one story. The ZIP code numbers tell several. Some areas tightened. Others loosened. Knowing which one describes your street matters more than the city average.

Where prices rose and where they dipped

ZIP 22032 and 22033 saw prices move up. The Real Estate Data Aggregator put the median sale price in 22032 at $885,000, up 2.1% from 2025. In 22033, the median came in at $729,000, up 5.7%. ZIP 22039 held the highest median in Fairfax at $1,250,000, up 2.5%.

ZIP 22030 and 22031 told a different story. The Real Estate Data Aggregator recorded a median of $750,000 in 22030, down 8.5% from 2025. In 22031, the median was $738,675, down 12.1%. Both ZIPs also saw inventory rise. In 22031, homes for sale were up 22.7%. In 22033, they were up 30.8%. More supply in those areas put more pressure on price.

How fast homes are selling

Speed varied by ZIP. The Real Estate Data Aggregator found the fastest pace in 22015, where the median home sold in 26 days and 64.5% of homes went under contract within two weeks of listing. ZIP 22039 was close behind: 62.2% of homes there went under contract within two weeks, up 4.7 points from 2025.

ZIP 22032 took a little longer. The median days on market there was 36, up 7 days from 2025. ZIP 22039 also added time, up 6 days to 34. Taking longer does not mean a home will not sell. It means the right price and preparation matter more.

Are buyers still paying above list?

Yes, in most cases. Every ZIP code in Fairfax averaged a sale-to-list ratio at or above 100%, according to the Real Estate Data Aggregator. ZIP 22039 led at 101.8%. ZIP 22015 and 22032 both came in at 101%.

The share of homes that sold above list price tells a more mixed story. In 22015, 53.4% of homes sold above list, up 7.2 points from 2025. In 22031, 41.6% did, up 10.2 points. But in 22030, that share fell 7.5 points to 45.3%. In 22032, it fell 10 points to 40%. Fewer bidding wars in some areas does not mean buyers are gone. It means the price has to be right from the start.

The national backdrop

Fairfax does not exist in a bubble. A few national numbers help explain what buyers are feeling right now.

Realtor.com reported that mortgage rates topped 7% for the first time since January 2025. Fannie Mae, as reported by CNBC on October 14, 2026, forecast the average 30-year fixed rate at 7.4% for the fourth quarter of 2026. Higher rates affect what buyers can afford, and that affects what sellers can expect.

Realtor.com also reported that 20.8% of listings nationally took a price cut in September 2026, the highest share since October 2022. That is a signal worth watching. The National Association of Realtors reported that existing-home sales rose 1.5% in September 2026 to 3.99 million, with prices up 1.3% nationally. Buyers are still active, but they are paying closer attention to value.

What this means if you are thinking about selling

More listings mean buyers have more to compare your home against. That is not a reason to wait. It is a reason to prepare. Homes in Fairfax are still selling, still going under contract quickly in many areas, and still closing above list price in most ZIP codes.

The homes that are sitting longer tend to be the ones that came to market overpriced or underprepared. First impressions matter more when buyers have options. Pricing and preparation are the two things you can control.

What this means if you are thinking about buying

You have more to choose from than you did a year ago. That is a real shift. In some ZIP codes, months of supply have grown. ZIP 22031 is at 2.8 months, up 0.8 from 2025. ZIP 22033 is at 2.2 months, up 0.6.

Even so, well-priced homes in Fairfax are still moving fast. In 22015, nearly two out of three homes went under contract within two weeks of listing. Knowing which areas and price points are moving fastest can help you plan your offer strategy.