REALTOR® News

July 2026 Housing Stats

Maryland Housing Market Stabilizes, But Fewer New Listings Limit Recovery 

July sales hold nearly even with last year as Maryland continues to lag the nation in available housing supply 

ANNAPOLIS, MD, August 17, 2026—Maryland’s housing market showed further signs of stabilizing in July, with home sales virtually unchanged from a year ago following June’s first year-over-year increase since January 2025. Maryland’s persistent shortage of new listings, however, continues to limit the state’s recovery, leaving buyers with fewer choices than in much of the country. 

A total of 6,328 homes sold in July 2026, compared with 6,337 last year, a decline of just 0.1 percent. The median sales price increased 2.2 percent to $455,000, while the average sales price rose 3.9 percent to $552,741. 

Maryland’s sales market showed continued improvement this spring and summer. Sales were down 3.3 percent year over year in April and 2.8 percent in May before increasing 2.3 percent in June. July’s 0.1 percent decline leaves sales essentially even with last year.  

“The direction of the market is better,” said Denise Lewis, 2026 President, Maryland REALTORS®. “After a long stretch of declining sales, we’ve now had two months where sales were essentially at or above last year. The problem is that buyers still can’t purchase homes that never come onto the market. Buyers need inventory.” 

Conditions vary across Maryland, and the Baltimore metropolitan area provides one example. According to Realtor.com, active listings in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson metro increased 15.1 percent year-over-year in June, while new listings rose 8.6 percent. The median sales price declined 3.8 percent to $384,750, and homes spent a median of 36 days on the market. The increase in available homes gave buyers in the Baltimore area more choices, even as statewide inventory remained below last year.  

Statewide pending sales reinforce that mixed picture. While pending units remained above 2025 levels, their rate of growth has slowed steadily—from 10.6 percent in April to 5.2 percent in July. In three months, the year-over-year growth rate in pending contracts has been cut by slightly more than half. Showing activity from Bright MLS points in the same direction. Maryland recorded 114,489 home showings in July, down 2.6 percent from 117,572 in July 2025. 

At the same time, active inventory has moved in a positive direction, increasing from 14,584 homes in April to 16,881 in July, a 15.8 percent increase. Despite that progress, Maryland still had 12.9 percent fewer active homes than in July 2025. 

The flow of new homes onto the market remains an even greater concern. Only 7,045 properties were newly listed in July, down 18.5 percent from a year earlier. That follows year-over-year declines of 15.7 percent in April, 22.1 percent in May, and 17.9 percent in June.  

Through the first seven months of 2026, 46,303 homes came onto the market in Maryland, compared with 59,292 during the same period last year—a decline of 21.9 percent, or 12,989 fewer new listings. 

“Nearly 13,000 fewer homes have come onto the market in Maryland during the first seven months of this year compared with last year,” Lewis said. “That shortage continues to limit choices for buyers and makes it harder for the housing market to regain momentum.” 

Maryland Continues to Stray from the National Market 

Maryland’s supply challenge stands apart from broader national conditions. Data from the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) for July show a 4.6-month supply of existing homes nationally, compared with approximately three months in Maryland. National existing home sales were also 0.7 percent higher than a year earlier, compared with Maryland’s 0.1 percent decline. 

Realtor.com’s weekly data further illustrate the difference in available supply. During the week ending July 18, national active inventory was 2.0 percent above the previous year and remained above 1.1 million homes for the fifth consecutive week, the longest such stretch since November 2019. New listings nationally were also 1.6 percent higher than a year earlier, while median listing prices were down 2.5 percent.  

Those national trends contrast sharply with Maryland, where July active inventory remained 12.9 percent below last year, and new listings were down 18.5 percent. 

“The market is stabilizing, and that is encouraging,” Lewis said. “Now Maryland needs the housing supply to catch up. Until it does, our buyers will continue to have fewer choices than buyers in much of the country.” 

Maryland REALTORS® represents more than 28,000 real estate professionals throughout the state and supports policies that expand housing opportunities, strengthen communities and protect private property rights.