Is Seattle a Seller’s Market in 2025?

For years now, we’ve been hearing that Seattle, Washington is a seller’s market due to supply shortages and other factors.

But the Seattle real estate market has changed a lot over the past few years. As such, we thought it was high time to revisit this subject by examining the latest housing trends and data.

So the question remains: Is Seattle a seller’s market in 2025?

Seattle Still a Seller’s Market in 2025

Let’s start with the short version:

Seattle could still be considered a seller’s market, since there are more buyers than properties. But the Seattle housing market has become a bit less competitive over the past couple of years, partly due to higher mortgage rates and reduced demand.

A couple of years ago, the Seattle real estate market was moving at warp speed with homes selling in less than a week, on average. Today, it’s a different story. It’s taking longer for sellers to offload their properties these days, partly due to a decline in demand.

But it’s still a highly competitive housing market for buyers.

While the market has become a bit more buyer-friendly over the past 18 months or so, it still favors sellers. This is largely due to tight supply conditions, as explained below.

Here are three trends that suggest Seattle is still a seller’s market…

1. Inventory Remains Well Below the National Average

While housing inventory has improved slightly over the past year, the Seattle real estate market still has one of the lowest levels of supply among major U.S. cities.

In the past, housing analysts and economists used to state that a balanced real estate market has five to six months of supply. In theory, that means it would take five to six months to sell all homes currently for sale if no new properties came onto the market.

But the Seattle real estate market hasn’t come anywhere near that threshold for over a decade. In fact, for the past few years, Seattle has had less than a two-month supply of homes for sale.

When compared to other major cities and metro areas across the U.S., the Seattle metropolitan area has one of the lowest levels of housing market inventory in 2025. And as you probably already know, tight supply conditions tend to favor sellers over buyers.

But let’s end this section on a positive note.

According to a recent report from Realtor.com, the Seattle metro area had a significant increase in newly listed homes. So perhaps the supply situation will improve for home buyers through the rest of this year.

2. The Seattle Housing Market Has Accelerated

We can also get a sense for which way the housing market leans by analyzing the average time it takes to sell a home. And by this measurement, the real estate market has clearly accelerated over the past year, indicative of a seller’s market in Seattle.

The Realtor.com report mentioned above also showed that, in September 2025, homes listed for sale in the Seattle area spent a median of 24 days on the market.

3. Very Few Price Reductions These Days

We can also distinguish between a buyer’s and seller’s market by looking at the overall percentage of price reductions. In this context, a price reduction occurs when a seller comes onto the market at one price, but later reduces the price due to a lack of offers.

• A high percentage of price reductions typically indicates that sellers are finding it challenging to sell their properties at their initial asking prices. This situation often arises in a buyer’s market, where there are more homes for sale than there are buyers interested in purchasing them.
• A low percentage of price reductions suggests that sellers are able to sell their properties close to or at their initial asking prices. This scenario is more common in a seller’s market, where there aren’t enough homes for sale to meet the demand from buyers.

Some Timely Advice for Seattle Home Buyers

This report is not meant to discourage home buyers from entering the Seattle real estate market in 2025. In many ways, now is a great time to purchase a home in the Seattle area.

Like many cities across the U.S., Seattle recently came out of its post-pandemic market downturn and is now experiencing rising prices again. This gives home buyers a chance to come in at the “bottom” of the market, with the possibility for steady equity growth over the coming years.

Even so, home buyers should understand the current seller’s market dynamic in Seattle and shape their house-hunting strategy around it.

These and similar strategies can help Seattle home buyers succeed in a real estate market that tends to favor sellers.

At the end of the day, the answer to the question, “Is Seattle a seller’s market right now?” the answer is yes. Despite some slowdowns in the market recently, Seattle is certainly still considered a seller’s market, especially when considering the high demand and low inventory.

FAQs

Is Seattle a seller’s market in 2025? 

Yes, Seattle remains a seller’s market due to limited inventory and steady buyer interest.

What defines a seller’s market in Seattle? 

A seller’s market occurs when buyer demand exceeds available housing supply, driving competition and prices.

Are bidding wars still common in Seattle? 

While less intense than in past years, bidding wars still happen for well-priced homes in prime locations.

Do rising interest rates affect Seattle’s seller advantage? 

Higher rates have tempered demand, but not enough to shift the market to buyers.

Is Seattle’s tech industry still driving housing demand? 

Yes, tech jobs continue to attract buyers, especially in neighborhoods near major employers.

Are condos part of the seller’s market trend? 

Condos are selling more slowly than single-family homes, but still benefit from low inventory.

Is it a good time to sell in Seattle? 

Yes, sellers can still benefit from strong demand and limited competition.

Do sellers need to stage homes in 2025? 

Staging still helps homes sell faster and for more, even in a seller’s market.

Are investors active in Seattle’s market? 

Yes, investors remain interested, especially in multi-family and high-demand zones.

Is Seattle’s market expected to shift in 2026? 

Experts predict gradual stabilization, but no major shift to a buyer’s market yet.

Need Financing?

If you’re looking to buy a home in Seattle, WA, be sure to partner with a seasoned mortgage team to get off on the right foot. Get pre-approved for a mortgage so you stay one step ahead of the competition and expedite the process when you finally find your dream home. At Sammamish Mortgage, we offer various mortgage home loan programs for home buyers with various needs in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Colorado, and California. Visit our website to get an instant rate quote, or call us today to have your mortgage questions answered!