Weekly Contract Activity | DC, MD, VA, WV

D.M.V. Contract Activity

Labor Day Made a Bad Week Look Worse

There's no getting around it: this was another difficult week for the Metro DC housing market. All six jurisdictions posted lower contract activity, and the combined decline was substantial.

But this week's comparison comes with a very large asterisk. Labor Day fell on September 1 in 2025 but September 7 this year. That means the September 6–12 reporting period in 2026 captured virtually the entire holiday weekend, while the comparable 2025 week came after Labor Day. Since holiday weekends aren't exactly prime house-hunting—or contract-writing—time, the year-over-year decline almost certainly exaggerates the underlying weakness.

Almost certainly. Because after a difficult August, we can't blame everything on the calendar.

Key Takeaways

Total new contract activity across the six jurisdictions fell from 1,018 contracts last year to 788 this year, a decline of 230 contracts, or 22.6%.
Every jurisdiction was down, although the magnitude varied considerably. Prince William held up best at -5.3%, while Loudoun (-30.7%), Northern Virginia (-27.0%) and Montgomery (-26.8%) experienced the largest declines.
Despite the sharp drop in contracts, the regional weighted average days on market increased from 38.1 days to 43.0 days, up 4.9 days, or 12.9%. That's a noticeable increase, although individual market results were quite mixed.
Year-to-date, the region has now slipped modestly behind last year's pace: 39,018 contracts in 2025 versus 38,784 this year, a difference of 234 contracts, or -0.6%.

Why It Matters

A 22.6% decline in contract activity is an ugly number. But this is one of those weeks when the calendar really matters.
Last year's September 6–12 period was comfortably removed from Labor Day. This year's period began the day before the holiday weekend and included Labor Day itself. That creates an unusually unfavorable comparison for 2026.
So we shouldn't interpret this week's 22.6% decline as evidence that buyer demand suddenly fell off a cliff.
At the same time, we shouldn't dismiss the result entirely. Contract activity has been trending lower since the beginning of August, and this week's report extends that pattern. The calendar probably made a weak week look considerably weaker, but it didn't create the broader late-summer slowdown.
here are also some encouraging details buried in the numbers.
Prince William County declined only 5.3%, easily the best performance in the region, and contracts above $750,000 actually increased 3.8%. That market also remains the clear year-to-date standout, with contracts up 6.4%.
At the opposite end, Northern Virginia fell 27.0%, Loudoun declined 30.7%, Montgomery dropped 26.8%, Prince George's was down 16.0%, and Washington, DC declined 21.8%.
There were pockets of resilience even within those markets. Northern Virginia's $1.5 million-plus segment actually increased 13.3%, while Montgomery's $1.5 million-plus activity rose 18.8%. Those are relatively small pieces of the overall market, but it's interesting that luxury buyers continued to transact during such an otherwise quiet week.
Days on market offer a somewhat mixed message. The weighted regional average rose from 38.1 to 43.0 days, but Prince George's actually improved significantly, from 55.4 to 44.9 days. Northern Virginia and Loudoun moved moderately higher, while Prince William and Washington, DC experienced much larger increases.
That doesn't point to a uniform deterioration in market velocity. It looks more like the uneven, property-specific market we've been describing for much of the year.
And then there's the longer-term trend. After being several percentage points ahead earlier this year, Metro DC is now 0.6% behind 2025 year-to-date—38,784 contracts versus 39,018. That's a meaningful change from the spring, but hardly a dramatic contraction. We're talking about 234 fewer contracts across six jurisdictions and nearly 39,000 transactions.
The market has clearly lost momentum. It hasn't fallen apart.

The Real Estate Details

Northern Virginia: 319 → 233 (-27.0%)
Loudoun County: 114 → 79 (-30.7%)
Prince William County: 113 → 107 (-5.3%)
Montgomery County: 190 → 139 (-26.8%)
Prince George's County: 163 → 137 (-16.0%)
Washington, DC: 119 → 93 (-21.8%)
Total contracts: 1,018 → 788 (-22.6%)
Weighted average days on market: 38.1 → 43.0 days (+12.9%)
Combined year-to-date contracts: 39,018 → 38,784 (-234 contracts, or -0.6%)

CONTRACT ACTIVITY SUMMARY →

Blue Ridge Contract Activity

The Heartbeat Hit Another Rough Patch

Unfortunately, the more rural portions of our market didn't escape the weakness we saw closer to Washington. Both the Virginia Countryside and West Virginia Panhandle posted substantial declines in contract activity last week, with the Panhandle taking the bigger hit.

And just like the Metro report, this comparison deserves an important calendar asterisk. Labor Day fell on September 1 last year and September 7 this year, meaning the 2026 reporting period captured nearly the entire holiday weekend while the comparable 2025 week did not.

So the numbers are bad. They're also look worse than the underlying market really was.

Key Takeaways

Combined new contract activity fell from 211 contracts in 2025 to 140 this year, a decline of 71 contracts, or 33.6%.
Both markets were down significantly. The Virginia Countryside declined 22.5%, from 89 contracts to 69, while the West Virginia Panhandle fell 41.8%, from 122 to 71.
The combined weighted average days on market increased from 49.1 days to 53.5 days, an increase of 4.4 days, or 9.0%. But there's an important wrinkle: Countryside market times increased substantially, while the Panhandle's actually improved.
And despite the difficult late-summer stretch, the combined year-to-date picture remains positive: 6,544 contracts last year versus 6,611 this year, an increase of 67 contracts, or 1.0%.

Why It Matters

A 33.6% decline gets your attention. And it should.
But just as with this week's Metro DC report, the timing of Labor Day makes the year-over-year comparison unusually unfavorable. The holiday fell squarely within this year's reporting period but was already behind us during last year's comparable week. Some portion of this decline is almost certainly calendar-driven.
That said, we can't give the calendar all the blame. These markets were already slowing during August, and this report continues that trend.
The Virginia Countryside held up better, declining 22.5%. There was even one conspicuous bright spot: contracts below $300,000 increased 60%, from 10 to 16. But that wasn't enough to overcome substantial declines between $300,000 and $1 million.
The West Virginia Panhandle had the more difficult week, falling 41.8%. The weakness was broad, with activity below $750,000 dropping from 117 contracts to 71, a decline of 39.3%, and no contracts above $750,000 compared with five last year.
Our recurring "heartbeat" analogy isn't quite as much fun when both chambers are contracting at the same time.
But the days-on-market numbers offer some useful perspective. Countryside DOM rose fairly sharply, from 53.1 to 66.2 days, while the Panhandle moved in exactly the opposite direction, improving from 46.1 to 41.1 days. Combined and weighted by contract activity, DOM increased 9.0%.
That Panhandle result is particularly interesting. Contract volume dropped more than 40%, yet the homes that did find buyers went under contract faster than they did last year. Once again, transaction volume and market velocity aren't necessarily telling the same story.
The year-to-date numbers are also worth keeping front and center. The Virginia Countryside remains 2.2% ahead of last year, at 3,324 contracts versus 3,251. The West Virginia Panhandle has now slipped just barely behind, at 3,287 versus 3,293—a difference of only six contracts.
Combined, these markets remain 1.0% ahead of 2025, with 67 additional contracts year-to-date.
That's not the cushion we had earlier this summer, but it's still notable given the weakness we've experienced since August. And it remains a somewhat healthier year-to-date performance than the closer-in Metro DC market, which has now slipped modestly below last year's pace.

The Real Estate Details

Virginia Countryside: 89 → 69 (-22.5%)
West Virginia Panhandle: 122 → 71 (-41.8%)
Combined contracts: 211 → 140 (-33.6%)
Weighted average days on market: 49.1 → 53.5 days (+9.0%)
Virginia Countryside YTD: 3,251 → 3,324 (+73 contracts, +2.2%)
West Virginia Panhandle YTD: 3,293 → 3,287 (-6 contracts, -0.2%)
Combined YTD: 6,544 → 6,611 (+67 contracts, +1.0%)

CONTRACT ACTIVITY SUMMARY →

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