Should You Pull Your Listing for the Winter?
If your house has been sitting since Labor Day, you've probably had this thought: "Maybe I just take it off the market and try again in the spring." You're not alone. Bright MLS counted 593 canceled listings across the Mid-Atlantic in the week ending October 18, up 43.2% from the same week last year. So let's do what we always do here and run the numbers on selling a home in winter in DC and Maryland before you make the call.
Short version: winter brings less competition and fewer buyers at the same time. Whether that helps you depends on your price, your county and how long you can afford to wait.
What Happened: Selling a Home in Winter in DC and Maryland Just Got Real
Three things landed at once this fall:
- Buyers pulled back. New contracts across the Bright MLS region fell 15.5% from a year ago in the week ending October 18, the sixth straight week at a five-year low. Median time to contract stretched to 34 days, five days slower than last year (Bright MLS weekly report).
- Listings piled up. Realtor.com counted 10,155 active listings in September across DC, Montgomery, Prince George's, Anne Arundel, Harford and Charles combined. That's up 12.3% from a year ago and the highest monthly total since at least the start of 2025 (Realtor.com data via FRED).
- Rates stayed high. Freddie Mac's 30-year average was 7.32% on October 22, down from 7.40% the week before but still well above 6.19% a year ago (Freddie Mac PMMS). The Fed meets October 27–28 (Federal Reserve calendar). Remember, the Fed doesn't set mortgage rates directly, so don't plan your sale around one press conference.
Now look at what happened last winter. From October 2025 to February 2026, active listings in those same six areas fell 28.6%, from 9,196 to 6,565. Lots of sellers pulled out or waited, and new listings in December dropped by more than half from September in most of these areas.
That's the case for staying on the market: fewer homes competing for the buyers who are still out there. Winter buyers tend to be the serious ones, people with a job relocation, a lease ending or a baby on the way. Nobody tours houses in a sleet storm for fun.
But there's a catch. Those buyers move slower. Realtor.com's median days on market jumped everywhere between September 2025 and January 2026: plus 25 days in DC, plus 23 in Montgomery, plus 25 in Harford, plus 22 in Charles. (Realtor.com counts days differently than the MLS, so its numbers run longer. Look at the change, not the raw number.)
County by County: Selling a Home in Winter in DC and Maryland
Here's where things stand going into the cold months. Price-cut figures are from Realtor.com for September 2026. Months of inventory come from the Maryland REALTORS September report (Bright MLS data).
Washington, DC Real Estate
DC is the odd one out. Realtor.com shows active listings down 2.9% from last year and only 28.1% of listings with a price cut, the lowest share of the six areas. But DC also had the longest winter slowdown: days on market went from 52 in September 2025 to 77 in January. The District already has close to six months of supply (Bright MLS via UrbanTurf), so a DC condo priced wrong in November can easily still be sitting there on Valentine's Day.
Montgomery County Homes
Active listings are up 22.7% from last year, and 40.9% of them have had a price cut. Montgomery also showed the biggest winter drop in competition: listings fell 35.9% from October to February last year. If your home is priced right, that thinner field is a real advantage. If it isn't, the 3.0 months of inventory means buyers have options.
Prince George's County Real Estate
Prince George's listings are up 18.6%, with 38.3% showing a price cut, slightly fewer than last year. PG had the gentlest winter swing: listings dropped only 18.7% last winter and days on market rose by 11. That's steady, but with 3.7 months of inventory, it's a buyer-friendly county. Price to the comps, not the neighbor's 2024 sale.
Anne Arundel County Housing Market
This is the headline county. 50.5% of Anne Arundel listings had a price cut in September, up 9 points from a year ago and the highest of the six. Inventory is up 21.0%. Anne Arundel is still the tightest market (2.4 months of supply), and its winter slowdown was the mildest last year (plus 9 days). But many sellers here clearly started too high.
Harford County Homes
Harford listings are up 23.4%, and 45.7% have a price cut. Last winter, Harford went from 33 to 58 days on market. In a smaller market, a handful of new listings can change the whole picture, so watch your direct competition week by week.
Charles County Real Estate
Charles has the smallest inventory increase of the group (up 9.1%), with 38.9% of listings cut. But it had the longest winter in Maryland: 41 days in September 2025, 63 days in January. With 3.6 months of supply, patience is part of the plan here.
A Quick Look at Northern Virginia
Across the river, NVAR reported September active listings up 30.7% and pending sales down 16.2%. Same story, more inventory.
What It Means for Buyers
Winter is your window. Fewer buyers are competing with you, and price cuts are common, especially in Anne Arundel, Harford and Montgomery. A home that's been sitting since September is often owned by someone who is ready to negotiate on price, closing costs or repairs. Get your pre-approval updated at today's rate, and read my step-by-step guide to buying a house before you start touring.
What It Means for Sellers
Pulling your listing isn't automatically wrong. Here's how I'd think about it:
- Stay on the market if you need to move in the next six months, your price is in line with recent sales, and your home shows well in winter light.
- Cut the price if you've had showings but no offers. That usually means buyers like the house and not the number.
- Pull it if you don't need to sell, the house needs work you can do over the winter, or you've had almost no showings. In that case, relaunch in late winter with fresh photos and a fresh price.
Just know that "wait for spring" isn't free. Every month you hold the house costs you a mortgage payment, taxes, insurance and utilities. And this spring, you'll be competing with everyone else who had the same idea. Before you decide, go through these 4 questions to ask before selling a home.
Dan's Take
This is my interpretation, not a forecast. The canceled-listing spike tells me a lot of sellers priced for 2024 and are now quietly backing out. I get it. But the data from last winter says competition really does thin out after Thanksgiving, and the buyers who stay in the market mean business. If your price is right, winter can be a good time to sell. If your price is wrong, spring won't fix it. It'll just give buyers more homes to compare yours to. Facts over feelings. Math over emotion.
Final Takeaway
Winter in the DC and Maryland housing market means fewer listings and slower buyers. Sellers who are priced right get less competition. Sellers who aren't just sit longer.
Your one action item: before you cancel your listing, pull the last 30 days of sales and price cuts in your exact neighborhood, or get a free home value estimate here. Decide with numbers, not frustration.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is winter a bad time to sell a house in DC or Maryland?
Not necessarily. Last winter, active listings in DC and five Maryland counties fell 28.6% from October to February, so you face less competition. The trade-off is that homes took longer to sell, roughly 9 to 25 more days depending on the county.
Should I take my house off the market and relist in the spring?
It depends on why it isn't selling. If you have showings but no offers, the price is usually the problem, and spring won't change that. If you don't need to move and the home needs updates, pulling it and relaunching with a fresh price and photos can make sense.
How common are price cuts in Maryland right now?
Very common. In September 2026, Realtor.com showed price cuts on 50.5% of Anne Arundel listings, 45.7% in Harford, 40.9% in Montgomery, 38.9% in Charles and 38.3% in Prince George's. In DC, it was 28.1%.
Thinking about selling this winter, or wondering whether to wait? Let's look at your numbers together.
Dan Wheeler | Keller Williams Capital Properties
Contact Dan · What's My Home Worth? · Schedule a Call · (301) 806-3179
Sources: Bright MLS weekly market report (week ending Oct. 18, 2026); Realtor.com Residential Real Estate Data via FRED (county data through September 2026); Maryland REALTORS September 2026 Housing Statistics (Bright MLS data); Freddie Mac PMMS (Oct. 22, 2026); Federal Reserve FOMC calendar; NVAR September 2026 report. Realtor.com and MLS figures use different methods and won't match exactly. This article is for general information, not financial or legal advice.
