🏠 Buying a house in Washington | 🏘️ Selling a house in Washington | 🚚 Moving to Washington
🏡 Home values in Washington have risen 1.20% over the past year, indicating a buyer's market.
📈 Housing inventory (the total number of homes for sale) stands at 26,800. That's about 4.7 months of inventory, indicating a seller's market.
📊 The sale-to-list price ratio (the percentage of listing price sellers are actually getting) is 99.10%, indicating a seller's market.
How does Washington compare to the national average?
| Data point | Value | Rank | Compared to national avg |
| Typical home value | $595,271[1] | #4 of 50 states | 58.4% higher |
| Median listing price | $648,900[2] | #5 of 50 states | 46.4% higher |
| Median sale price | $676,300[3] | #4 of 50 states | 54.6% higher |
| 30-year mortgage rate | 6.92%[4] | #10 of 50 states | 0.8% lower |
| Median days on market | 57[5] | #20 of 50 states | 3.1% shorter |
Looking to buy or sell in Washington?
Enter your zip code to match with top agents in your area!
Buying a house in the Washington real estate market
Washington has an affordability score of 7.1, meaning it takes 7.1 years of the median household income ($94,605) to afford Washington's median home sale price ($676,300). Because of this, we rank Washington as the 7th least affordable state for buyers based strictly on prices compared to income.
| Data Point | Value | Rank | Compared to national avg |
| Median sale price | $676,300[6] | #4 of 50 states | 54.6% higher |
| 30-year mortgage rate | 6.92%[7] | #10 of 50 states | 0.8% lower |
| Median household income | $94,605[8] | #7 of 50 states | 22.9% higher |
| Affordability ratio | 7.1 | #44 of 50 states | 28.2% higher |
| Buyers agent commission | 2.37%[9] | #3 of 50 states | 13.7% lower |
Who pays for realtor commission in Washington?
Real estate agents' commissions are technically the responsibility of their respective clients - buyers pay their agents, and sellers pay theirs. Each party signs a contract with their agent promising to pay. However, sellers usually offer to pay for the buyer's agent so they can more easily afford the home.
Who pays closing costs in Washington?
Sellers are usually responsible for most closing costs, but some closing expenses fall to the buyer. As a buyer, you'll be expected to pay for the mortgage loan origination fee and other lender-related fees, private mortgage insurance, the down payment, an appraisal fee, and a home inspection fee.
Learn more about who pays closing costs in Washington.
Resources for Washington home buyers
Preparing to buy in Washington
Selling a house in the Washington real estate market
According to our detailed survey of Washington real estate agents, listing agents (those representing the seller) charge an average commission in Washington of 2.49%, which is the lowest in the United States. Buyers' agents charge an average commission of 2.37%, which is the 3rd lowest in the United States.
| Data point | Value | Rank | Compared to national avg |
| Median listing price | $648,900[10] | #5 of 50 states | 46.4% higher |
| Median sale price | $676,300[11] | #4 of 50 states | 54.6% higher |
| Median days on market | 57[12] | #20 of 50 states | 3.1% shorter |
| Buyer's agent commission | 2.37%[13] | #3 of 50 states | 13.7% lower |
| Listing agent commission | 2.49%[14] | #1 of 50 states | 12.3% lower |
Resources for Washington home sellers
Preparing to sell in Washington
- Selling a House in Washington: 8 Simple Steps
- How Long Does It Take to Sell a House in Washington?
- When Is the Best Time to Sell a House in Washington?
- Top Real Estate Agents in Washington
Washington home selling costs and requirements
Moving to Washington
According to our recent moving trends survey[15], Washington is the 8th most desirable state to move to, with 14% of Americans indicating that they would choose to move there if money were no object. Likewise, 14% of survey respondents indicated that they would move to Seattle among a choice of America's largest cities. Among medium-sized cities, 9% indicated that they would move to Spokane.
Here's how Washington cities rank in a number of our research studies.
| Study | Best Washington city | Rank |
| Best Pizza Cities[16] | Seattle | 23rd best |
| Best Coffee Cities[17] | Seattle | 10th best |
| Best LGBTQ Cities[18] | Seattle | 18th best |
| Best Bike Cities[19] | Seattle | 9th best |
| Best Commuter Cities[20] | Seattle | 31st best |
Where to shop for homes in Washington
Frequently asked questions
As of October 10, 2025, the median days on market (DOM) in Washington is 64. On average, it takes about 62 days to sell in Washington.
Home values have risen in Washington over the past year. The current median home value is $606,025 and it's projected to decrease by 0.39% in the next year.
As of October 10, 2025, sellers in Washington are typically getting 100% of the list price for their homes.
Methodology
Information on market conditions is based on Zillow data as of August 2025, Realtor.com data as of September 2025, and HouseCanary data as of October 10, 2025, unless specified otherwise.
We gathered our commission rate data from a September 2025 survey of 828 of agents nationwide. The survey asked about standard local rates for both listing and buying agents. These data points are averages based on responses we’ve received from 17 agents in Washington.