Weekly Meter

We compare contract activity for the same seven-day period of the previous year in Loudoun County, Prince William County, Northern Virginia, Washington, DC, and Prince George's County. These statistics are updated on a weekly basis. Sign up for our newsletter on the latest market data.

D.M.V. Contract Activity

The Slowdown Picks Up Speed

Metro DC contract activity fell 23.0% this week — the second straight week with declines across all six jurisdictions, and a sharper drop than last week's 15.2% decline.

Key Takeaways

Combined new contract activity fell from 991 contracts in 2025 to 763 this year, a decline of 228 contracts, or 23.0%, steeper than last week's 15.2% drop.
All six jurisdictions were lower for the second consecutive week. Washington, DC was the relative outperformer at just -9.9%, while Prince George's County swung hardest, falling 35.2%, a sharp reversal after coming within one contract of flat just last week.
The regional weighted average days on market rose from 47.5 to 49.0 days (+3.2%), though the pattern was mixed: three jurisdictions (Northern Virginia, Loudoun, Montgomery) took longer to sell, while three (Prince William, Prince George's, DC) actually sped up.
Montgomery County's average days on market jumped from 38.0 to 53.8 days, a 41.6% increase — the steepest marketing-time shift in the region this week.
Washington, DC bucked that trend entirely: despite 9.9% fewer contracts, average days on market there fell from 80.5 to 56.2 days, a 30.2% improvement.
Year-to-date, the region has recorded 43,049 contracts compared with 44,368 last year, a deficit of 1,319 contracts, or 3.0% — slightly wider than last week's 2.5% gap.

Why It Matters

Last week we noted Prince George's "virtually flat" performance as the market's lone bright spot. This week it reversed hard, posting the steepest decline in the region — a reminder that even the "exception" can flip in a single week.
Washington, DC told the opposite story: it had the smallest weekly decline and a meaningful drop in days on market, suggesting at least pockets of demand are still moving efficiently even as volume contracts broadly.
Montgomery County's sharp jump in days on market is worth watching. A single week of inventory mix or buyer hesitation can swing that number significantly, but a 41.6% increase is large enough to flag rather than dismiss outright.
Broadly, this week reinforces that the region's slowdown isn't flattening out — it's deepening. Two straight weeks of all-six-down, and this week's decline was meaningfully sharper than last week's.

The Real Estate Details

Northern Virginia: 270 → 217 (-19.6%)
Loudoun County: 97 → 76 (-21.6%)
Prince William County: 115 → 83 (-27.8%)
Montgomery County: 209 → 162 (-22.5%)
Prince George's County: 179 → 116 (-35.2%)
Washington, DC: 121 → 109 (-9.9%)
Combined contracts: 991 → 763 (-23.0%)
Weighted average DOM: 47.5 → 49.0 days (+3.2%)
Combined YTD contracts: 44,368 → 43,049 (-1,319 contracts, or -3.0%)

Some weeks whisper. This one was a bit louder — and not in a good way.

CONTRACT ACTIVITY SUMMARY

Blue Ridge Contract Activity

Shenandoah, Warren, Clarke, Fauquier, Frederick Counties, Winchester City, and West Virginia.

Two Speeds, One Destination

Combined Virginia Countryside and West Virginia Panhandle contract activity fell 15.5% this week, but the year-to-date picture is essentially unchanged — down just 0.9% — a reminder that these smaller markets swing harder week to week than the trend actually moves.

Key Takeaways

Virginia Countryside recorded 76 contracts this week versus 82 last year, down 7.3%. West Virginia Panhandle fell further, from 79 to 60 contracts, down 24.1%, the sharper of the two declines.
Combined weekly activity fell from 161 to 136 contracts, down 15.5%.
Year-to-date, Virginia Countryside is actually up 1.1% (3,688 → 3,729), while West Virginia Panhandle is down 2.9% (3,722 → 3,614). Combined, the two markets are down just 0.9% year-to-date (7,410 → 7,343) — essentially flat.
Average days on market diverged sharply: Virginia Countryside slowed from 44.0 to 49.1 days (+11.6%), while West Virginia Panhandle sped up from 49.9 to 41.4 days (-17.0%).

Why It Matters

This is a textbook case of signal versus noise. On contract counts alone, especially West Virginia Panhandle's -24.1% this week could look alarming. But with sample sizes in the 60–80 range, a handful of contracts moves the percentage dramatically. The year-to-date numbers (essentially flat, down just 0.9% combined) tell the real story: these markets have held steady all year until very recently.
Virginia Countryside's positive YTD number, even after a down week, is the more important data point than this week's dip.
The days-on-market divergence is also likely more noise than trend at this volume — West Virginia Panhandle's drop to 41.4 days shouldn't be read as a sudden acceleration any more than Countryside's rise to 49.1 should be read as sudden buyer hesitation.

The Real Estate Details