Summer is winding down, which around here means the Boston real estate market is about to shift gears. The fall market is shorter than spring and more serious than summer, and it usually tells you where prices are really headed into next year.

Here is what the latest numbers show, and what they mean whether you are buying or selling over the next few months.

What the summer numbers told us

Two things stand out this year. Prices are still up, but there is a lot more to choose from.

Boston condos are averaging a sale price of $1,174,078 so far in 2026, up about 6% from a year ago. Massachusetts single-family homes are averaging $880,946, up about 2%. So on price, sellers are still ahead of where they were last summer.

The bigger story is inventory. Active condo listings in Boston are up more than 13% from a year ago, and single-family listings across Massachusetts are up more than 16%. Months of supply climbed too, to about five months for condos and just over two months for single-family homes. Closed sales are down slightly for both, and homes are taking a few more days to sell than they did last year.

Translation: the market is still healthy, but it has loosened. Buyers have more options and a little more leverage than they did twelve months ago, especially on the condo side.

If you are buying this fall

Fall is quietly one of the best windows for buyers, and this year the data backs that up.

For condos, there is real room to work. With about five months of supply and the average condo now selling just under asking, at 98.9% of list price, the frantic bidding-war dynamic has eased. You have time to be selective, and you have grounds to negotiate.

Single-family is a different animal. Even with more listings out there, homes are still selling slightly over asking, at 101.4% of list, and moving in about six weeks. If you are house hunting, you still need to be ready to move fast and come in clean.

My advice for either one: get fully underwritten before you shop, not just pre-approved. And do not ignore a listing that has been sitting. A condo that has been on the market a while is often a price conversation waiting to happen.

If you are selling this fall

Good news first. Prices are up year over year, so you have not missed the window. But you are competing against a lot more inventory than sellers were a year ago, and buyers are moving more deliberately.

That makes pricing everything. The mistake I see every fall is sellers pricing off last spring's peak and then chasing the market down as the listing goes stale. With inventory up double digits, an overpriced home gets buried fast.

Condo sellers, pay extra attention here. Five months of supply and sub-asking sale prices mean the days of naming your number and waiting for offers to roll in are gone for now. Price it right on day one and you can still sell well. Single-family sellers have more room, but the same rule applies. Sharp pricing and strong presentation win.

Presentation matters more in the fall too. Shorter days, colder weather, and holiday distractions mean your listing has to work harder in fewer clicks. Clean photography, a sharp description, and real online reach are not extras this time of year. They are the whole game.

The bottom line

The fall 2026 market is a more balanced one than we have seen in a while. Prices are holding, but the jump in inventory has handed some leverage back to buyers, particularly on condos. Single-family is still competitive.

If you are a buyer, this is a real chance to negotiate. If you are a seller, the window is open, but it rewards sharp pricing, not wishful pricing.

Want to know what your specific situation looks like this fall, whether that is what your home would list for or what you can realistically buy? Reach out. Happy to run the actual numbers for you.