The July 2026 numbers are in, and here is the one that matters: the number of homes for sale in Snohomish County in July was up 36.6% compared with the same month last year. Average days on market ticked up to 28, from 25 a year ago. That is not a crash, and it is not a fire sale. It is a market where buyers finally have real choices, and where the difference between a home that sells and a home that sits comes down to pricing and presentation.
I have been a broker in Snohomish County since 2015, with 17 years in real estate overall, and I want to walk you through what this inventory jump actually means in practice. Not the headline version. The version I see in living rooms, at open houses, and at the negotiating table every week.
The July numbers, in plain English
Two data points tell the story:
- Homes for sale: up 36.6% year over year. A buyer shopping this July had roughly a third more homes to consider than a buyer shopping last July.
- Average days on market: 28, up from 25 last year. Homes are taking a few days longer to sell on average. Not months longer. Days.
Put those together and you get a picture of a market that is loosening, not collapsing. Homes are still selling. They are just selling into a more crowded field, to buyers who can afford to be pickier than they have been in years.
The short version: more homes on the market means buyers are comparing more and overlooking less. Condition problems and ambitious pricing that got a pass in a tight market do not get a pass now. Well-priced, well-presented homes still sell quickly. Everything else waits.
What a 36.6% inventory jump actually changes
When inventory rises this much, the shift is less about price and more about behavior. Buyers walk into a showing having already toured three comparable homes that week. They are comparing your kitchen to the one they saw on Tuesday. They notice the deferred maintenance, because the house down the street does not have any. And they are far less willing to overlook a price that was set on hope rather than on comparable sales.
Buyers also have more room to negotiate than they have had in years. Inspection responses, closing credits, timelines: all of it is back on the table. In 2021, asking for repairs could cost you the house. In 2026, it is a normal part of the conversation.
If you are selling: the bar went up, not the door closed
Here is what I want every seller to hear: this is still a market where prepared homes sell at full price. I know because I am selling them.
On July 10, 2026, my Mukilteo listing at 4611 76th Street SW closed at its full $975,000 list price after 39 days on market. In May, my Arlington listing sold at its full $625,000 list price. Neither of those happened by accident, and neither happened because the market was doing sellers any favors. They happened because both homes were priced honestly from day one and presented at their absolute best before the first photo was taken.
Across my listings, my average sale-to-list ratio is 102.3%, against a county average of 100.2%. That two-point gap is the measurable value of preparation and honest pricing. On a $750,000 home, it is worth roughly $15,000.
Three things I would do before listing right now
- Price to the market you are in, not the one you remember. The first weeks of a listing are when buyer attention peaks. I wrote about why in The First 72 Hours, and it matters more now than it did when I wrote it.
- Fix the things buyers will compare. With a third more inventory, your home is being measured against its neighbors in a way it was not last year. Small condition issues now carry real weight.
- Present it fully: prep, staging, professional photography. The homes winning in this market look ready the moment they hit the search results. My seller process is built around exactly this.
If you are buying: this is your best window in years
More homes to choose from, a few more days to decide, and real room to negotiate. That is a meaningful change from the market that burned out so many buyers over the past few years. You can tour a home twice. You can write an offer with an inspection contingency and not feel reckless. You can compare.
One honest caution: the well-priced, well-presented homes still move quickly. If a home has been prepared properly and priced to its comps, you are not the only one who noticed. My current Bothell listing in the Village at Brookshire, listed at $1,150,000, is a good example of what a fully prepared home looks like in this market. When you find that home, be ready to act with confidence, not panic.
What I am telling my own clients
Whether you are on the buying side or the selling side, the story of this market is the same: the fundamentals are back. Preparation, honest pricing, and patience are being rewarded. Shortcuts are being punished, gently but consistently.
If a move is part of your next chapter, this is a market you can work with. It just asks you to do it thoughtfully. That is what I am here for: walking alongside you through the numbers, the prep, and the negotiation, so the decision you make is a clear-eyed one.
Always, Kim
Wondering what this market means for your home?
Call or text me at (425) 250-9422 for a straight answer about your street, your timing, and your numbers. No pressure, no script.
Call Kim at (425) 250-9422Related reading
- How a Mukilteo Home Sold for Full Price in a Cooling Market
- The First 72 Hours: Why They Make or Break Your Home Sale
- How I Help Sellers in Snohomish County
Market statistics above reflect July 2026 Snohomish County data and are subject to change month to month. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. Kim Pelham is a licensed real estate broker in Washington State, brokered by Katrina Eileen Real Estate.