Trade-Up Buyers Find Sweet Spot In King County’s Shifting Housing Market

For the right type of buyer, the current market offers fresh possibilities. Homeowners ready to trade up from their starter homes to larger, more updated dwellings are finding strong interest in their listings, along with a pool of willing sellers ready to negotiate.

The dynamic has created surprising opportunities for strategic buyers. Higher-end properties that might have sold quickly in previous years are now sitting on the market, allowing buyers to negotiate substantial discounts—in some cases, hundreds of thousands below the original asking price. Meanwhile, well-priced starter homes continue to attract multiple offers and sell at or above asking within days.

In 2025, the marketplace experienced fewer sales and a higher inventory than in recent years. However, certain sellers enjoyed strong demand and competitive pricing, creating a tale of two markets.

A new state of balance is beginning to emerge in the region, with buyers and sellers working toward negotiating parity. This shift is demonstrated by the expanding gap between the number of new listings and home sales. While King County’s closed sales dipped 2.9% last year, the number of listings advanced 10.5% year over year. Similarly, Snohomish County saw 5.5% growth in listings and a 4.7% decline in sales.

Tariffs, a weak economy, tech layoffs, and a general sense of uncertainty had a moderating effect on sales. While mortgage rates fell to 6.15% by the end of 2025, it wasn’t enough to entice many buyers.

Despite these factors affecting sales, prices continued to rise. King County had a median single-family home price of $975,000 in 2025, making it the most expensive county for median home prices in the state. Even if someone earned Seattle’s median wage of $118,700 and had a 20% down payment, a 6% interest loan would still consume about half of their monthly income.

This post was based on information found on The Seattle Times.