Nine Windermere-affiliated brokers took part in the 10 most expensive real estate transactions in greater Seattle in February.

Many Americans are planning a move this year, driven by lifestyle changes, family needs and homeownership goals, according to the 2026 State of Moving Forecast Survey by American Home Shield. 

An $18 million home with lakefront access tops the February ranking of the 10 most expensive new listings in Seattle.

U.S. home sales declined 6% year over year and 32% month over month in January, according to the latest REMAX National Housing Report.  

After five years of worsening, housing affordability has finally started to improve, according to a new Redfin study. 

With mortgage rates approaching 6%, 5.5 million additional buyers that could not qualify for a mortgage one year ago would qualify at today’s lower rates, the National Association of REALTORS® said. 

Estates in Bellevue and Clyde Hill topped the list of the 10 most expensive Seattle-area home sales in January.

As the housing market continues to adjust, design and community strategy have become drivers of buyer preference, according to Jenni Nichols, vice president of design at John Burns Research and Consulting.

In this edition of Local Look, Windermere Principal Economist Jeff Tucker explains how homebuyers have increasingly gained leverage in the local housing market as home prices have softened.

“Congratulations to the 2025 top performers for another extraordinary year leading luxury for our brokerage and for our industry alike,” said President and CEO Dean Jones.

Affordable units — defined by RentCafe as those where rent doesn’t exceed 30% of the area median income — now make up nearly one in four new apartments in Seattle.

Zillow’s Home Value Index shows that in 13 of the past 20 years, home values in the metro area of the Super Bowl champion grew faster than the national average.

The priciest Seattle homes added to the market in the past month range in price from $3.298 million to nearly $10 million.

Seattle ranked No. 13 in the nation in RentCafe’s 2026 Most Livable U.S. Metro Areas report. That ranking would have been higher — if not for the city’s high cost of living.

Middle-income seniors stand to be affected most by projected shortages — those who don’t qualify for subsidized housing but can’t afford new construction.

NWMLS noted that the median home price reflects “a decade of sustained home value growth,” given the median of $310,000 in 2015.