Dip in Local Real Estate Blamed on Weather

Kristen Keegan, 2026 president of MAR

The Massachusetts Association of REALTORS® (MAR) housing data for February 2026 reports closed sales and new listings significantly decreased for single-family homes and condominiums year-over-year.2026 MAR Housing Snapshot

• The median sales price for single-family homes increased by 1.7% and decreased by 3.8% for condominiums since February 2025.
• Since February 2025, closed sales for single-family homes decreased by 12.4% and by 12.1% for condominiums.
• New listings for single-family homes decreased by 14.7% and by 6.1% for condominiums since February 2025.

Joselin Malkhasian, MAR's 2026 President of the Greater Boston Region, noted that, like in years past, Franklin and Medway are both experiencing extremely low inventory at all levels, single-family, condo and multi-family units.

"We are currently at the very beginning of the spring market," she noted.  Historically speaking,she continued, New England is incredibly season sensitive when it comes to our housing inventory. We tend to see the lowest levels of inventory (homes for sale) between January and March. This year we had a slight delay to the market due to back-to-back snowstorms in January and February, causing listings to be further delayed. "Now that the snow is melting, we are starting to see an uptick in new listings hitting the market, and inventory will increase from here," said  Malkhasian.

Malkhasian also noted that  MAR is seeing a slight reprieve as we have more homes on the market this year than we did at this same time last year. Franklin is up 22% in single-family inventory and up 28% when looking at single-family, condos, and multi-family. The average days on market has increased as well.

Similarly, Medway is up 43% in single-family inventory and up 75% up for single-family, condos and multi-family, however the days on market in Medway has actually decreased since last year. Although the percentages seem higher, it is just because the actual units are so low. Medway and Franklin are both experiencing extremely low inventory.

In terms of statewide trends, Massachusetts is up 13% for single-family homes and 18% for SF, MF and condos. The average days on market for the state has increased as well.
While the decline in closed sales and new listings for both single family homes and condominiums represents a continued downward trend, harsh winter conditions undoubtedly played a role in reduced buyer activity. With the weather improving and an increase in pending sales, there is reason for optimism that we will see more interest from buyers and sellers in the coming months.

“It’s common to see a decrease in activity in the winter, especially considering the extreme weather in February,” said Kristen Keegan, 2026 president of MAR and broker representing Silver Key Homes Realty. “Mortgage rates have also been a rollercoaster lately, swinging as markets react to new economic data and global events. In this kind of environment, staying in close contact with your REALTOR® and lender is key to taking advantage of rate dips. As we turn the corner towards warmer weather, we anticipate renewed market participation, which hopefully leads to a very active spring.”

For a complete breakdown of MAR statewide housing data, please visit: http://www.marealtor.com/market-data.February 2026 Data