Spring market 2026 is upon us. I’m already feeling the shift. The phone calls are picking up, open houses are getting busier, and buyers who spent the winter on the sidelines are starting to get serious. If you’ve been waiting to make a move, the window is opening.
Here’s what the data is actually telling us right now.
Buyer Demand Is Picking Back Up
After a slow January, there’s a clear rebound happening. The Bright MLS T3 Home Demand Index for the Philadelphia metro climbed from 46 in January to 60 in February—a jump of nearly 28% in a single month. The index is calibrated so that 100 represents a steady, balanced market. We’re still below that, but the direction of movement heading into spring is encouraging.
The National Association of Realtors’ January 2026 Confidence Index gives a similar read. About a third of agents surveyed expect buyer traffic to increase year-over-year in the next three months, up from roughly a quarter of agents who expected that a year ago. More agents are also anticipating an uptick in sellers coming to market. These are leading indicators, not guarantees, but when agent sentiment shifts in the same direction, it tends to foreshadow activity.
What the Numbers Look Like Locally
I pull Bright MLS data regularly for the neighborhoods I work in, and the micro-market picture is worth looking at closely.
In Northwest Philadelphia (covering Chestnut Hill, Mt. Airy, Roxborough, and Manayunk), homes sold at a median price of $405,000 in January and February, with an average of 42 days on market. Current inventory sits at 177 homes with about 4.4 months of supply. That’s more breathing room for buyers than we’ve seen in a while, but still a market that favors sellers when a home is priced and presented well.
Montgomery County is tighter. Median sold price was $440,000 for the same period, with homes moving in just 36 days. Months of supply there is only 2.6, which means well-priced listings are still moving fast.
Philadelphia Is Getting National Attention for Good Reason
This isn’t just a local feeling. Zillow ranked the Philadelphia metro the 6th hottest real estate market in the country for 2026, citing inventory that remains nearly 40% below pre-pandemic levels and a market where two out of five homes sold above asking price over the past year. Zillow projects home values here will grow another 1.7% through October 2026, building on the 3% gain the region posted in 2025. Philadelphia also ranks as one of the more affordable metros on that top-10 list, which continues to be a real draw compared to New York, Boston, and D.C.
I’ll be honest, when I read that stat about inventory being 40% below pre-pandemic norms, it didn’t surprise me. I feel it out there.
What This Means for You
If you’re thinking about selling, the spring window is real. Buyers are returning, inventory is still historically lean, and homes that are ready to show are getting attention.
If you’re a buyer, there’s actually some good news in the NAR data worth noting. Fewer buyers are waiving inspection and appraisal contingencies right now compared to a year ago. That tells me the market has balanced out enough in some areas that you don’t have to give up every protection just to stay competitive.
Either way, I’d love to talk through what this looks like for your specific situation. There’s no substitute for sitting down and looking at the actual comparables for your street or your price range. If you want to grab a coffee and do exactly that, reach out.
Data sources: Bright MLS T3 Home Demand Index (February 2026), Bright MLS Market Statistics (January–February 2026), National Association of Realtors Confidence Index Survey (January 2026), Zillow 2026 Hottest Markets Forecast.