Doron's Vlog

Hi, I’m Doron Weisbarth with Weisbarth & Associates, and welcome to my November 2025 Market Update! With everything going on in the world right now—from political upheaval to tech layoffs, AI disruptions, wars, and Cal Raleigh coming in second on the MVP list—you might think the real estate market would be more jittery than a squirrel at a rave. Normally, you’d expect that kind of uncertainty to make buyers hit pause and sellers second-guess their timing. But that’s not what’s happening. And that’s exactly why I always caution against relying too heavily on year-over-year comparisons. The world today is not the same as it was a year ago—economically, socially, or emotionally. And if you’re trying to make decisions about buying or selling a home, you need to know what’s happening right now.  So let’s take a look at the charts.  For the past six months, King County’s real estate market has been remarkably steady. The number of pending and closed sales has held a consistent pace since May. Even inventory—the number of homes for sale—has stayed steady, albeit at levels higher than we’ve seen since mid-2022.  And prices? With higher supply and lower demand you’d expect prices to take a sharp turn downward. But they too have been mostly steady, in places even inching up a bit. Not dramatically, but enough to notice. And just to be clear, while I use King County’s data to illustrate my points, the same trends apply to the other local counties as well.  Now, in most years, the fourth quarter brings a noticeable slowdown. But this year? Not so much—at least not yet. October held firm across the board, defying the usual seasonal dip. By the way, if you’d like to review this graph and explore all the data in more detail, you can find it in my November newsletter—available online and for download, for free, at Weisbarth.com/newsletter . That’s Weisbarth.com/newsletter . So, what does this mean if you’re planning to sell? Typically, the fourth quarter can be a tougher time for sellers. But 2025 has been the exception—a steady year in an otherwise volatile world. The real question is: what happens after the first of the year? If the trend of the past 15 plus years will hold again, then the market activity will reset starting in early January and we will see a surge of new buyers hit the market, just as the inventory level will hit it’s lowest point of the year.  Now, if you’re hoping to sell before the end of this year, the good news is that the window hasn’t closed—yet. The market is still active, and with the right strategy, you can absolutely make a successful sale this season. But if you’re flexible, waiting until the first quarter might be the stronger play, since that’s when buyer activity typically surges. Either way, the key is having a plan that fits your goals—and that’s where my team and I come in. We’ll help you fine-tune your pricing, prep, and marketing to make sure you’re set up for success. So, if you’re thinking about buying or selling—or you know someone who is—let’s talk. You can reach me directly at 206-779-9808 —that’s 206-779-9808 —or by text or email, or click on the link below. And remember, when you work with us, you’re also helping support Akin , an incredible nonprofit that helps kids and families in need thrive. Your real estate decisions make a real difference in our community, and that’s something we’re very proud of. Thanks for watching! Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and follow for more updates—and be sure to check out the full November newsletter at Weisbarth.com/newsletter . I’m Doron Weisbarth with Weisbarth & Associates—stay warm and enjoy your Thanksgiving, and I’ll see you next month!

Hi, I’m Doron Weisbarth with Weisbarth & Associates, and welcome to my July 2025 Market Update! June gave us a market surprise that turned some heads —and this time, in a good way. After a sluggish and jittery spring—complete with stock market swings, economic uncertainty, and the announcement of new tariffs—King County’s housing market pulled a sharp move. Not only did the number of closed sales jump, but so did prices… especially at the high end. As always, the full story lives in the details, so let’s dig into the data. I was curious to see if there were any differences in market activity when looking at the data in three different segments of the market for single family home in King county.  This first chart shows the absorption rate in June—that’s the number of pending sales divided by new listings, which tells us how quickly the market is soaking up new inventory.  Across all three major price points—under $750k, $750k to $1M, and over $1M—the absorption rate rose by about 6%. Final rates were 65%, 66%, and 55% respectively. So while the increase was uniform, the high-end market is still moving more slowly overall. But that’s not the whole story. Here’s where it gets interesting. Take a look at this second chart showing the number of homes sold in each price bracket. Even though the high-end market had the slowest absorption, it still saw a noticeable jump in sales volume. It wasn’t a broad-based surge—it was a targeted burst of activity from high-end buyers who are often less affected by interest rates or market jitters. And that’s what brings us to this third chart—median home prices by segment. You can see that prices rose most dramatically in the higher-end tier. So even though absorption was lower, that concentrated buying pressure on fewer premium homes pushed prices sharply higher. So it’s not that prices jumped across the board—it’s that a handful of heavyweight sales tipped the scales. Pretty wild, right? Now, you might be wondering—with slower absorption and economic jitters—what’s keeping this market from tipping? One key factor is the sharp drop in new listings , which fell 20% to 30% across all price tiers from May to June. That helped keep inventory from ballooning out of control—and in turn, supported pricing. Another metric we track is what we call the demand ratio —pending sales relative to the total number of homes available for sale. That ratio stayed flat from May to June in all price segments, which tells us that while activity increased, the pace of listings declined enough to keep things in relative balance. By the way, if you want to review all of these charts and explore the data at your own pace, you’ll find everything in my July newsletter—available online and for download, for free, at Weisbarth.com/newsletter . That’s Weisbarth.com/newsletter . So what’s the takeaway? The high-end market may be slower-moving, but it’s leading in price appreciation. And while overall buyer confidence isn’t quite where we’d like it to be, lower inventory and targeted demand are keeping this market resilient. If you’re planning to buy or sell this year, strategy matters more than ever. My team and I will help you build a plan that fits the moment—no matter what kind of market we’re in. And remember: when you work with us, you’re also supporting Akin , an amazing nonprofit helping kids and families in need thrive. Your real estate decisions are making a real difference in our community, and we’re so proud to be a part of that. So if you’re ready to make a move—or if you’d like to refer someone—reach out. You can email, text, or use the contact info in the newsletter. But the best way? Just give me a call at 206-779-9808 . That’s 206-779-9808 . I love talking with new people and helping out. Thanks for watching! Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and follow for more updates. And be sure to check out the full July newsletter at Weisbarth.com/newsletter . I’m Doron Weisbarth with Weisbarth & Associates, enjoy this amazing weather, and I’ll see you next month.

Hi, I’m Doron Weisbarth with Weisbarth & Associates, and welcome to my May 2025 Market Update! April gave us one of the stranger market updates we’ve seen in a long while, maybe forever—a real mix of signals that made it harder than usual to interpret what’s going on. Let’s start with the facts.  New listings for single family homes in King County were up 25% over last year—a huge jump. Seattle saw a similar increase at 22%.  I marked the area where I want you to focus your attention with red arrows. This wasn’t just a one-off either; it followed a similar surge in March, so the month-over-month increase was also pretty significant. Normally, you’d expect pending sales to follow suit—but that’s not what happened. Pending sales in King County actually declined  compared to last year, and they barely budged from March, and in Seattle, the numbers increase just slightly from last year. The result? A sharp increase in the total number of homes for sale: up 72% countywide and 59% in Seattle. That is just mind boggling!  And here’s where it gets even more confusing—prices. Median prices shot up to their highest level ever, both in King County and right here in Seattle. So inventory is climbing, buyer activity is flat, and yet prices hit record highs. What’s going on? If you’ve been following my updates, you already know the saying: a confused mind will do nothing. And I think that’s exactly what happened here. First, the implementation of new tariffs sent a jolt through the markets and preceded a notable crash in the stock market. That spooked a lot of buyers—especially those who were planning to fund their home purchase by cashing out stock. Add to that the sudden spike in mortgage interest rates, which shot back up above 7% after spending a good stretch in the mid-6s, and the result was a lot of uncertainty. And as we all know, uncertainty makes people freeze. By the way, if you want to take a closer look at this data and read the full report at your own pace, you’ll find everything in my May newsletter, available online and for download, for free, at Weisbarth.com/Newsletter—that’s Weisbarth.com/Newsletter . Now, the good news is that, as of this recording, interest rates are very slowly beginning to ease back down, the stock market has bounced back, and the broader economy seems to be chugging along just fine. We are seeing more buyer activity again—not as much as we’d like, but the trend is heading in the right direction. And for buyers who’ve gotten used to low inventory levels over the past many years, this recent spike in listings might actually be the nudge they needed to jump back in. For sellers, that’s good news. Because even in a wobbly market, more listings and more choices mean buyers could re-engage—and with prices still holding strong, that creates opportunity. Now, we can’t predict or control erratic market swings, but what we can control—especially in times like these—is smart pricing and strategic marketing. That’s where our team shines. So, if you or someone you know is planning a move soon, let’s talk. We offer a no-obligation consultation where we’ll show you exactly how to tailor our proven systems to your needs—whether you’re buying, selling, or both. And remember, when you work with us, you’re also helping support Akin—an amazing nonprofit that helps kids and families in need thrive. Your business and referrals make a real difference in the community, and with everything that’s going on right now, your help is needed more than ever. So if you’d like to talk—or you want to refer someone—just reach out. You can email, text, or use the contact info in the newsletter. But the best way? Just give me a call directly at 206-779-9808. That’s 206-779-9808. I’d love to connect with new people.  Thanks for tuning in! Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and follow for more updates, and be sure to check out the full May newsletter at Weisbarth.com/newsletter . I’m Doron Weisbarth with Weisbarth & Associates, thanks for watching and I’ll see you next month!