Connecticut Buyer Experience - Summer 2026
While it's a challenging market for buyers, almost 3,200 people got the homes they wanted in May (SMARTMLS Data for May 2026).
What separates the buyers who get the house from the ones who don't?
Priced-Right Homes Are Still Selling Fast
In a nutshell, it's tough for buyers but 'tough' does not mean 'impossible.' You just have to be ready.
Homes that are priced right are selling with multiple offers. Homes that are overpriced are sitting.
The number of homes for sale is up since the beginning of the year. Is that good or bad?
There are about 5692 homes for sale in CT right now. In January there were about 3309 homes for sale. A difference of 2383 homes.
We sold 3190 homes in May (most recent data available) vs 2268 in January. A difference of 922 homes sold.
Inventory represents supply. Sales is a rough stand-in for demand, since not everyone who wants a home gets one. Inventory increased, but so did demand.
In January, it would take 1.5 months to sell all of the homes if no new listings were added. In June, it would take 1.8 months — slightly longer, but that number has been between 1.5 and 2.0 for about 5 years now.
And the increase in supply and demand from January to June is seasonal. More homes are bought and sold in Summer than in Winter, every year.
So, good or bad? Neither — it's normal. This is a market that has stayed tight for five years and shows no sign of loosening.
Why Low Inventory Isn't Going Away
There are 2 main drivers for the low inventory in CT.
First, we're not building enough houses statewide. This is driven by cost, regulatory burden, land availability and labor availability.
For example, I own a house in Branford with just under 0.7 acres. The house sits far to one side of the lot, with plenty of room to build a second home next to it. But the zoning in that area requires 0.5 acre per lot, so I can't split it. That's regulatory burden in practice, land that could hold another home, sitting unused because of a single rule.
Second, household sizes are shrinking while population has stayed flat, which means more units are needed to house the same number of people.
Both of these factors have been in play for 20+ years. And nothing is happening to change them. I did a deep dive on this in another blog. Check it out here.
Low inventory and high demand means upward price pressure. This is true with anything for sale - think about reduced supply and run up in egg prices in 2024 followed by a huge increase in supply and corresponding drop in egg prices in 2025-2026.
So: tight market, staying tight, prices pushed upward. That's the field every buyer is playing on. Nobody won by waiting for an easier market. They won by being ready for this one.
What the Winning Buyers Actually Did
Remember what I said earlier, 3,190 homes sold in May 2026.
That means 3,190 buyers won!
How did they do it?
Preparation and persistence.
Preparation
Understand your personal situation. This includes your financial picture, your current housing, decision makers, decision style, etc.
Define your dream. What are you looking for in a new home? What are you willing/able to pay?
Approach to the real estate market. What is the market like? Are you willing to participate in that market? What strategies work for you based on the market and your personal situation?
And do this work before you find the house. I met new clients at a house in Newington. It was perfect for them but there were already multiple offers. They did not have a pre-approval yet because they wanted to wait until they found the right house. 2 days later they had the pre-approval but the house was already under contract. Do the prep before the house shows up, so you can move the moment it does.
Persistence
Its "time in the market" not "timing the market". No one can predict the market with perfect accuracy. If you have decided you need a new home, prepare for the adventure and get in the game. Every house you see and offer you submit will help you build experience and knowledge of the market. Your agent should be able to provide you with the same.
Make your strongest offer, every time. My advice to clients in current market conditions is "make an offer such that, if you lose out on the house, you can look yourself in the mirror and say 'I did the best I could'." A Cheshire buyer made an offer on some land. He missed by $5,000. He said, "I would have paid $5,000 more! Why didn't they ask me?" The current market conditions required your best offer from the start.
Watch for homes that come back on the market. A Wallingford buyer got beat out by a cash offer. The winning buyer got cold feet and backed out. My client jumped on the opportunity and has been in the house 3 years. A house coming back on the market could be due to house problems or buyer problems. Either way, sellers who just lost a buyer may be looking for a replacement fast. This won't get you a price discount but it is an opportunity to get a home under contract.
Stop Waiting for Rates and Prices to Drop
Don't wait for mortgage rates and/or home prices to drop.
7.7% mortgage rate is the average since 1971 (data before that is not reliable). Everyone is anchored to the 3% rates from 5 years ago but they were historic LOWS reaching 2.65% in Jan 2021, not normal rates. (Housing Almanac)
A Hamden buyer I worked with in 2018 waited for home prices to collapse. They didn't. Prices are up about 80% since then, and rates are up from 3% to over 6%. If you're waiting for price or rates to improve, you're missing out.
Dream to Doorstep: The System That Prevents These Mistakes
Dream to Doorstep is a simple 6 step system that guides you and protects you from stress and frustration.
The first 3 steps are the preparation described above and usually take 15 to 20 minutes to review and no more than a day or two to complete.
Step 4 is finding the right house and convincing the seller you are the "Best Buyer".
Step 5 is all about ensuring a smooth process from contract to the closing table.
Step 6 is support after you move into your new home.
Check out this blog for a deeper dive into Dream to Doorstep.
