Market dashboard · Companion toThe Price Cut Economy
Seller Pricing Trends
How often sellers in the Washington, DC metro are cutting asking prices, from Redfin's and Zillow's own monthly data — each source on its own terms.
Are more sellers cutting asking prices in the Washington, DC metro?
Two separate measures, never one scale. Redfin is shown first: it has the most recent month, comes straight from Redfin's official file and is seasonally adjusted. Zillow is its own view.
Redfin · latest verified month · September 2026
A larger share than a year earlier
18.75%+2.06 pts
of active listings had at least one price drop of 1% or more, September 2026. Change vs Sep 2025 (16.69%).
By Redfin's measure, in September 2026, 18.75% of active listings had at least one price drop of 1% or more — 2.06 percentage points above September 2025 (16.69%). The share has been above its year-earlier level for 3 consecutive months (July–September 2026). Because it ran below 2025 earlier in the year, the January–September 2026 average (17.03%) is still 0.29 points below the same months of 2025 (17.32%).
- Average size of a price drop
- 3.91%+0.04 ptsvs Sep 2025 (3.87%); share of the pre-drop list price, averaged per drop
- Listings with at least one price drop
- 3,594+19.07% (relative change)vs Sep 2025 (3,018); seasonally adjusted count
Descriptive, metro-wide figures. They don't explain why sellers cut, and they are not guidance on whether — or by how much — any individual seller should reduce a price.
Redfin · figure
Share of active listings with a price drop
Percent, monthly, Jan 2025–Sep 2026. Axis starts at 12%.
September 2026: 18.75% · +2.06 pts vs September 2025 (16.69%)
Redfin seasonally adjusts these monthly figures, so month-to-month moves are not simply the listing season. Seasonal factors can be revised. Hover, tap or use the arrow keys to read a month.
View the data behind this chart (Redfin)
| Month | Share | Same month, prior year | Change (pts) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2025 | 14.01% | — | — |
| Feb 2025 | 17.82% | — | — |
| Mar 2025 | 18.01% | — | — |
| Apr 2025 | 18.72% | — | — |
| May 2025 | 18.54% | — | — |
| Jun 2025 | 17.84% | — | — |
| Jul 2025 | 17.50% | — | — |
| Aug 2025 | 16.71% | — | — |
| Sep 2025 | 16.69% | — | — |
| Oct 2025 | 15.73% | — | — |
| Nov 2025 | 15.27% | — | — |
| Dec 2025 | 15.74% | — | — |
| Jan 2026 | 15.47% | 14.01% | +1.46 pts |
| Feb 2026 | 15.45% | 17.82% | −2.37 pts |
| Mar 2026 | 16.71% | 18.01% | −1.30 pts |
| Apr 2026 | 16.69% | 18.72% | −2.03 pts |
| May 2026 | 16.94% | 18.54% | −1.60 pts |
| Jun 2026 | 17.17% | 17.84% | −0.67 pts |
| Jul 2026 | 17.83% | 17.50% | +0.33 pts |
| Aug 2026 | 18.27% | 16.71% | +1.55 pts |
| Sep 2026 | 18.75% | 16.69% | +2.06 pts |
Shown to two decimals; full precision is kept in the data and the download. “—” means no 2024 value is stored, so no same-month change is reported.
What's different about Zillow and Redfin
The two shares sit at different levels because they count different things — not because one is wrong. Compare each source with itself over time, not with the other.
| Aspect | Zillow | Redfin |
|---|---|---|
| What is counted | Listings priced lower at the end of the month than at the start | Active listings with at least one 1–50% drop during the month |
| Smallest cut counted | No minimum stated | 1% of the previous list price (up to 50%) |
| A cut reversed within the month | Not counted (price is back up by month-end) | Counted (a qualifying drop happened) |
| Seasonal treatment | Not described as seasonally adjusted (Raw/Smoothed variant not recorded) | Seasonally adjusted by Redfin |
| Latest verified month | August 2026 | September 2026 |
| Range in this data | 18.11% (Feb 2025) to 28.20% (Aug 2026) | 14.01% (Jan 2025) to 18.75% (Sep 2026) |
Percentage points vs. percent
A change in a share is reported in percentage points — the simple difference between two percentages. Redfin's share went from 16.69% to 18.75%: that is +2.06 pts.
Described in percent, the same move is a +12.35% relative increase. Both are correct; this page uses points for shares so the numbers aren't overstated.
Counts work differently: Redfin's number of listings with a drop changed by +19.07% from a year earlier — a percent change, because a count isn't a share.
Explore further
Every chart and table behind the snapshot
Detailed views for each source. Zillow and Redfin stay on separate axes throughout.
Redfin in detailShare, count and average size of price drops, year-to-date averages, findings and the full monthly table.
Redfin · official data
Price drops in Redfin's official data
Redfin's monthly Price Drops series for the Washington, DC metro area, January 2025 to September 2026. Redfin counts active listings with at least one cut of 1–50% in the month, reports them as a share of active listings, and averages the size of each individual drop. Monthly figures are seasonally adjusted. Each chart has its own scale.
Figure
Share of active listings with a price drop
Percent of active listings, seasonally adjusted. Axis starts at 12%.
What the Redfin data shows
- 1
In September 2026, the latest month in Redfin's file, 18.75% of active Washington, DC metro listings had at least one price drop (seasonally adjusted) — 2.06 points above a year earlier, and the highest monthly value in the January 2025–September 2026 window.
- 2
Year over year, the share was lower from February through June 2026 (2.37 to 0.67 points lower), then higher in July (+0.33 pts), August (+1.55 pts), September (+2.06 pts). January was also higher (+1.46 pts).
- 3
More listings had drops, but a slightly smaller share of all listings: January–September 2026 averaged 3,334 listings with a drop per month, 7.53% more than in 2025, while the share averaged 17.03%, 0.29 points lower. Arithmetically, that implies a larger pool of active listings.
- 4
The average drop was slightly larger than a year earlier in every 2026 month, by 0.03 to 0.15 points; it was 3.91% of the pre-drop price in September 2026 against 3.87% a year earlier.
- 5
Because Redfin's monthly figures are seasonally adjusted, the rise from 15.45% in February to 18.75% in September 2026 is not simply the listing season.
Listings with at least one price drop
Seasonally adjusted count of listings. Axis starts at 2,000.
Average size of a price drop
Percent of the pre-drop list price, averaged per drop. Axis runs 3.5%–4.0%.
Year over year (same month)
Share with a drop: 2026 minus 2025
Percentage points. Bars run from zero; right is higher in 2026.
- Jan
- +1.46 pts (14.01% in 2025, 15.47% in 2026)
- Feb
- −2.37 pts (17.82% in 2025, 15.45% in 2026)
- Mar
- −1.30 pts (18.01% in 2025, 16.71% in 2026)
- Apr
- −2.03 pts (18.72% in 2025, 16.69% in 2026)
- May
- −1.60 pts (18.54% in 2025, 16.94% in 2026)
- Jun
- −0.67 pts (17.84% in 2025, 17.17% in 2026)
- Jul
- +0.33 pts (17.50% in 2025, 17.83% in 2026)
- Aug
- +1.55 pts (16.71% in 2025, 18.27% in 2026)
- Sep
- +2.06 pts (16.69% in 2025, 18.75% in 2026)
- Higher in 2026
- Lower in 2026
Year to date (same months)
Redfin averages
| Measure | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Share with a drop, Jan–Sep | 17.32% | 17.03% |
| Share with a drop, Jan–Aug | 17.39% | 16.81% |
| Listings with a drop per month, Jan–Sep | 3,100 | 3,334 |
| Average drop size, Jan–Sep | 3.76% | 3.85% |
Unweighted means of monthly values. January–August is shown so it lines up with the months Zillow covers.
View the monthly Redfin data table (January 2025 to September 2026)
| Month | Listings with a drop | Share of active listings | Average drop size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2025 | 2,306 | 14.01% | 3.77% |
| Feb 2025 | 3,149 | 17.82% | 3.69% |
| Mar 2025 | 3,300 | 18.01% | 3.74% |
| Apr 2025 | 3,437 | 18.72% | 3.78% |
| May 2025 | 3,391 | 18.54% | 3.74% |
| Jun 2025 | 3,231 | 17.84% | 3.79% |
| Jul 2025 | 3,061 | 17.50% | 3.75% |
| Aug 2025 | 3,008 | 16.71% | 3.74% |
| Sep 2025 | 3,018 | 16.69% | 3.87% |
| Oct 2025 | 2,876 | 15.73% | 3.84% |
| Nov 2025 | 2,781 | 15.27% | 3.84% |
| Dec 2025 | 2,957 | 15.74% | 3.85% |
| Jan 2026 | 3,011 | 15.47% | 3.84% |
| Feb 2026 | 3,005 | 15.45% | 3.83% |
| Mar 2026 | 3,425 | 16.71% | 3.83% |
| Apr 2026 | 3,414 | 16.69% | 3.82% |
| May 2026 | 3,376 | 16.94% | 3.85% |
| Jun 2026 | 3,321 | 17.17% | 3.85% |
| Jul 2026 | 3,353 | 17.83% | 3.86% |
| Aug 2026 | 3,504 | 18.27% | 3.89% |
| Sep 2026 | 3,594 | 18.75% | 3.91% |
Counts are Redfin's seasonally adjusted estimates (fractional in the file), shown rounded to whole listings. Percentages shown to two decimals; full precision is kept.
Zillow in detailThe monthly share with findings, each year overlaid by month, same-month changes and year-to-date averages.
Zillow · verified data
Share of listings with a price cut
Zillow's monthly share of listings with a price cut for the Washington, DC metropolitan area, January 2025 to August 2026 — the months supplied for this article. Each point is a published monthly value; nothing is estimated between or after them.
Figure
Monthly share of listings with a price cut
Percent of listings, Washington, DC metro. Axis starts at 15%.
View data table for Zillow monthly share of listings with a price cut, January 2025 to August 2026
| Month | Share with a cut |
|---|---|
| Jan 2025 | 19.42% |
| Feb 2025 | 18.11% |
| Mar 2025 | 19.23% |
| Apr 2025 | 21.07% |
| May 2025 | 23.69% |
| Jun 2025 | 25.67% |
| Jul 2025 | 27.28% |
| Aug 2025 | 27.21% |
| Sep 2025 | 28.01% |
| Oct 2025 | 28.06% |
| Nov 2025 | 27.13% |
| Dec 2025 | 23.75% |
| Jan 2026 | 21.02% |
| Feb 2026 | 18.81% |
| Mar 2026 | 19.30% |
| Apr 2026 | 20.02% |
| May 2026 | 22.82% |
| Jun 2026 | 25.05% |
| Jul 2026 | 27.09% |
| Aug 2026 | 28.20% |
What the Zillow data shows
- 1
January–August 2026 averaged 22.79% of listings with a price cut, against 22.71% in the same months of 2025 — essentially unchanged (+0.08 pts).
- 2
Month-matched differences were mixed: higher in January, February, August; essentially flat in March (+0.07 pts); lower in April, May, June, July.
- 3
Both years follow the same seasonal shape: a February low (18.11% in 2025, 18.81% in 2026) rising through the summer. In 2025 the share peaked at 28.06% in October and eased to 23.75% by December.
- 4
August 2026, at 28.20%, is the highest monthly value in the January 2025–August 2026 window, 0.99 points above August 2025. It is the last verified observation in this file, so whether autumn 2026 exceeds 2025's October peak cannot yet be said.
- 5
Full-year 2025 averaged 24.05%. No full-year 2026 figure is reported.
Descriptive only. A higher share means more listings were priced lower at month-end than at month-start; it says nothing about cut size, repeated cuts or why sellers cut.
Zillow · month-matched comparisons
Seasonal and year-over-year, kept apart
The share of listings with a cut rises and falls with the listing season, so a month-to-month rise is not a year-over-year rise. These three views keep the questions separate, using Zillow's series. Redfin's monthly figures are seasonally adjusted, so they appear in their own section.
Seasonal pattern (within a year)
Each year's months, overlaid
Month-to-month movement within each year, overlaid by calendar month. Uses the Zillow series as supplied; whether it is Raw or Smoothed is not recorded in the file.
- 2025 (full year)
- 2026 (January–August)
Month-to-month changes in an unadjusted series mostly reflect the calendar, not a change in seller expectations. Redfin's monthly series are seasonally adjusted, so they cannot show this shape.
Year over year (same month)
2026 minus the same month of 2025
Percentage points. Bars run from zero; right is higher in 2026.
- Jan
- +1.60 pts (19.42% in 2025, 21.02% in 2026)
- Feb
- +0.70 pts (18.11% in 2025, 18.81% in 2026)
- Mar
- +0.07 pts (19.23% in 2025, 19.30% in 2026)
- Apr
- −1.05 pts (21.07% in 2025, 20.02% in 2026)
- May
- −0.88 pts (23.69% in 2025, 22.82% in 2026)
- Jun
- −0.63 pts (25.67% in 2025, 25.05% in 2026)
- Jul
- −0.20 pts (27.28% in 2025, 27.09% in 2026)
- Aug
- +0.99 pts (27.21% in 2025, 28.20% in 2026)
- Higher in 2026
- Lower in 2026
Compare each provider with itself only. Levels are not comparable across Zillow and Redfin.
Year to date (same months)
Jan–Aug average
- Jan–Aug 2025
- 22.71%
- Jan–Aug 2026
- 22.79%
- Difference
- +0.08 pts
- Months compared
- 8
Unweighted mean of the same calendar months in each year, stating exactly which months are included.
Covers only the months published so far; a partial year is not a full-year result.
Zillow and Redfin side by sideEach on its own axis, plus whether their year-over-year changes moved in the same direction.
Two sources
Zillow and Redfin, never on one scale
The two shares measure different things: Zillow compares each listing's end-of-month and start-of-month price, while Redfin counts any drop of at least 1% during the month and adjusts for the season. Their levels are not comparable, so each is shown on its own axis, and only the direction of each one's year-over-year change is compared.
Zillow · share of listings with a price cut
Percent of listings; month-end vs month-start. Axis 15%–30%. Through August 2026.
Redfin · share of active listings with a drop
Percent of active listings; any 1–50% drop; seasonally adjusted. Axis 12%–20%. Through September 2026.
Direction of year-over-year change
Same direction in 5 of 8 months
Each provider's 2026 value minus its own value for the same month of 2025, in percentage points. Changes under 0.10 points count as flat.
| Month | Zillow (pts) | Redfin (pts) | Same direction? |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | +1.60 pts | +1.46 pts | Yes |
| February | +0.70 pts | −2.37 pts | No |
| March | +0.07 pts | −1.30 pts | No |
| April | −1.05 pts | −2.03 pts | Yes |
| May | −0.88 pts | −1.60 pts | Yes |
| June | −0.63 pts | −0.67 pts | Yes |
| July | −0.20 pts | +0.33 pts | No |
| August | +0.99 pts | +1.55 pts | Yes |
How this is measured
Definitions, a worked example and the full method
What each provider counts, why the same headline number can describe different seller behavior, and what this data can and cannot show.
Provider definitions, line by lineWhat one unit is, what is counted, the denominator, minimum cut, seasonal treatment and what each cannot show.
Provider definitions
What each provider actually counts
Zillow and Redfin publish related but non-equivalent measures of seller price reductions. Choose any two to compare their definitions line by line. Definitions are paraphrased from each provider's own data pages.
| Term | ZillowShare of listings with a price cut | RedfinShare of active listings with a price drop |
|---|---|---|
| One unit is | Listings | Listings |
| What is counted | Unique properties whose list price at the end of the month is lower than their list price at the beginning of the month. | Listings with at least one qualifying price drop in the period. |
| Divided by | Unique properties with an active listing at some point during the month. | Active listings — homes for sale at any point during the period. |
| Minimum cut | Zillow's published definition does not state a minimum cut size. | At least 1% and no more than 50% of the previous list price. |
| Period | Month (also published on a weekly cadence). | Month, or the last four weeks for weekly data. |
| Seasonal treatment | Published as Raw and Smoothed series. Zillow's data page does not describe either as seasonally adjusted. | Monthly figures are seasonally adjusted; weekly figures are not. |
| Variants | All homes or single-family only; monthly or weekly. | Monthly or weekly. |
| Geography | Metro and U.S. | Metro-level downloads available from Redfin's Data Center. |
| Cannot show | A cut that is reversed before month-end; how many times a listing was cut; how large the cuts were. | Repeated reductions on the same listing; the size of the drops. |
| Source | Zillow data page (opens in a new tab) | Redfin data page (opens in a new tab) |
None of these aggregates identifies individual listings or shows how many times a given property was cut.
One fictional month, counted three waysFour invented listings show how the same month produces different results under each definition.
Illustrative example
One fictional month, counted three ways
Four made-up listings over one month. Switch the lens to see which listings — or which individual drops — each published definition would count.
Illustrative — fictional. These listings are invented to explain the definitions. They are not observed listings and say nothing about the DC market.
| Listing | Start of month | Changes | End of month | Counted? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $600,000 |
| $570,360 | Yes |
| 2 | $500,000 |
| $497,500 | Yes |
| 3 | $450,000 |
| $450,000 | No |
| 4 | $700,000 | No change | $700,000 | No |
Percent changes are relative to the price just before each change.
Zillow-style rule · fictional
50.00%
share of listings with a cut
Listings 1 and 2 end the month below where they started. Listing 3's cut was reversed, so it is not counted. Listing 1's two cuts count once. Listing 2's 0.5% cut counts because the published definition states no minimum.
Both share rules give 50.00% — but they count different listings. The same headline number can describe different seller behavior.
Illustrative · fictional listings · not observed data · simplified to the published definitions.
Data statusWhat is loaded, what is unavailable and what the official files do not publish.
Data status
What the analysis still needs
Loaded: Zillow's monthly share of listings with a price cut (January 2025–August 2026) and Redfin's official monthly Price Drops series (January 2025–September 2026). Zillow's cut-size series awaits validation, and Redfin publishes no monthly sold-with-a-drop or unadjusted series in that file — none of them is shown.
- ZillowShare of listings with a price cut — monthly, Washington, DC metroLoaded: January 2025–August 2026 from the author-supplied CSV. Still needed: the original download date and confirmation of the series variant (Raw or Smoothed; all homes or single-family).Loaded
- ZillowMean and median price cut (%) — Raw, All Homes, MonthlySame metro and months, to describe cut size alongside cut frequency.Unavailable — pending source validation
- RedfinPrice drops — homes with a drop, share of active listings, average drop size (monthly)Loaded: January 2025–September 2026 from Redfin's official Price Drops file (region ID 47894, Washington, DC metro area; seasonally adjusted; downloaded November 3, 2026).Loaded
- RedfinShare of homes sold with a price drop (monthly)Not published in Redfin's monthly Price Drops file. A four-week count of homes sold with drops exists in a separate weekly file but is not used, because its frequency does not match.Not in the official monthly file
- RedfinNot-seasonally-adjusted monthly price-drop seriesNot published in the monthly file (Redfin flags this metro's monthly data as seasonally adjusted), so Redfin cannot show the seasonal shape.Not in the official monthly file
Method, sources and limitationsGeography, provenance of each series, how comparisons are made and what no aggregate can show.
Method & limitations
How to read this tool
Monthly values are exactly as supplied; definitions come from each provider's published pages. Nothing here is modeled, forecast or filled in.
Geography
The Washington, DC metropolitan area as defined by each provider — a multi-jurisdiction region, not the District alone. Zillow publishes price-cut data for metros and the U.S.
Non-equivalent measures
Zillow compares end-of-month with start-of-month list prices; Redfin counts listings with at least one drop of 1–50% during the period, and averages drop size per drop. Compare each provider with itself, not with the other.
The Zillow series
Share of listings with a price cut, monthly, Washington, DC metro, from the author-supplied file project02_dc_five_zillow_indicators_2022_2026.csv. Original download date not recovered; Raw vs Smoothed variant not recorded. August 2026 is the last verified observation. Values shown to two decimals.
The Redfin series
Redfin Data Center, Price Drops (monthly), region "Washington, DC metro area" (Redfin region ID 47894): listings with at least one 1–50% drop, their share of active listings, and average drop size. Seasonally adjusted; file last modified October 29, 2026, downloaded November 3, 2026; September 2026 is the last month. No monthly sold-with-a-drop series is published in this file.
Comparisons
Year-over-year figures compare each 2026 month with the same month of 2025, only where both are stored. Year-to-date averages are unweighted means of the same months in each year. No full-year 2026 figure is reported. Changes under 0.10 points are described as about the same.
Points and percent
Changes in shares are percentage points (the difference between two percentages). Changes in Redfin's count of listings with a drop are relative percent changes.
Seasonality
Redfin's monthly series are seasonally adjusted and can be revised; Zillow publishes Raw and Smoothed series. Seasonal and year-over-year comparisons are kept separate.
What no aggregate shows
Which listings were cut, how many times a property was cut, or why. These are metro-level summaries, not listing records, and not advice on how any individual seller should price a home.
The fictional example
Four invented listings over one month, simplified to the published definitions. Not observed listings and not a description of the DC market.
The research behind this dashboard
The Price Cut Economy
The full article walks through both sources, what 2026 shows month by month, and what the data cannot tell us about seller expectations.