Life in the Pacific Northwest is largely defined by water, whether it’s our ubiquitous rainfall or the lakes, saltwater bays, islands, and peninsulas that prehistoric glaciers left for us to enjoy. Many fortunate residents find harbor along these coveted shorelines, and our real estate advisors take great pride in analyzing the rare opportunity to own a piece of Washington’s precious shoreline.
The 2023 Waterfront Report explores the five-year seasonal view of the listing and selling trends across Washington’s most coveted waterfront counties. From King to Kitsap, Snohomish to Skagit, these market observations will give you the knowledge you need to inform the next steps of your real estate journey, whether you expect to sell a waterfront home or buy one of your own.
King County
If you’re keeping an eye on the King County housing market, you may have noticed a trend over the past 5 years. New listings tend to appear between April and May, while closed sales typically peak in June and July. However, in 2022 we saw a noticeable slowdown in closed sales.
Pierce County
New listings typically outpace closed waterfront sales in Pierce County, but the seasonality is predictable year over year. Listings hit the market in May and June, and the peak closing time is June and July, sometimes lingering into August.
Snohomish County
Snohomish County waterfront listings and sales follow predictable market patterns. New listings typically hit the market during the spring sales surge. Buyers, however, may not be ready to pull the trigger on these homes until the summer months of June through August when closed sales typically peak.
Kitsap County
The waterfront seasons in Kitsap County fall later in the year compared to the urban markets of Western Washington. New listings tend to have mini peaks throughout the year, with most closed sales picking up between August and early fall.
Clallam County
After peaking in June of 2021, closed sales started to tick down, and 2022 never quite reached the months of high closed sales experienced in previous years. Still, preparing to list a home ahead of the summer-fall busy season is ideal for sellers.
Grays Harbor County
New listings for waterfront homes tend to hit the market at the start of the traditional spring selling season. However, the peak of closed waterfront sales tends to pick up mid-to-late summer. Year over year, closed sales have decreased since their peak in 2020.
Jefferson County
Waterfront sales in Jefferson County are less predictable and not as tied to the seasons as other counties’ waterfront real estate sales may be. There is a trend of new listings hitting the market during the spring sales surge, though when they’ll sell—early summer or late—depends on the year.
Pacific County
The rolling trends of new listings and closed sales in Pacific County don’t follow the strict seasonality of other counties. However, when reviewing the trends over the past five years, it’s easy to see when the market was hottest (2020) and how it started to cool in 2021 and 2022.
Island County
In 2022, closed sales didn’t follow the regular pattern established during the previous four years. Likely, shifting market conditions had something to do with a spike, then a dip in closed sales. Still, summer is the prime time to close a waterfront sale, so listing just ahead of the rush is key.
San Juan County
Over the past three years, new listings have remained fairly steady. However, closed sales, after peaking in 2020, trended down year over year, with peaks occurring in the summer and fall, though not with the same regularity as in other counties.
Whatcom County
In 2020 and 2021, new listings appeared to keep pace with closed sales. Before the pandemic era, and in 2022, new listings far outpaced the closed sales. The shifting market also had an impact on when closed sales peaked in 2022.
Skagit County
From 2018 through 2021, closed sales and listings followed a familiar pattern, with closings peaking around July and sometimes carrying on at high volume through the fall. But in 2022, amid the shifting market, late summer and fall saw the majority of closed sales.
