Real Estate Market Settles After Turbulent Pandemic Years

The region’s real estate market cooled somewhat last year, but it was far from a downturn. The frenzy of the pandemic years appeared to settle back into a more healthy, sustainable level.

 “There were fewer desperate buyers and desperate sellers in 2025 than we saw at the market’s frenzied peak,” said Cape Cod and Islands Association of Realtors CEO Betsy Hanson. “The market is not a pressure cooker anymore, and both buyers and sellers have time to make more thoughtful decisions about offers.”

 According to the association, home sales were off slightly in Harwich and Orleans but increased in Chatham and Brewster. Median sales prices were down in Brewster and Harwich but up in Chatham and Orleans.

 In Chatham last year, there were 145 single-family home sales, a 3.6 percent increase over 2024. The median sale price increased 10.3 percent to $1,550,000 compared to the previous year. 

 Sales of homes in Harwich dropped by 6.1 percent to 185, with the median price falling 3.5 percent to $800,000. Brewster saw 117 sales of single-family homes, a 10.4 percent increase, with the median sale price falling 3.1 percent to $850,000. In Orleans, there were 88 sales, a 4.3 percent drop over 2024. The median sale price increased by 1.4 percent to $1,255,000.

In all towns, homes were on the market longer, ranging from 42 days in Brewster to 90 days in Chatham. Sellers in all towns also continued to get more than 90 percent of the asking price.

Condominium sales were down in Chatham and Harwich but up in Brewster and Orleans. Condo sale prices were down in all four towns, with average sale prices ranging from $395,000 in Harwich to $480,000 in Chatham.

 Capewide, 3,507 homes were sold last year, according to the association, including 2,753 single-family homes and 754 condominiums, a 2.6 percent drop for houses and a 2.3 increase for condos. The county’s median sale price was $790,000 for single-family homes and $494,500 for condos.

Last year only 209 single-family homes listed for $500,000 or less, a drop from 317 in 2024.

 “Buyers are still active but they’re more deliberate and value-driven,” said Realtor Tony Guthrie of the Guthrie Schofield Group at Berkshire Hathaway Robert Paul Properties. “Quality, condition and location matter more than ever.” He added that buyers are gaining more confidence, accepting the current conditions as the “new normal.” The most activity is ready-to-move-in, well-located homes and “lifestyle properties,” those with water access, walkability and character, he said in an email.

 “The high end is still moving, but it’s selective,” he said. Buyers at that level are looking for the right property. Inventory is limited at lower price levels, “so when something [of] quality comes on, it’s competitive.”

 “Across the board, people aren’t just buying homes,” Guthrie said. “They’re buying into community, lifestyle and long-term connection to the Cape.”