Q1 2026 Marin Real Estate Market Update: The Market Is Ready. Are You?
So, How's the Market?
It feels like everyone is talking about real estate right now. Neighbors hearing about the property down the street that just got six offers. Mortgage applications spiked. San Francisco activity has increased to the point of pushing buyers north into Marin. The answer to all of it? It's BUSY. The county median held steady at $1,700,000, but zoom in to what is happening town by town and the shift is hard to ignore.
Here is what we saw behind the scenes in Q1.
333 Single-Family Homes Sold Between January 1 and March 31
On the surface that sounds ordinary. Look closer and it tells a more energetic story. 150 of those homes were under contract within eight days. 92 went into contract in under five days, meaning buyers made preemptive offers and skipped the offer date entirely because they found the right home and went for it. 67 traded off-market, never touching the public MLS. And since the quarter closed on March 31, an additional 124 homes have already sold in the last three weeks.
The spring market is hot and it is rewarding the people who are ready for it.
Southern Marin Is in a League of Its Own
Mill Valley's median reached $2,450,000, up 14% year-over-year. Sausalito climbed to $2,340,000, up 26%. Corte Madera hit $2,100,000, up 21%. Larkspur reached $2,559,000, up 9%. Kentfield hit $3,212,500, up 21%. Ross came in at $3,225,000, up 11%.
One Mill Valley home listed at $2,600,000, received 12 offers, and traded $1,100,000 over asking. Six of those offers exceeded $3,000,000, several in cash. Another listed at $2,995,000, received 9 offers, and sold for $3,710,000. In Larkspur, a home listed at $3,395,000 closed at $3,951,000. What do these sales have in common? Every winning offer was non-contingent and ready to bring their best. Every home was well prepared and priced to create competition.
These are the sales the industry is talking about right now, and they are raising the bar for the next good home that inevitably attracts the buyers who lost out on the last one.
The Opportunity Further North Is Real
San Rafael led the entire county in sales volume with 97 homes sold and a 64% jump in transactions year-over-year. Novato followed with 70 sales at a median of $1,350,000. Fairfax came in at $1,415,000, up 16%. San Anselmo and Sleepy Hollow landed at $1,900,000, with buyers willing to wait for the right home.
Real communities, good schools, and significantly more breathing room on price. For buyers who want more house without leaving the county, this corridor deserves a serious look.
Buyers Are Winning Through Access and Relationships
Moving fast in a competitive market can feel like a lot, especially if you are newer to it. What we have learned is that confidence comes from access, and access comes from relationships. Getting our buyers in the door right away, or even a day or two before a home goes public changes the entire energy of writing an offer. You have more time to think, walk through without competing bodies in the room, and make clearer decisions by the time offers are due. And if it feels like “The House”, that early access gives you the opportunity to go in preemptive and not find out what happens if you wait.
Those relationships with agents on both sides of a transaction are something we invest in constantly. They are how we make sure our clients are always at the table.
We don't want to rush you. We want to help you win the house you love. The decision is always yours. Our job is to get you the opportunity.
The Market is Ready. Are you?
Whether you are buying or selling, preparation is what separates a good outcome from a great one. The buyers winning right now are the ones who showed up financially organized, connected to inventory, and confident enough to move when the right home appeared. The sellers winning right now are the ones who came to market thoughtfully prepared and priced with intention.
Buyers are paying premiums for good homes right now. If you have been curious about what your home could be worth, or what preparation would move the needle on your final number, start with our home valuation or read more about selling with us.
Spring is here. The buyers are here. The homes that are ready are the ones getting rewarded.
