Should You Sell in Early 2026? Here’s the Truth

Should You Sell in Early 2026? Here’s the Truth

As we move into the final weeks of 2025, many homeowners are asking the same question:

“Should I sell early next year… or wait?”

It’s a fair question — and a complicated one.

The housing market across the Portland metro area isn’t behaving the way the headlines suggest. Instead of rising or falling in one direction, the market is splitting, with some neighborhoods accelerating and others cooling. Buyer motivations are shifting. Inventory is creeping up in certain pockets and shrinking in others. And the ripple effects from the Intel layoffs of July 2025 continue to reshape seller behavior in ways most homeowners haven’t fully recognized yet.

So the real question isn't simply “Should I sell?”
It’s “What kind of market will YOU be selling into in early 2026?”

Let’s break down what’s real, what’s noise, and what the data actually tells us about timing your move next year.

The Truth: Early 2026 Will Be a Window — But Only for Certain Sellers

Every real estate cycle has what I call a “quiet window” — a period when buyers are active, but competing sellers haven’t yet woken up for the season.

For 2026, that window is shaping up to be January through March.

Why?

Because three things are going to happen all at once:

1. Rates are expected to ease modestly, drawing sidelined buyers back into the search.
2. Inventory will jump in April, as it does every spring — especially this year, when pent-up sellers finally re-enter.
3. Certain neighborhoods in Hillsboro and Washington County are in their strongest position in years, thanks to price corrections leveling off and demand stabilizing.

But here’s the key:

If you list before the wave, you get the attention.
If you list during the wave, you get the competition.

Let’s explore which sellers should move early — and which may want to wait.

Three Reasons Selling Early in 2026 Makes More Sense Than People Realize

1. Buyer Psychology Shifts Dramatically After New Year’s

The final weeks of the year feel quiet — but that has nothing to do with demand. It has everything to do with distraction.

Once January hits, a large number of serious buyers re-enter the market with:

• New job assignments
• Relocation packages
• Goals to “buy by spring”
• Renewed pre-approvals
• Fresh urgency

But here’s the twist:

Even though buyer activity jumps in January…
most sellers don’t list until April.

This creates a rare three-month imbalance:
high motivation from buyers, low competition from sellers.

If you want leverage, you list during that imbalance — not after it.

2. Hillsboro Is Now a Neighborhood-Driven Market (Not a Citywide One)

The days of “Hillsboro is hot” or “Hillsboro is cooling” are over.
The market now moves block by block, neighborhood by neighborhood, employer by employer.

Here are the biggest micro-market truths heading into 2026:

• South Hillsboro = Fastest market in the city

Homes here sell in ~18 days, with strong demand from upsizers and Portland relocators.

• Orenco Station & AmberGlen = Value correction + motivated sellers

Intel proximity has created pricing pressure, but buyers are returning for value in 2026.

• Jackson School & Tanasbourne = Stable equity, long-term owners, predictable demand

A sweet spot for sellers who want a calmer market.

• Reed’s Crossing = Still the crown jewel for lifestyle buyers

The Town Center arriving in 2025/2026 is a game-changing amenity.

If your neighborhood is high-demand or high-transition,
selling early gives you control before the rest of the market catches on.

3. The Spring Surge Could Be Bigger — and More Competitive — Than Normal

Because 2025 has been a transitional market, thousands of would-be sellers have been waiting:

• Downsizers
• Move-up families
• Relocators
• Investors
• Long-term homeowners eyeing new construction

When interest rates ease into the high 5s or low 6s (as forecasted), a lot of those “wait-and-see” sellers will suddenly become “let’s-do-this” sellers.

Meaning:

Spring 2026 will have more listings than Spring 2025 — and possibly more than the market needs.

Competition is coming.

Early movers will avoid it entirely.

Who Should Sell in Early 2026?

Here are the groups positioned to win big from a January–March timeline:

1. Homeowners in Fast-Moving Submarkets (South Hillsboro, Reed’s Crossing)

If your home is in:

• South Hillsboro
• Reed’s Crossing
• Newer communities 2018+

You are in the best position of any seller in Hillsboro.

Your buyer pool is:

• Active
• Lifestyle-driven
• Less rate-sensitive
• More likely to move during the school-year transition

And with demand projected to stay strong into early 2026, listing before April could mean:

• Faster offers
• Stronger price outcomes
• Less competition from similar listings
• More upsizers entering the market

This is one of the most favorable micro-markets heading into the new year.

2. Sellers Who Want to Move Into New Construction

Builders will continue offering early-year incentives on:

• Closing credits
• Rate buy-downs
• Upgrades
• Quick-move-in homes

If you plan to buy new in 2026, the smartest path is:

Sell early → Lock incentives → Move with confidence.

By spring, incentives often tighten as buyer traffic increases.

3. Sellers With High Equity Who Don’t Want to Renovate

If you’ve owned your home for:

• 7+ years
• 15+ years
• Or since early 2000s

…you likely have strong equity even if prices began leveling off in 2025.

And early 2026 buyers — especially those coming from Portland — are prioritizing:

• Location
• Space
• Neighborhood feel

They are not demanding perfection.

In a cooling-but-still-active market, you can sell as-is far more easily in early 2026 than later next year.

4. Owners in Intel-Adjacent Neighborhoods Who Want Predictability

Orenco Station, AmberGlen, and North Hillsboro will continue experiencing:

• Motivated sellers
• Value-driven buyers
• Competitive pricing
• Longer days on market

But here’s the opportunity:

Early in the year, buyer attention is focused on affordability.
If you list in early 2026 — before inventory builds — you avoid competing with the surge of “waited-too-long” sellers who will enter in April and May.

Pricing correctly + listing early = leverage regained.

Who Should Wait to Sell Until Later in 2026?

It’s rarely “one-size-fits-all.” Some homeowners may benefit from patience.

You may want to wait if:

• You bought in 2022–2023 and are still close to break-even
• Your home needs major repairs you want time to complete
• You’re in a slower submarket and haven’t built enough equity
• You want to time your sale with a summer job relocation

For these households, listing in late summer or early fall 2026 may offer a better balance of price and demand.

**The Biggest Mistake Sellers Make This Time of Year:

Assuming Spring Will Be Safer**

Spring is a great time to buy.

But spring is NOT always the best time to sell — especially in a transitional market.

Why?

Because when everyone lists at the same time, two things happen:

1. Days on market rise
2. Buyers negotiate harder

If you want the best-selling conditions, you list during times of:

• Low inventory
• High buyer motivation
• Seasonally strong psychology
• Minimal direct competition

That’s the early-year window we’re walking into now.

**So… Should YOU Sell in Early 2026?

Here’s how to know in 30 seconds**

Answer these questions:

1. Do you have strong equity from buying before 2020 or before 2017?

If yes → Early 2026 is ideal.

2. Is your home in South Hillsboro, Reed’s Crossing, Jackson School, or Tanasbourne?

If yes → You have one of the strongest micro-markets.

3. Are you upsizing, downsizing, or relocating?

If yes → Early 2026 allows you to move before competition spikes.

4. Do you want to buy new construction?

If yes → Builder incentives are strongest in Q1.

5. Are you in an Intel-affected neighborhood?

If yes → Beating April’s listing surge protects your price.

If you answered yes to two or more…
You’re likely a great early-2026 seller.

**Final Takeaway:

Early 2026 Won’t Be Perfect — But It Will Be Advantageous**

We are entering a year where timing will matter more than any time since 2020.

The market isn’t going up everywhere.
It isn’t going down everywhere.

It’s balancing — and that creates windows of opportunity for sellers who understand:

• Micro-market differences
• Buyer psychology
• Competition cycles
• Pricing strategy
• Neighborhood-specific demand

If you want predictability, leverage, and real results, the first 90 days of 2026 may be the moment you’ve been waiting for.

Curious if early 2026 is the right timing for your home?

Reach out here and I’ll create a personalized Timing & Equity Report for your neighborhood — no pressure, no cost, just data and clarity.

Your move doesn’t have to be a guess.

It should be a strategy.