You are aware it isn’t 2021 anymore, right?
Sometimes I wonder.
Every time I open social media, I see people talking about the housing market like we’re still in the middle of the pandemic frenzy. You remember those days. Twenty offers. Waived inspections. Houses selling before the sign hit the lawn. Depending on who you ask, the market is either still doing exactly that or has completely fallen apart.
The reality, at least here in Southwick, is a lot more interesting.
If you prefer to watch the video, here it is, but if you prefer to read, the article continues down below.
When I dug into the local numbers recently, I noticed something that I think a lot of people are missing. Buyers suddenly have more choices than they’ve had in years, but the houses they actually want are still disappearing almost immediately.
At first glance, those two things sound contradictory. They aren’t.
Right now, Southwick has about 3.2 months of housing inventory, which is more than 37 percent higher than it was a year ago. In plain English, there are more homes available for buyers to choose from than there were twelve months ago.
And that matters.
For several years, buyers had almost no options. They weren’t necessarily choosing their favorite house. They were choosing the only house. That’s a very different experience.
I think one reason people are confused about today’s market is that they assume that more inventory means buyers have disappeared. That’s not what the numbers are telling us.
In fact, the median time for a Southwick home to go pending in May was just seven days. Seven. Not seven weeks. Seven days. That tells me buyers are still out there. They’re still motivated. They’re still writing offers.
What has changed is that buyers are being more selective. They’re not buying everything. They’re buying the right things. The homes that are priced correctly. The homes that show well. The homes that feel worth the asking price. The homes that don’t require buyers to perform mental gymnastics to justify the number on the listing sheet.
There’s another part of the story that caught my attention.
A lot of people assume that if inventory is rising, sellers must be slashing prices all over town. While price reductions certainly happen, the local numbers don’t suggest widespread panic. In fact, there have actually been fewer price reductions so far this year than during the same period last year.
To me, that’s a sign that well-positioned homes are still finding buyers. The market isn’t punishing sellers. It’s punishing wishful thinking.
A few years ago, almost any house could attract attention because there simply weren’t enough homes available. Today, buyers have choices. That means pricing matters. Presentation matters. Preparation matters. Strategy matters.
Honestly, I think that’s healthier for everyone.
A few years ago, buying a house was a little like grocery shopping before a blizzard. You weren’t necessarily buying your favorite loaf of bread. You were buying the loaf of bread that was left.
Today, buyers can compare options. Sellers can still attract strong interest, but they need to understand the competition. The market has become a little more thoughtful and a little more rational.
Before somebody sends me a dramatic national headline about the housing market, let me leave you with one final thought.
Real estate is local. The numbers in Southwick don’t always look like the numbers in Boston. They don’t always look like the numbers in Florida. They don’t always look like whatever headline is generating clicks this week.
That’s why I spend a lot more time paying attention to what’s happening right here in Southwick than I do worrying about what’s happening three states away.
If I had to summarize the Southwick market in one sentence, it would be this:
The market isn’t dead.
The market isn’t crazy.
The market is getting smarter.
Buyers have more choices. Sellers still have demand. And the homes that are prepared, priced right, and marketed well continue to get plenty of attention.
The reason I find this market so interesting is that it doesn’t fit neatly into the national narrative. If you only read headlines, you’d think the market was either collapsing or completely out of control. Neither description really matches what I’m seeing here in Southwick.
What I see is a market that is becoming more balanced and more thoughtful. Buyers have more options than they’ve had in years, but they’re still acting quickly when the right home comes along. Sellers still have opportunities, but pricing, preparation, and presentation matter more than they did during the 2021 and 2022 frenzies.
That’s why broad national advice can only take you so far. Real estate decisions are personal, and they’re local. The right strategy for a seller in Southwick may look very different from the right strategy for someone in Boston, Hartford, or anywhere else.
Is your home one of the houses buyers would jump on in seven days, or one of the houses they would scroll past?
That’s a very different conversation than “What’s my house worth?”
Southwick Real Estate Market FAQ (June 2026)
Is Southwick currently a buyer’s market or a seller’s market?
Southwick is still considered a seller’s market, but it is more balanced than it was a year ago. The town currently has approximately 3.2 months of housing inventory. A balanced market is generally considered to be around 5 to 6 months of inventory, so sellers still have an advantage, although buyers have more options than they did during the pandemic market.
How much has inventory increased in Southwick?
Housing inventory in Southwick is up approximately 37% compared to the same time last year. Buyers have more homes to choose from, which has reduced some of the urgency that characterized the market in 2021 and 2022.
How quickly are homes selling in Southwick?
The median time for a home to go pending in May 2026 was just 7 days. While buyers have more choices today, desirable homes that are priced correctly and show well are still attracting strong interest and moving quickly.
Are home prices dropping in Southwick?
Not broadly. While individual properties may require price adjustments, Southwick has not experienced widespread price declines. The median sold price in May 2026 was approximately $450,000, and the market continues to show steady demand for well-priced homes.
Are more sellers reducing their prices?
Surprisingly, no. There have actually been fewer price reductions so far in 2026 than during the same period in 2025. This suggests that sellers who price their homes appropriately from the beginning are still finding buyers.
What is the biggest difference between today’s market and the 2021 market?
Buyers have choices again.
During the height of the pandemic market, buyers often felt pressure to make decisions immediately because inventory was extremely limited. Today’s buyers can compare more homes before making an offer, but they are still acting quickly when they find the right property.
Should I wait to sell my Southwick home?
That depends on your goals, timeline, and the condition of your property. While buyers have become more selective, demand remains strong for homes that are well-prepared, priced appropriately, and marketed effectively. Every situation is different, which is why local market knowledge matters.
If you’re wondering what today’s market means for your home, your plans, or your timeline, let’s talk. Whether you’re considering a move next month, next year, or you’re simply curious about where your home’s value stands in today’s market, I’m happy to have the conversation.
The Southwick market isn’t one neighborhood, one price range, or one type of buyer. If you’re considering selling, downsizing, relocating, or simply wondering what your home might be worth in today’s market, let’s have a conversation.
Lesley Lambert, REALTOR®
Park Square Realty
📞 413-575-3611
📧 [email protected]
🌐 www.westernmahomes.net
Serving Southwick, Westfield, Granville, Agawam, Suffield, Granby, and communities throughout Western Massachusetts and Northern Connecticut.
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