October brought a seasonal slowdown to the Northwest Montana real estate market, with buyer activity cooling as we moved further into fall while inventory continued to climb.

Pending sales for all residential properties were down 18.3% compared to October 2025, while closed sales dipped 3.6%. Year-to-date, closed sales remain up 6.3% and pending sales are up 6.7%, showing that overall activity for the year is still running ahead of 2025.

Home prices continued to rise. The median sales price for all residential properties reached $650,000, a 4.0% increase from last October. Single-family homes had a median sales price of $692,500, up 6.5%, while townhomes and condos came in at $490,000, down 3.9% from a year ago.

Buyers have even more to choose from, with 1,212 homes for sale, a 16.5% increase from last year. Homes took a little longer to sell, averaging 133 days on market compared to 130 days last October. Sellers received an average of 96.3% of their asking price, up from 95.8% a year ago, showing that well-priced homes are still drawing buyers.

Overall, October’s numbers point to a market with growing inventory, steady prices, and a typical fall cooldown in buyer activity across Northwest Montana. As we head into the winter months, it will be interesting to see how these trends carry into the end of the year.

Want to explore the numbers in more detail? Visit the NMAR Market Stats page for local market reports and housing data and check out the full October 2026 Montana Regional MLS report for a deeper look at the market across Flathead, Lincoln, and Lake Counties.