Kenmore Housing Market Update: What September 2026 Tells Us

Kenmore buyers had something in September that has been in short supply for much of the past few years: options.

The city finished the month with 164 active listings, 37.4% more than a year earlier. The median sold price was $912,000, while homes that did sell closed at roughly 100% of their asking price on average.

Those numbers might sound contradictory at first. Inventory is substantially higher, buyers have more leverage, and prices have softened, yet sellers are still getting close to asking.

That combination tells us quite a bit about the market Kenmore is entering this fall. Buyers are becoming more selective, but they have not disappeared. Homes that make sense on price, condition and location can still sell well. The listings having a harder time are the ones asking buyers to overlook too much when another option is available down the street.

Inventory Is the Bigger Story

The $912,000 median sale price will naturally get attention, but the inventory number may be more important.

Kenmore had 164 active listings in September, up 37.4% from a year earlier. That gives buyers considerably more to compare than they had in the tighter markets of the last several years.

And Kenmore is not an outlier.

Across the Northwest MLS service area, active inventory reached 24,675 homes at the end of August, up 22% year over year, according to the NWMLS August 2026 Market Snapshot. Rising supply has been one of the defining trends across King and Snohomish Counties this year.

We looked at the same regional shift in our recent Seattle-Area Housing Market: What to Expect in October 2026.

For a buyer, more inventory means more opportunities to compare homes rather than feeling compelled to pursue the first acceptable property that appears.

For a seller, it means the competition is no longer theoretical. Buyers can see the alternatives immediately.

A $912,000 Median Does Not Mean Every Kenmore Home Lost Value

Monthly median prices need some perspective in a market the size of Kenmore.

A median is simply the midpoint of the homes that happened to close during a particular period. If one month includes more smaller ramblers and townhomes while another contains several larger or newer houses, the median can move sharply even if the underlying value of an individual home changes very little.

That is particularly important in Kenmore, where the housing stock ranges from older homes near the south end of the city to newer construction, larger properties and waterfront homes along Lake Washington.

For regional context, the King County median sale price for residential homes and condominiums was $845,000 in August. That broader number is useful for direction, but it does not tell you what a particular Kenmore property is worth either.

That is why I prefer using citywide statistics to understand the market rather than treating the median as a price tag for every house.

The same principle applies to assessed values, online estimates and old neighborhood sales. As we discussed in What Does Your King County Property Assessment Actually Mean?, a current pricing decision needs to reflect the home buyers are seeing today and the competition they can choose from now.

Buyers Have More Room to Be Picky

The practical effect of higher inventory becomes obvious during a home search.

Imagine two Kenmore houses at roughly the same price. One has clean landscaping, good photography, a functional layout and a few obvious maintenance items already handled. The other needs paint, has tired flooring and starts noticeably above recent comparable sales.

A few years ago, limited inventory might have pushed buyers to pursue both.

Today, they have more ability to choose.

That does not mean every house needs to be remodeled. An older home can compete perfectly well when it feels maintained, functional and honestly priced. Buyers are generally much more accepting of a dated kitchen than they are of a home that appears neglected or substantially overpriced.

We explored that distinction in What “Move-In Ready” Actually Means to Buyers in Kenmore, Bothell and King County.

Another buyer expectation that has become increasingly noticeable in our area is cooling. As summers have become warmer, air conditioning is now a common question on home tours. It is a good example of how seemingly secondary features can matter more once buyers have several comparable homes from which to choose.

Close to Asking Still Matters

One of the more encouraging September numbers for sellers is the approximately 100% sale-to-list ratio.

For comparison, single-family homes across the broader NWMLS service area sold for an average 99.6% of list price during 2025, according to the NWMLS 2025 Annual Review.

A sale-to-list ratio near 100% does not mean sellers can choose any asking price and expect buyers to pay it.

It usually tells us something more useful: the homes that are reaching the closing table are generally being priced somewhere close to where buyers see value.

A house originally listed too high may sit, reduce its price and ultimately sell near the revised asking price. The final ratio can look perfectly healthy even though the original pricing strategy cost the seller several weeks.

That is why the first price still matters.

Overpricing Has Become Easier for Buyers to Punish

Higher inventory changes the cost of testing the market.

When buyers have very few alternatives, an aggressive asking price may still receive attention simply because there is not much else available.

With 164 Kenmore listings to choose from, buyers have less reason to stretch.

They can bookmark an overpriced home, continue shopping and wait to see whether the seller adjusts.

That creates a familiar pattern: the listing sits, market time accumulates, the price eventually drops and buyers begin wondering how much more negotiating room remains.

Correct pricing is not about intentionally leaving money on the table. It is about positioning the home where buyers are actually willing to engage.

We go deeper into that distinction in 3 Ways to Price Your Home When Selling.

Why Can Some Homes Still Sell Quickly?

Rising inventory does not mean every listing moves slowly.

Some homes still attract immediate interest.

Usually, there is a reason.

The price makes sense relative to the competition. The home presents well. The location or property offers something buyers have been waiting for. Or the seller has removed enough uncertainty that buyers feel comfortable acting quickly.

That is why you can simultaneously see more inventory and homes selling during their first week on the market.

We recently looked at exactly that question in How Can Homes Sell Quickly When Inventory Is Rising?.

The market is increasingly separating strong listings from everything else rather than moving every property at roughly the same speed.

Kenmore Is Especially Property-Specific

Even within a city of Kenmore's size, there is no single buyer pool.

Someone looking for an older rambler near downtown may have a very different budget and set of priorities from a buyer considering a larger home near Inglewood Golf Club or a waterfront property along Lake Washington.

Townhomes compete differently from detached houses. Updated properties compete differently from homes that need work. A quiet interior street has a different appeal from a property directly along a major corridor.

There are also longer-term changes occurring around the city. Lakepointe, SR 522 transit improvements and future development around Kenmore's commercial center all contribute to how buyers think about particular locations.

That is why the first walkthrough of a home matters so much. Comparable sales tell part of the story, but the house itself tells the rest. Why the First Walkthrough Matters Before Pricing a Home explains what we are looking for before recommending a listing strategy.

Preparation Does Not Have to Mean Renovation

With buyers becoming more selective, sellers may be tempted to assume they need a major renovation before listing.

Usually, that is not where I would start.

Cleaning, landscaping, paint where needed, small repairs, better lighting and thoughtful staging can often change the way buyers experience a home without changing the home itself.

A recent Kenmore sale is a good example. The house had spaces that were useful but not immediately obvious to buyers. Rather than attempting to redesign the floor plan, we focused on repairs, staging and presentation so buyers could understand how those spaces worked.

You can read that example in Helping Buyers Fall in Love With a Home: A Kenmore Seller Story.

The objective is not to make every property look like new construction. It is to remove distractions and make the home's strengths easier to see.

That is part of the broader strategy discussed in What Actually Helps a Seller Get the Highest Price?.

How Kenmore Fits Into the Regional Market

Kenmore sits in an interesting position between Seattle and the Eastside, with Bothell and South Snohomish County immediately to the north.

That means buyers do not necessarily stop their search at the city boundary.

Someone shopping for a Kenmore home may also be looking in Bothell, Lake Forest Park, Shoreline, Kirkland or Mountlake Terrace depending on budget, commute and the type of property they want.

In August, the King County median for residential and condominium sales was $845,000, while Snohomish County's was $724,500. The broader NWMLS median was $635,000.

Those price differences affect where buyers look, but inventory matters too. As choices have increased throughout the region, a Kenmore seller may be competing indirectly with homes several miles away that would not have been serious alternatives in a tighter market.

That is another reason today's competition matters at least as much as last month's closed sales.

Should Kenmore Sellers Wait for the Market to Improve?

There is no blanket answer.

Inventory has been trending higher for much of 2026, and there is no guarantee that simply waiting several months will create a substantially better selling environment.

On the other hand, waiting can make sense if the time is being used productively. A homeowner who needs several months to make repairs, simplify a move or prepare the property properly may be in a much better position afterward.

What I would avoid is waiting solely because September's median looks lower and assuming it must rebound.

Market timing is only one part of the decision. The condition of the property, competing inventory, mortgage rates, the owner's plans and the cost of holding the home all matter too.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was Kenmore's median sold price in September 2026?

Kenmore's September median sold price was $912,000.

Because Kenmore has a relatively small number of transactions compared with King County as a whole, month-to-month changes in the mix of properties sold can move the median significantly.

How much inventory is available in Kenmore?

September citywide data showed 164 active listings, approximately 37.4% more than a year earlier.

That increase is consistent with the broader regional trend toward more available inventory.

Does higher inventory mean Kenmore is a buyer's market?

Buyers clearly have more choices and negotiating leverage than they did in tighter recent markets, but conditions vary considerably by property.

A well-priced home that shows well can still attract strong competition, while an overpriced listing may sit.

Are Kenmore sellers still getting asking price?

On average, September sales closed at approximately 100% of asking price.

That should not be interpreted to mean any list price will work. It is better evidence that transactions are occurring when sellers and buyers arrive at a price supported by current conditions.

Should I renovate before selling?

Not automatically.

Start by looking at the home's existing condition and the properties buyers will compare it against. Cleaning, repairs, paint, landscaping and presentation may provide much more useful returns than a large renovation immediately before selling.

How should I determine what my Kenmore home is worth?

Citywide medians are helpful for understanding direction, but pricing an individual property requires looking at recent comparable sales, current listings, pending activity, condition, location and the characteristics that distinguish the home from its competition.

The Bottom Line

September's Kenmore market is not defined by one dramatic number. The more useful story is the relationship between several of them.

Inventory is substantially higher than it was a year ago, giving buyers more choices. The median sold price has softened, but homes that close are still selling near their asking prices on average. That suggests a market that is functioning normally, but with much less tolerance for weak preparation or unrealistic pricing.

For buyers, the additional inventory creates room to compare properties and be patient.

For sellers, it raises the importance of knowing exactly what else is on the market when the listing goes live.

The Kenmore market has not stopped working. It has simply become more selective, and in a selective market the individual property matters more than the headline.