Portland Real Estate Market Update for August 2025

Hi y’all, it’s Lydia Hallay with Living Room Realty, here with your Portland real estate market update for late August 2025.

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Portland Real Estate Market Update

The weeks leading up to Labor Day are usually a little sleepy—buyers sneak in one last camping trip, and sellers hold back until after the holiday. But once September hits, things wake up fast. My team has four listings set to launch in early September, and many other agents are on the same timeline. Translation: buyers are about to have a lot more options.

For sellers, that means prep and pricing matter more than ever. Right now, homes are taking about 52 days to go pending—longer than last year, and creeping up month to month. Dreamy, well-priced homes still move quickly (our last two went pending in under eight days), but most buyers are more deliberate. With borrowing costs remaining high, every decision carries extra weight.

Inventory sits at 3.7 months—the highest since early 2023. Four months is generally the tipping point into a buyer’s market. We’re not quite there, but we’re edging closer. More homes this fall means more competition, so success depends on realistic pricing, sharp presentation, and flexibility.

Looking Ahead

And remember: getting under contract is just half the job. Buyers are digging deep in inspections, and sellers aren’t always saying yes. Failed sales are climbing nationally- and here in Portland. The secret isn’t hiring a “hard-nosed” realtor—it’s working with someone strategic, communicative, and creative when challenges arise.

For buyers, September and October will bring a wave of new homes. More listings mean more choice and (hopefully) a little less frenzy. If you want to land before the holidays, now is the time to get your ducks in a row.

And for sellers—even if you’re aiming for next spring—fall is the right season to start prepping – with guidance from your realtor. Tackle projects, freshen up landscaping, and work on a launch plan that positions you for success when the market heats back up early next year.

Make A Move

So whether you’re ready to buy this fall or planning a spring 2026 sale, let’s connect now. The earlier we start your strategy, the stronger your position will be when it’s time to get rolling. Give us a call!

Lydia Hallay

Broker | OR

She/They

Buying or selling a home is often one of the biggest (and most stressful) decisions you’ll ever make. I’m here to make your experience as seamless (and fun) as possible.

Looking to buy? Whether you’re a design-minded dreamer looking for that mid-century unicorn, an investor on the hunt for a fixer (or a 5-plex) to tear into, or a first-time buyer in need of a gentle guide – I’m a skilled negotiator with an eye for design and a knack for finding homes with “good bones.” I’m on a mission to ensure you feel empowered and cared for throughout the home-buying process.

Ready to sell? If you want to maximize your sales price, you’ve come to the right place! With a background in landscape/interior design and construction/project management, I’ve got the tools it takes to make your house shine. When it comes to catching buyer attention, I go beyond the traditional (ex. open houses, RMLS, etc.)- incorporating cutting-edge tools and outside-the-box strategy to build the hype. When it’s time to negotiate, my years of experience bargaining contracts mean I’m calm under pressure and know what it takes to get to YES.

Like many folks working in real estate, I’ve got a grab-bag of past lives that inform how I show up. Most of my 20’s and 30’s (17 years), I worked as a union organizer/negotiator on the state and national level- helping workers across sectors and industries join together and become leaders in the fight for better wages & benefits, a voice on the job, and political power. I’ve been an entrepreneur, a landscape designer, freelance florist, and have a deep well of personal experience with home renovation & property management under my belt.

Aside from working with buyers & sellers, I volunteer my time as the Integrity Chair on Living Room Realty’s Broker Advisory Group. In that role, I serve as Living Room’s broker representative for our B-Corp status.

A portion of every one of my paychecks goes to Taking Ownership PDX, a community collective of contractors, realtors, neighbors, and businesses who support Black homeowners to age in place, generate wealth, and deflect the gentrification process by deterring predatory investors and realtors.

About Me:

I was born in Memphis, raised in the Sonoran desert (Phoenix), and have been in the PNW since 2003. I identify as queer, and use she/they pronouns. I’m married with sweeties (i.e., I practice ethical non-monogamy) and nest with my spouse, dog, and two cats in the Lents neighborhood of outer SE Portland. I’m a people person, music nerd, avid gardener, and seed-sower/organizer.

Since coming to Portland in 2004, I’ve witnessed many iterations of the city. I’m bullish on the future here- and excited about all our region has to offer. Good food, proximity to nature, an incredible local music scene, and an inclusive community are just a handful of the reasons I love this area.

As your realtor, I promise to show up as myself. I’ll hustle hard on your behalf with patience, a good listening ear, professionalism, and a goofy sense of humor. What you see is what you get, friends. And if we decide to work together, that’s the kind of authenticity I hope you feel comfortable showing too.

Ready to make magic happen? Feel free to shoot me a text/email, or give me an old fashioned ring. I’m excited to meet you!

Land Acknowledgement & Mission Statement

As a Realtor, the land I do business on is unceded Indigenous land. The Portland Metro area rests on the ancestral lands of the Cowlitz, Multnomah, Kathlamet, Clackamas, Tumwater, Tualatin Kalapuya, Wasco, Molalla, Watlala, Bands of the Chinook, and so many other nations who made this area their home. In addition to the federally recognized tribes mentioned, there are numerous “unrecognized” tribes and Indigenous groups whose stories are also important.

I recognize these tribes’ legacy, lives, and descendants, and acknowledge my role and responsibility as a guest on stolen lands.

I am committed to using my voice and influence as a real estate professional (and, as a human being) to actively contribute to a more just and equitable future- one that promotes dignity, respect, and repair for the damaged caused by systemic oppression, white supremacy, homophobia/transphobia, and exploitative capitalism.

If you can’t get behind all that. We’re probably not a good fit. 🙂