In the first half of 2026, the Martha’s Vineyard real estate market continued its trajectory from year end 2025 of slower activity but higher dollar volume. The number of transactions in the first half of 2026 decreased 5 percent, from 155 in the first half of 2025 to 148 in the first half of 2026. Dollar volume in first-half 2026 grew 23 percent, from $304 million in the first half of 2025 to $375 million. Average price of all transactions Island-wide increased 29 percent, from $1.96 million in the first half of 2025 to $2.53 million in the first half of 2026. This is the highest average price for the first half of the year ever, blowing past the last peak first-half average price in 2023, where the average transaction price was $2.061 million.
The high end of the market was the driving force of the first-half numbers this year. There were 12 sales of more than $5 million in the first half of 2026, versus seven in 2025, and there were six sales over $10 million, versus one in 2025. Looking at the high end more broadly, sales over $3 million made up 21 percent of the transactions in the first half of 2026, and 55 percent of dollar volume, compared with 17 percent of transactions and 44 percent of dollar volume in the first half of 2025.
Inventory slipped in the first half of 2026, with an inventory level of 288 properties at mid-year, down from 350 at mid-year 2025. Last year it seemed we were returning to pre-COVID inventory levels, but this year is lagging behind 2025, and far behind the 396 inventory properties at mid-year 2020.
Overall, the mid-year market with higher prices and lower inventory is benefiting sellers. However, buyers still have negotiating power in this market, where 75 percent of properties sold in the first half of 2026 transacted at a discounted price. 29 percent of properties sold from 1 to 5 percent below asking price, 31 percent sold 6 to 10 percent below asking, 12 percent sold 11 to 20 percent below asking, and another 3 percent sold 21 to 33 percent below asking.
