After months of speculation, there are growing signs that the housing market in the Washington, D.C., metro area is starting to shift, and federal workforce layoffs are to blame, according to new data from Bright MLS, the multiple listing service that serves the mid-Atlantic region.
Nearly 40% of D.C.-area agents surveyed by Bright MLS said they worked with clients who were buying or selling due to federal layoffs or buyout offers last month. Over half said the job cuts were affecting the market, and 43% reported seeing more sellers.
Agents and brokers reported that some 15% of spring sellers in D.C. were selling due to retirement, compared with less than 10% in the broader mid-Atlantic region. Earlier this year, the Trump administration offered a buyout to federal workers, offering up to eight months of salary and benefits. Around 75,000 took the offer. Though federal workers are based all over the country, about 15% live in the D.C. area.
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