By Lydia Hallay, August 21, 2025
Hi y’all, it’s Lydia Hallay with Living Room Realty, here with your Portland real estate market update for late August 2025.
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
Principal Broker | OR
She/They
Calm, prepared, and people-first—Lydia brings a steady presence to what can be a high-stress process.
As a licensed Principal Broker, she leads Ello, a collaborative team within Living Room Realty known for its neighborly approach to real estate. Ello works with buyers and sellers who value thoughtful strategy, good design, and clear communication.
Lydia is consistently top-rated and ranked among the top 150 agents in the city, and is known for listings that sell faster than average (often with multiple offers), with distinctive, design-forward marketing that stops buyers in their scroll.Before real estate, Lydia spent 17 years as a union organizer and negotiator, advocating for worker rights, leading large-scale strategic leverage campaigns, and navigating complex contracts. That background shows up in her work today: calm under pressure, sharp in negotiations, and deeply attuned to the human side of big decisions.
With roots in the Sonoran Desert (she owns a vacation rental in Tucson), Lydia is an avid gardener, a devoted fan of Portland's food & small business scene, and loves hunting for secondhand/vintage gems. Lydia & her spouse (a longtime restauranteur & golf nerd) enjoy taking their vintage camper (named Puff the Magic Eurovan) for mini adventures. They live in a midcentury home in SE Portland with their dog (Maybelle) and two cats (Kenny & Caroline).
A lifelong advocate for social, economic, and housing justice, Lydia supports organizations doing on-the-ground work in the community. A portion of every paycheck she earns is donated to Taking Ownership PDX, which helps Black homeowners age in place and build wealth.
- T: 503-807-0156
- lydiah@livingroomre.com
