Published October 25, 2026 in Market Update

Back Bay prices rose even as sales slowed

By Eric Rollo

Real estate, Back Bay

Fewer sales did not mean lower prices in Back Bay. That is the one thing every homeowner here should know right now.

The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 88 homes sold in Back Bay in the three months ending August 31, 2026. That is down 16.2% from the same stretch in 2025. Yet the median sale price still came in at $1,450,000, up 5.1% year over year. Prices held even as activity pulled back.

For context, the Federal Housing Finance Agency reported U.S. house prices rose 2.6% from July 2025 to July 2026. Back Bay outpaced that national figure by nearly double.

Less activity, but buyers still paid close to asking

The Real Estate Data Aggregator shows the average sale came in at 99.2% of list price. That is up 1.8 points from a year ago. Sellers were not giving ground on price to close deals.

About 21.6% of homes sold above list price, according to the Real Estate Data Aggregator. That is up slightly, by 0.6 points, from the same period in 2025. Not every home drew a bidding war, but the ones priced well did.

More homes came to market, and buyers noticed

The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 113 new listings in Back Bay over those three months. That is up 15.3% from a year before. More choices for buyers, but prices did not drop to move them.

Homes for sale totaled 116, up 6.4% year over year, per the Real Estate Data Aggregator. Supply ticked up to 4 months, which is still a relatively tight market. Pending sales rose too, up 3.8% to 81, so demand did not disappear.

Speed held steady. The Real Estate Data Aggregator put median days on market at 26, exactly where it was a year ago. And 28.4% of homes went under contract within two weeks of listing, up 0.2 points from last year.

The national picture adds some pressure

Realtor.com reported mortgage rates topped 7% for the first time since January 2025, in September 2026. Rates rose nearly 40 basis points over the prior four weeks. That kind of move slows buyers down everywhere.

Nationally, Realtor.com also reported the number of homes under contract fell 4.1% year over year in September 2026. Back Bay's pending sales actually rose 3.8% over the same comparison period, per the Real Estate Data Aggregator. That is a real difference.

One thing worth saying plainly: these numbers cover all of ZIP 02116. One block, one building, or one street can read very differently from the ZIP as a whole. What matters most is what is happening right around your address.