One Fairfax County community recorded the most luxury-home sales this spring across the Mid-Atlantic region, according to new data.
More than 50% of transactions in McLean’s 22101 ZIP code — 76 of 144 — qualified as luxury sales during the second quarter of 2026, under criteria laid down by Bright MLS, the region’s multiple-listing service.
Though its percentage of luxury sales wasn’t the largest, McLean’s 22101 won out in terms of the raw number of properties that hit the threshold.
Another Fairfax County community — Vienna’s 22180 ZIP code — placed fifth on the list, with 42 of 107 sales during the quarter reaching luxury status.
Bright MLS defines “luxury” homes as those in the top 5% of the individual metropolitan areas and other geographic corridors it serves. For the D.C. metro area, the minimum figure to qualify for that status in the second quarter of 2026 was $1.9 million.
Across the D.C. metro area as a whole, 767 properties met the luxury threshold during the April-May-June period. That’s up 4.5% from a year before, an increase that does not surprise Bright MLS chief economist Lisa Sturtevant.
All told, there were 3,256 homes sold at the top 5% of sales prices across the Bright MLS region during the quarter, up 1.8% from a year before.
“The luxury market has been stronger than the overall Mid-Atlantic market, as high-income buyers are less sensitive to elevated mortgage rates and benefit from greater economic security,” she said.
“Luxury sales would be even higher still, except that high-end buyers are finding very little inventory,” Sturtevant said.
At the end of the second quarter, there were 917 luxury-level homes listed across the D.C. metro region, down 18.6% from a year before.
The D.C. region’s $1.9 million threshold for luxury status in the second quarter of 2026 was up 5.6% from a year before. It was also more than, or close to, twice as high as four of the nine geographic areas that Bright MLS serves:
- North-Central Virginia: $975,000
- Southern Maryland: $828,463
- Maryland-West Virginia Panhandle: $697,695
- Central Pennsylvania: $675,850
Among other parts of the coverage area, minimums were:
- Delaware-Maryland Coast: $1,200,000
- Maryland Eastern Shore: $1,178,750
- Philadelphia metro: $1,150,000
- Baltimore metro: $1,075,000
All told, there were 3,256 homes sold at the top 5% of sales prices across the Bright MLS region during the quarter, up 1.8% from a year before.
The Bright MLS catchment area includes all of D.C. and Delaware, plus portions of Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
The most expensive home sold in the Bright MLS service area during the quarter was a Potomac River estate at 1169 Crest Lane in McLean, which went to closing on April 14 for $12.845 million. It edged out its McLean neighbor at 1175 Crest Lane, which sold for $12.45 million 10 days later.
Luxury buyers are still bringing cash to the table, with 33.6% of Mid-Atlantic luxury sales in the second quarter being all-cash. The heaviest concentration was among homes in the coastal areas of Maryland and Delaware.
Homes in the luxury category spent a median seven days between listing and a ratified sales contract during the second quarter, a more brisk pace than the 10 days required for all properties and faster than a year before.
“Mainstream housing inventory is building up because traditional buyers are hindered by elevated mortgage rates and affordability challenges, causing homes to sit on the market longer,” Sturtevant said. “Luxury buyers, on the other hand, are far less dependent on traditional financing and can act quickly when they are ready to buy, meaning luxury listings are absorbed more quickly.”
The top 10 markets for luxury sales in the second quarter were:
- McLean VA 22101, 76 of 144
- Princeton NJ 08540, 50 of 128
- Haymarket VA 20169, 48 of 157
- Washington DC 20016, 43 of 139
- Vienna VA 22180, 42 of 107
- Washington DC 20007, 39 of 135
- Wayne PA 19087, 37 of 88
- Bethesda MD 20617, 37 of 152
- Lititz PA 17543, 37 of 127
- Long Beach Township NJ 08008, 34 of 36
Photo via Elijah Crouch/Unsplash
