Maine home sales picking up but still lagging behind last year’s pace

 A multiunit building for sale on Federal Street in Portland in May 2025. (Derek Davis/Staff Photographer) A pattern may be emerging in Maine’s real estate market. For [the second month in a row](https://www.pressherald.com/2026/05/11/maines-housing-market-showing-signs-of-life-after-slow-start/), the statewide median sales price remained unchanged from the same month last year, a sign that things might finally be leveling out post-pandemic. Data released this week by the Maine Association of Realtors also showed that 2026 is following the same seasonal schedule as prior years, with increased sales in the spring and summer. The number of listings in May also was the second-highest for any month since before the pandemic. “This is the busiest half year I’ve had by far,” said Tom Landry of Benchmark Real Estate. “It’s not even close.” Here are three takeaways from the May housing report. Advertisement 1\. A notable inventory increase May saw 2,735 single-family home listings, the largest number of new units since June 2021 by a significant margin. In May 2025, there were 2,450 new listings. Although the number of available units isn’t approaching pre-pandemic numbers (for example, 3,291 listings in May of 2019), the trend is upward. Some potential reasons for this change include in-migration, new infrastructure, and a slow realization that interest rates do not seem to be ready to significantly decline anytime soon. “Increased for-sale inventory brings better balance to the market for buyers, and 30-year mortgage interest rates are lower than they were a year ago,” said Judy Oberg, president of the Maine Association of Realtors and a broker in Bridgton. Even with more listings, though, nine of 16 Maine counties saw decreases in 2nd quarter sales compared to 2025, with Waldo County seeing the largest decline of 33%. 2\. Geographic disparities still exist The rolling quarterly breakdown (March-May) by county shows little correlation between a change in median sale price and change in number of units sold. Waldo County had the biggest quarterly decrease in number of units sold but also the largest price reduction of nearly 12%. Conversely, Oxford County had the highest increase in units sold at 23.7% and a roughly 11% increase in price. Advertisement Androscoggin, Aroostook, and Kennebec counties had the next highest increases in number of units sold, at 16.75%, 14.63% and 14.51% respectively. Androscoggin and Kennebec had lower quarterly prices but Aroostook remained the same. Sagadahoc County had the second-largest price reduction of 9% but also had the second-highest decrease in units sold at 29%. Related [Could Maine’s housing market finally be cooling? Here’s what the data says](https://www.pressherald.com/2026/01/14/maines-2025-housing-market-explained-in-5-charts/) 3\. Median sales price nearing record high again The year-over-year median price for May was consistent at $425,000, and just shy of the October 2025 all-time high of $425,600. The median means half the homes sold for more while half sold for less. Prior to last month, Maine’s median sale price had dipped below $400,000 for five consecutive months, a welcome sign for would-be buyers. Now, prices seem to have fallen back into a more traditional seasonal pattern. Over the last six years the median has increased by $200,000, and that shift has been even more stark in some sought-after counties. Copy the Story Link [](https://www.pressherald.com/author/charley-diadamo) [Charley DiAdamoStaff Writer](https://www.pressherald.com/author/charley-diadamo) Charley DiAdamo, from North Andover, Massachusetts, is a rising senior at Colby College. She writes a food and humor column for The Colby Echo and is a freelance contributor to The Maine Monitor. She is. [More by Charley DiAdamo](https://www.pressherald.com/author/charley-diadamo)