Key Takeaways
•The short answer: MLS sales records show 56 Brookline homes closed in July 2026, down from 68 a year earlier. A single townwide figure hides two very different markets.
•The split: The July median sold price was $2,394,900 for single-family homes and $940,000 for condos. The all-property median of $1,120,000 describes neither.
•The pace: Both segments had roughly 9 to 10 months of supply. Buyers had plenty of homes to choose from in both.
•The bottom line: Fall buyers and sellers should price from recent closed sales of their own property type and neighborhood, not from a townwide number.
Why Doesn't One Average Describe Brookline MA Real Estate?
Picture two buyers this October.
One wants a two-bedroom condo near Coolidge Corner. The other wants a Colonial in South Brookline. They're shopping in the same town, but they're not in the same market — not even close.
That's why a single townwide figure needs context before you trust it. A blended average or median isn't the number to lean on when you price a home or write an offer.
Blended figures shift with the mix of homes that sold, nothing more. More condos close, and the number drops. More large single-family homes close, and it climbs. Neither move tells you what your home is actually worth.
The more useful number this fall is price per square foot from recent sales of your own property type and neighborhood.
What Does the Drop From 68 to 56 Sales Mean?
Compared with last July, fewer Brookline homes closed. Sales fell from 68 to 56.
Brookline July Market Shift: July 2025 vs July 2026
Year-over-year comparison of transaction count, active listings, and median days on market using reported MLS PIN values for July 2025 and July 2026.
| Category | Homes sold | Active listings | Median days on market |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 2025 | 68 | 212 | 32 |
| July 2026 | 56 | 198 | 27 |
Source:MLS PIN (as reported)
Fewer closings don't by themselves mean values fell. They mean fewer homes changed hands — and the mix of those homes shapes every blended figure that follows.
The July MLS snapshot put the all-property median sold price at $1,120,000. The median is simply the middle sale: half sold for more, half for less.
That middle figure sits between two very different segments. It resembles neither a typical condo nor a typical house, which is exactly why a fall pricing strategy shouldn't rest on one blended number.
Condo or House: Which Brookline Market Are You In?
Brookline's July numbers split sharply by property type.
MLS data showed a single-family median sold price of $2,394,900. Condos came in at $940,000.
The snapshot also showed 9.8 months of supply for single-family homes and 9.1 months for condos. Months of supply measures how long current listings would take to sell at the recent sales pace.
Days on market — how long a home was listed before going under contract — came in at a median of 63 days across all properties: 59 for condos, 69 for single-family homes.
Brookline July 2026 Market Snapshot by Property Type
Primary MLS/Repliers snapshot of Brookline pricing, pace, and supply by property segment as of July 2026.
Single-family
Median sold price$2,394,900
Median days on market69 days
Months of supply9.8 months
Condo
Median sold price$940,000
Median days on market59 days
Months of supply9.1 months
Mixed
Median sold price$1,120,000
Median days on market63 days
Months of supply9.8 months
Source:MLS PIN (via Repliers)
The price gap between condos and houses is really the whole story here. That single-family median sits more than $1.4 million above the condo figure.
The supply numbers, by contrast, are close. Both segments landed around 9 to 10 months, giving buyers plenty of inventory to choose from either way.
If you're buying a condo, the house figure won't help you much. If you're selling a house, the condo number will badly understate your market.
Some homes still drew strong bids.
Across all Brookline sales in July, 39.3% closed above asking, up from 25% a year earlier.
Brookline Sold-Above-Asking Share: July 2025 vs July 2026
Reported MLS PIN year-over-year comparison of the share of Brookline homes selling above asking in July.
| Series | Label | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Sold above asking | Jul 2025 | 25% |
| Sold above asking | July 2026 | 39.3% |
Source:MLS PIN (as reported)
Ample supply and rising above-asking sales can coexist. Well-priced homes attracted real competition while others lingered. For buyers, that means bidding pressure is real on the right home. For sellers, it means price matters more than the calendar does.
Neighborhood matters within each segment, too.
Buyers often pay a premium for Green Line access and walkability near Coolidge Corner. Compare those sales separately from South Brookline, where homes tend to offer more space for the money.
School assignments shape demand street by street, so confirm the assignment for the exact address before you lean on any neighborhood figure.
What Are the Strongest Arguments Against This?
"Price per square foot ignores schools, lot size, historic districts and condition."
Fair point. Price per square foot also varies widely by property type and neighborhood — large houses often sell for less per foot than compact condos near transit.
That variation is exactly the point. A townwide per-foot figure is just as blended as a townwide average. Use per-foot pricing only within your own segment and area, then adjust for what the number misses.
A renovated condo near transit isn't the same as a dated unit without parking. A historic home on a strong block isn't the same as a house needing major work.
Compare against recent closed sales in the same school assignment, on similar streets. When a neighborhood has only a handful of recent sales, lean on the closest matches rather than averaging a thin sample.
"Averages are what everyone uses."
Nobody's throwing out the average — this is about understanding what it can and can't tell you.
A house-heavy month pushes blended figures up. A condo-heavy month pulls them down. July shows exactly why: that $1,120,000 all-property median sits between the $940,000 condo figure and the $2,394,900 house figure. Quote the townwide number to a condo buyer or a house seller, and you mislead both of them.
"Prices are rising, so past sales are stale."
Even if prices climb a few percent over the next year, that shifts a per-foot benchmark only modestly over the coming months. Recent closings plus a small forward adjustment beat guessing every time.
Appraisers — the people lenders hire to confirm a home's value — rely on closed sales too. Price well ahead of recent closings, and the appraisal may not back you up.
What Should You Do This October?
Buyers: Start with comparable sales — similar nearby homes of the same property type that recently closed. Find their price per square foot and multiply by the home's size.
Then adjust for condition, parking, outdoor space, layout and location.
Treat asking prices that sit well above recent closed sales with caution. With 9 to 10 months of supply on hand, you often have room to negotiate.
Sellers: Price from closed comparable sales, not the townwide average. Single-family homes had a median of 69 days on market in July — a strong first price protects your leverage and cuts the risk your home sits unsold.
Inspections: Before you agree to skip one, ask your agent or attorney what current Massachusetts rules allow in your contract.
Carrying costs: Brookline's FY2026 residential tax rate is $10.24 per $1,000 of assessed value — the value the town sets for tax purposes. Newton's is $9.69.
Brookline vs Newton FY2026 Residential Tax Rates
Municipal residential tax rate comparison for FY2026 as reported from Newton and Brookline assessing offices.
| Series | Label | Value |
|---|---|---|
| FY2026 residential tax rate | Newton | $9.69 per $1,000 |
| FY2026 residential tax rate | Brookline | $10.24 per $1,000 |
Source:City of Newton Assessing Department; Town of Brookline Assessor’s Office (as reported)
Weighing Brookline against Newton? That higher rate adds to yearly costs at the same assessed value. Assessed value can differ from market value, so always check the assessor's record for the specific home.
Sellers should ask their attorney which transfer taxes and closing costs apply, and at what current rate.
The townwide figure tells you what Brookline looked like from a distance. Recent sales of homes like yours tell you where to start.
Want to know what these July numbers mean for your condo, house or target neighborhood? Ask for a property-level pricing review before you make your next move.
