Redwood City Market Update: May 18
This Week in Redwood City (Single-family homes, including Redwood Shores | Week of May 18, 2026)
This week at a glance:
- 21 new listings
- 3 price cuts
- 17 new pending
- 4 new contingent
- 12 sold
- 2 withdrawn, 1 expired, 1 canceled
The market in one line: Inventory climbed to its highest level this spring, the Market Action Index eased slightly, and the two-market dynamic is as sharp as ever. But demand held steadier than the headline numbers suggest.
1. Affordability
Rates Continue to Climb in a Market Where $2M Is Still the Starting Line
The median list price holds at $2,298,000, with new listings this week coming in notably lower at $1,822,500 (Altos Research, 5/18/2026). That gap reflects the mix of inventory, not a price decline. More smaller and lower-priced homes entered the market this week. Price per square foot rose to $1,246, up from $1,101 two weeks ago, which Altos attributes to smaller homes having an outsized influence on the per-foot calculation as larger homes plateau (Altos Research, 5/18/2026).
Rates edged higher again. The 30-year fixed is now 6.65%, the 15-year at 6.10%, and the 30-year jumbo at 6.70% (Mortgage News Daily, 5/18/2026). The jumbo rate has climbed from 6.52% three weeks ago, adding meaningful carrying cost for buyers at Redwood City price points where nearly every transaction requires a jumbo loan.
2. Supply
Inventory Hits Its Highest Point This Spring
Twenty-one homes came to market this week, pushing total active inventory to 83 single-family homes (MLS). That includes 69 standard MLS listings and 14 off-market or members-only listings not publicly visible on MLS. Those 14 carry an average price of $1,251 per square foot, essentially in line with the MLS average of $1,240, suggesting they are priced to the market rather than as test prices. Without days on market data, we are watching them closely (MLS).
Three listings took price cuts this week. Inventory has now grown from 44 active listings five weeks ago to 83 today, nearly double in five weeks.
3. Demand
Buyers Stayed Active Despite Rising Inventory
Seventeen homes went pending this week and four went contingent, for 21 combined absorption events against 21 new listings, essentially 1:1 (MLS). That is a meaningful improvement from last week's 7 pendings and a sign that buyers did not disappear as inventory grew. The Market Action Index eased to 59, down from 62 last month, though still firmly in seller's market territory and consistent with where it was earlier this spring when absorption was healthy (Altos Research, 5/18/2026).
4. Market Behavior
The Sold Data Tells a Resilient Story
Altos reports a median DOM of 7 and an average of 68 (Altos Research, 5/18/2026). That is the widest median-to-average gap we have seen, driven by a surge of fresh inventory on one end and a growing tail of stale listings on the other.
Looking at the 69 standard active listings today (MLS):
- 0 to 7 days: 17 listings
- 8 to 14 days: 17 listings
- 15 to 30 days: 12 listings
- 31 or more days: 23 listings
An additional 14 members-only listings carry no DOM data. Of the standard inventory, 33% has been on the market over a month.
The sold data this week tells a resilient story. Twelve homes closed: 10 over list, 1 at list, and 1 under. Average sale-to-list ratio was 105%, median 102% (MLS). The standout was 1091 15th Avenue, which sold at 130% of list price. On the other end, 36 Loma Road, a high-end property listed at $5.988M, sold at 89% of ask at $5.3M after 42 days. The $688,000 discount is a reminder that luxury pricing has its own dynamics and that stale inventory at any price point eventually meets the market (MLS).
Bottom line
Redwood City remains a seller's market, but the data this week reflects a market in transition. Inventory is at its highest point this spring, fresh listings are still moving well, and the sold data shows buyers continuing to pay above asking on the right homes. The stale side of the inventory, now 23 listings at 31-plus days, is where the pressure is building.
What to watch
Inventory has nearly doubled in five weeks. The MAI eased to 59, consistent with where it was earlier this spring when absorption was still healthy, so one week of movement is not a trend. What matters is whether inventory keeps climbing and whether price cuts accelerate. If new listings continue to outpace absorption over the next two to three weeks, that is the signal to watch.
Sources: MLS (Redwood City and Redwood Shores single-family homes, including members-only listings), Altos Research (5/18/2026), Mortgage News Daily (5/18/2026)
