Are Falmouth Condos Really Taking 111 Days to Sell?
Not Exactly.
When I was recently pulling real estate statistics for a client in Falmouth, Massachusetts, one number made me stop and look twice. The report showed that condominiums in Falmouth were spending an average of 111 days on the market this year, compared to just 46 days last year.
That seemed unusually long for our local market, especially given how active the Cape Cod real estate scene has remained. I was curious (and a little skeptical), so I decided to dig deeper.
Why I Looked Closer at the Data
As a Falmouth Realtor with Compass, I regularly review local market data to guide my clients. But this particular number didn’t line up with what I was seeing on the ground. Well-priced, well-presented condos were still selling steadily.
I suspected there might be a few listings skewing the data, so I pulled every condo sale and active listing in Falmouth through the end of September to find out what was really happening.
Averages Can Be Misleading, Especially in Small Markets
The average days on market is calculated by adding up all the listings and dividing by the number of sales. It’s a straightforward formula, but in smaller markets like Falmouth, it can be easily distorted.
When you’re working with a relatively small number of transactions, a few outliers can shift the averages dramatically. Just one or two condos that have been on the market for hundreds of days can make it appear as though everything is taking longer to sell, even when most listings are moving in a normal timeframe.
In Falmouth’s case, that’s exactly what’s happening:
- A few condos have been listed for 700 days or more, some carried over from earlier seasons.
- When those outliers are included, the average days on market climbs into the 90 -110-day range.
- When they’re removed, the average drops to about 68 days, which reflects what we’re actually seeing.
- The median, the midpoint where half of condos sell faster and half slower, is around 43 days, a far more accurate reflection of current activity.
Average vs. Median: Why It Matters
The average can exaggerate extremes; the median tells the real story. So while the average shows 111 days, the median reveals that most Falmouth condos are still going under contract in roughly six weeks.
This difference becomes even more pronounced in smaller data sets, where every sale carries more statistical weight. In a market like Falmouth, that means a handful of older listings can make the overall market appear far slower than it really is.
The Real Story for Falmouth Buyers and Sellers
For sellers, the message is clear: the market remains healthy. Condos that are priced correctly, are still attracting strong buyer interest. The listings inflating the averages are the exceptions, not the rule.
For buyers, this means there’s more breathing room than during the pandemic years, but desirable properties still move quickly once they hit the market.
The jump from 46 to 111 days doesn’t indicate a sluggish market, it highlights how a few long-listed properties can distort the bigger picture.
