Photo: Pesotsky · CC BY 3.0569 homes sold in Brookline in the last year, at a typical $1.3M
Most homes sold are condos. Below: what each kind of home sells for, what your budget buys, the best months to buy, how hard you’ll have to bid, and a shortcut to every site where Brookline homes are listed.
Every place Brookline homes are listed, in one stop
We don’t copy listings: the agents’ sites have the photos and the latest price changes. Set what you want once and we open each site already filtered to Brookline.
For sale
Rent
New, land & open houses
Links open the listing sites; TownRatings isn’t paid for them and doesn’t rank one above another. Rentals and government-owned homes come from sources outside the MLS.
Two thirds of Brookline’s sales are condos, at $1.7M less than a house
127 houses and 382 condos sold in the year to May 2026. Condos sell faster.
typical sale · 127 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $749MA $368
- Days to sell
- 35
- Sold over asking
- 35%
- Listings with a price cut
- 22%
typical sale · 382 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $818MA $562
- Days to sell
- 30
- Sold over asking
- 33%
- Listings with a price cut
- 27%
Multi-family (2–4 units): 23 sold, typical $2.6M
Townhouses: 37 sold, typical $2M
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
About as many homes sell as usual, at 1.4 times the 2016 price
569 sales in the last year, against 772 in 2021 and a low of 516 in 2023. The typical sale went from $913K in 2016 to $1.3M.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales.
What $1.3M buys in Brookline
Check a listing against what Brookline homes sold for
Against the town’s median price per square foot over the last 12 months. A rough check: condition, lot and location within town move a price more than this can see.
Bidding wars in Brookline are rarer than before the pandemic, and more homes are for sale
We read every month of Brookline’s home sales since 2012 so you don’t have to. Each figure covers 12 months, because a single month in a town is too few sales to mean much. Latest: the year to May 2026, 569 sales.
If you’re buying in Brookline
- Shop in September. It brings about 96 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (33% over asking).
- Some room to negotiate. 25% of listings cut their price, about as many as before the pandemic.
- Bid near asking. Buyers paid 99.6% of the list price on average; 33% paid over.
- You’ll usually have time. Only 45% of homes go under contract within two weeks; the typical one takes 31 days.
Spring brings both the most homes and the most bidding wars
April has the most new listings (about 109 a month), but May is the most competitive: 55% of May sales close over asking. September offers nearly as much choice with fewer homes bid up (33%). January has the least competition (23%) but only about 39 new listings.
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Nearly as heated as 2021, and calmer than Massachusetts
| Brookline now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | MA now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 33% | 47% | 38% | 45% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 45% | 57% | 54% | 49% |
| Listings with a price cutShare of homes for sale that cut their price | 25% | 27% | 27% | 25% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 99.6% | 101.1% | 100% | 100.4% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 31 | 15 | 26 | 27 |
146 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s 1.7 times the 2017 low (84), 55% more than in 2017–19 and well under 2012’s 249.
1 in 4 listings has cut its price
25% in the last year, against 27% in 2017–19 and 25% across Massachusetts.
Since 2019, houses are up 40%, condos 16%
A house typically sold for $2.7M in the last year (127 sales), a condo for $954K (382).
Median sale price, weighted by sales each month. Years with fewer than 4 sales of a type are left out.
Brookline ranks 171st of 206 busy Massachusetts markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. Brookline is one of the state’s calmer markets.
Source: Redfin Data Center, city market tracker, January 2012 to May 2026 (MLS sales, not seasonally adjusted). Ratios are weighted by homes sold; price cuts by homes for sale.
Five things worth knowing
New listings in April
The month with the most choice. December has the fewest, about 13.
Best time to buySchools
The schools grade for Brookline, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in BrooklineTypical commute
The average one-way trip to work for people who live in Brookline.
Work & commuteCheck the flood map
Flood insurance isn’t in a standard policy, and lenders require it in FEMA flood zones. Check the address before you make an offer.
Natural hazardsLook up any property
Assessed value, lot size and every past sale of a home you’re eyeing are public, at the town or county assessor and the registry of deeds.
Newton, Watertown, Somerville, Belmont and Dedham sell for less a square foot
The busier markets within 25 miles of Brookline, by what sold. Prices, taxes and how far a paycheck goes next door are on Cost of living.
| Sold | Typical sale | $/sq ft | Over asking | Days to sell | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newton | 882 | $1.5M | $589 | 31% | 30 |
| Cambridge | 670 | $1.2M | $903 | 41% | 28 |
| Somerville | 581 | $1M | $667 | 39% | 26 |
| Brookline | 569 | $1.3M | $794 | 33% | 31 |
| Watertown | 357 | $879K | $514 | 42% | 24 |
| Dedham | 266 | $770K | $460 | 52% | 23 |
| Belmont | 202 | $1.4M | $632 | 44% | 23 |
Redfin Data Center, June 2025 to May 2026. Towns with fewer than 20 sales are left out, and Redfin doesn’t report every town separately.
Post your home to Brookline, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Brookline. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Brookline with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Brookline
What do homes sell for in Brookline, MA?
569 homes sold in the year to May 2026 at a typical $1.3M, $794 a square foot. Houses sold for about $2.7M, condos for about $954K.
Is Brookline a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A seller’s market: 201 homes were for sale in May 2026 and 62 sold, about 3.2 months of supply. Buyers paid 99.6% of asking on average, and 25% of listings cut their price.
When is the best time to buy in Brookline?
April brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
Where can I see homes for sale in Brookline?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Brookline’s MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Brookline.
Sales, prices, days on market and listings: Redfin Data Center (MLS, monthly, not seasonally adjusted). Property tax rate: Census American Community Survey. Two-bedroom rent: HUD Fair Market Rent. Typical home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Schools grade: TownRatings (how grades work).