This week is really a story about two markets moving in opposite directions. Highland Park and Northbrook are firming up, with higher Market Action Index (MAI) readings and fewer price cuts. Glencoe is heading the other way, sliding toward buyer's territory for a fourth straight week. Deerfield keeps posting longer days on market, but its pricing has now held dead steady for two weeks running. Lake Forest sits calmly in between.
Northbrook, IL 60062 MAI: 44, up from 46 last month, Slight Seller's Advantage Median List Price: $1,100,000 | Median Days on Market: 63 | Inventory: 46
Northbrook continues to firm up. Its MAI climbed again to 44, further into Slight Seller's Advantage territory, though still below last month's 46, a sign this market was briefly even hotter and has room to reheat if supply stays tight. Inventory fell from 52 homes to 46 in a single week, and price per square foot rose to $346. Sellers are regaining a little leverage, but the jump in price cuts to 26% from 21% shows buyers are still pushing back hard on anything priced ambitiously. Buyers still have real room to negotiate on homes that have lingered, especially in the entry tier near $649,000, where the typical home is averaging 70 days on market, but should move with more urgency than a few weeks ago given shrinking supply. First time buyers looking at that entry tier get the most accessible price point on the North Shore outside of condos, and with median rent in Northbrook at $4,350, it is worth running the numbers on buying versus renting at today's rates.
Highland Park, IL 60035 MAI: 48, up from 46 last month, Strong Seller's Market Median List Price: $1,200,000 | Median Days on Market: 49 | Inventory: 41
Highland Park remains the strongest seller's market on the North Shore and is getting stronger. Its MAI edged up again to 48, and price cuts eased to 15% from 19%, meaning fewer sellers are having to adjust down to attract offers. The median list price jumped to $1,200,000 from $1,122,500, reflecting both pricing confidence and a shift in what is coming to market. Sellers here have the most room of any North Shore community right now to hold firm on price and timeline. Buyers need to move decisively with a strong, clean offer, since the data shows little appetite among sellers to negotiate down. First time buyers watching the entry tier, where the typical home near $574,000 is moving in just 14 days, should treat any well priced listing in that range as a now or never opportunity.
Deerfield, IL 60015 MAI: 38, down from 41 last month, Slight Seller's Advantage Median List Price: $1,157,471 | Median Days on Market: 112 | Inventory: 32
Deerfield is sending an encouraging signal underneath the surface. Days on market climbed again, now a median of 112, continuing a trend we have flagged for several weeks, but the relisted rate, the share of homes pulled and relisted at a higher price, eased to 41% from 47%. That matters. It suggests sellers coming to market now are pricing closer to where buyers actually are, rather than testing a number and pulling it back later. The median list price held exactly steady at $1,157,471 for the second straight week, a sign this market may be finding its footing even as homes take longer to sell. Sellers should treat accurate day one pricing as the single biggest lever they have, since the data shows buyers rewarding it. Buyers have real leverage here, particularly in the upper middle segment where homes are averaging well over four months on market and should negotiate accordingly. First time buyers have an interesting opportunity in the entry tier near $597,450, which is moving faster than the segments above it, a sign genuine demand is still there.
Glencoe, IL 60022 MAI: 31, down from 36 last month, Slight Seller's Advantage Median List Price: $2,749,500 | Median Days on Market: 88 | Inventory: 24
Glencoe is the market to watch this week. Its MAI fell again to 31, the fourth straight weekly decline and now just one point above the threshold that would officially classify this as a buyer's market. Days on market climbed to a median of 88, the slowest pace we have tracked here, while the relisted rate eased to 29% from 36%, suggesting sellers are adjusting expectations rather than stubbornly holding and relisting. Sellers in Glencoe need an honest conversation about pricing now, before this market tips fully into buyer's territory. Buyers have the strongest negotiating position on the North Shore right now, with real room on price, terms, and timeline, especially on anything that has been sitting. First time buyers are less likely to find a foothold here given the price points, but the entry tier near $1,475,000 is still absorbing homes in under a month, faster than the segments above it.
Lake Forest, IL 60045 MAI: 37, up from 36 last month, Slight Seller's Advantage Median List Price: $2,650,000 | Median Days on Market: 77 | Inventory: 47
Lake Forest is holding steady with a slight firming. Its MAI ticked up to 37, keeping this a Slight Seller's Advantage market, and the median list price rose to $2,650,000 from $2,622,500. Per square foot pricing is unchanged at $445, and days on market held right at 77, suggesting this market has found a comfortable rhythm. Sellers here can price with reasonable confidence, particularly on updated or newer homes, since the data shows larger, younger homes commanding the recent price gains. Buyers still have room to negotiate on older inventory, with the typical home nearly four months on market before selling. First time and move up buyers watching the entry tier near $1,125,000 will find the fastest moving segment in Lake Forest, with homes there averaging 35 days.
Mortgage and Rate Context
Thirty-year fixed rates are still sitting up near seven and a quarter percent, continuing a climb that has now run for several straight weeks and puts rates at their highest level in close to three years. At North Shore price points, that keeps monthly payments meaningfully higher than they were even a few months ago, which is part of what is showing up as softer demand in Glencoe. If rates ease even modestly heading into year end, expect buyer activity to pick up quickly in the markets that have cooled the most.
Bottom Line
The gap between the North Shore's strongest market, Highland Park, and its weakest trending one, Glencoe, is now the widest it has been all season. A one size fits all North Shore strategy does not work right now. Pricing, timing, and negotiating posture need to be set market by market, and in some cases, segment by segment within a single town.
