Last Updated on April 30, 2026
The spring real estate market is in full swing, and we’re seeing a shift toward a welcome equilibrium, creating opportunities for both buyers and sellers throughout the region.
Nationally, home prices have begun to moderate, but real estate has become increasingly hyper-local. While national headlines provide context, neighborhood-specific dynamics now dictate true value. With inventory currently sitting between a healthy three to six months of supply, we have moved away from the frantic post-pandemic era into a balanced market.
This shift carries significant implications for those entering the real estate market:
Buyers: You finally have a seat at the negotiating table. Mortgage rates have stabilized currently near 6.22%, down half a percentage point from last year meaning your leverage has returned. However, today’s buyers are more discerning, prioritizing move-in-ready homes and properties with updated “big-ticket” items like roofs and HVAC systems.
Sellers: Presentation and pricing are now the ultimate determinants of success. In 2025, 20% of sellers had to implement price reductions. Overpricing based on “neighbor anecdotes” from two years ago is a recipe for a stagnant listing. Success today requires trusting real-time data and ensuring your home is staged to compete with an influx of new inventory.
The “as-is” market is behind us. Buyers are looking for value and quality, while sellers must be strategic and realistic. Whether you are looking to move up or downsize, the window of opportunity is now.
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Upstate
Western Upstate
High Country
Western North Carolina
Greater Charlotte
Triad
Triangle
Low Country
Highlands
Charlottesville
Hamptons Road
Regional real estate updates
Upstate, SC
The first quarter of 2026 marks a clear transition toward a more balanced market, characterized by a significant 24.4% surge in total inventory and a healthy 7.0% rise in new listings. While home values continue to climb—with the average sale price reaching $400,741 (up 2.9%)—the pace of the market is cooling, as evidenced by the average time on market stretching to 67 days. With the months’ supply of inventory rising to 3.6 and the list-to-close ratio holding steady at 98.1%, sellers are still achieving solid returns, but buyers now enjoy significantly more breathing room and selection than they did a year ago.
Western Upstate
The first quarter of 2026 highlights an expanding real estate landscape that provides excellent opportunities and increased selection. Supported by a 4.9% increase in new monthly listings, total inventory grew by a substantial 41.3% to reach an average of 2,323 available homes. This influx of choices offers buyers a more relaxed timeline to make decisions, expanding the average Days on Market to 94 days and bringing the months’ supply to a healthy 4.5 months.
Concurrently, the market continues to yield strong outcomes for sellers, who maintain a steady pace of 439 closed sales per month while consistently capturing 97.6% of their asking prices. Property values also demonstrate continued growth and stability; the average sale price climbed 5.1% to $435,013, while the median sale price held a steady, solid baseline at $305,000.
High Country
In Q1 2026, we saw active listings increase a healthy 21.6% in the High Country Region of 991 homes for sale.
Buyer pace was steady, with 395 homes sales, but that count remained lower than active listing count. This means sellers continue to face competition across all price points, highlighting the critical need for strategic pricing and strong property conditions to secure a quicker sale. Notably, 40% of all sales in the High Country Region were cash transactions.
The average closed days on the market rose to 133 days, an increase from 100 days in Q1 2025. The current active days on the market also increased to 144 days, which is typical for this time of year in the mountains.
The data shows that buyers and sellers are back at the negotiation table as the list-to-close price ratio has expanded to 93%. Price appreciation is flat, with the median sale price being $425,000. As we enter the spring, the market continues to exhibit healthy conditions.
Western North Carolina
Quality of life and strong investment potential continue to fuel home demand across WNC. In the first quarter of the year, the median home sales prices across WNC sat at $410,000. The home sales pace remains very healthy, as well—locally and nationally. In March, the South saw a 1.6% increase in month-over-month sales, with sales up 0.5% since last year. Across Western North Carolina, 1,875 homes sold in the first quarter—a 14.7% increase from last year’s Q1 figures.
Homes for sale continue to increase over our region’s low in 2022. We currently have 3,685 homes for sale across the region, compared to 889 in Q1 2022 and 3,122 at this time last year. That level of choice gives many home buyers, especially first-time buyers, some leverage in the market.
Greater Charlotte
The Greater Charlotte real estate market concluded Q1 2026 showing a clear trend toward balance, offering increased opportunity for buyers while maintaining steady value appreciation for sellers. We are seeing a robust increase in homes available, with overall Inventory across the 16-county region growing 12.7 percent year-over-year.
This influx of supply has pushed the Months’ Supply of Inventory (MSI) up 11.1 percent to 3.0 months, which, while still favoring sellers, indicates a less frenzied pace than a year ago. Buyers are taking more time, with the average Days on Market (DOM) lengthening to 63 days, up from 55. This cooling has given buyers more negotiating leverage, as reflected by the List-to-Close Price Ratio slightly dipping to 95.6%.
Despite the shift, demand remains solid, with Pending Sales increasing by 9.1 percent, and prices continuing to move higher, albeit modestly. Overall, the data suggests the Charlotte market is resilient and healthy, transitioning from an intensely competitive environment to one where housing demand has softened slightly, yet property values remain stable.
Triad
In Q1 2026, the Triad Region real estate market maintained a healthy balance, with a strong pace of listing inventory, especially in March as the spring season began. Active listings rose 19% to a total of 4,232 active homes for sale.
Buyer activity was steady but lagged behind the growth in listings, with 3,887 home sales in Q1. This disparity means sellers continue to face competition across all price points, making strategic pricing and ensuring strong property conditions more critical than ever for securing a quick sale.
The closed days on the market increased to 37 days, up from 29 days in Q1 2025. The current active days on the market increased to 45 days. For sellers who implemented correct pricing and property improvements, the days on were shorter.
Buyer and sellers are engaging in more negotiation, as indicated by the list-to-close price ratio expanding to 95%. Price appreciation remains healthy year-over-year, showing a range of just under 3%, and the median sale price is $299,000. Overall, the market is very balanced and healthy as it enters the spring market.
Triangle
In the first quarter of 2026 the Triangle real estate market saw an inventory increase of 20% to 9,024 units, though the median sales price remained stable at $400,815, off by just over 1%. Buyers seem a little more cautious, which is reflected in a 96% list-to-sell ratio and a longer average time on market.
Performance varied by county: Wake County led in sales (3,244) with a median price of $460,000, while Chatham County had the highest median price at $659,500. Harnett and Person Counties offered more affordable options at $329,000 and $325,000, respectively. The luxury market(over $1 million) remained strong with 363 sales.
Single-family homes dominated with 5,498 sales, while condo/townhouse sales declined to 1,375. The land market saw available parcels increase to 1,575, but total acres sold declined. These shifts indicate a transitioning market with expanding inventory, offering buyers more options while slowing the pace for sellers. Overall, the Triangle real estate market is very healthy and remains a wonderful place to call home!
Lowcountry
The Lowcountry market across South Carolina and Georgia remains healthy and balanced, with new listings and total inventory both up 30% year over year, averaging 271 new listings per month. Even with this added supply, days on market dropped significantly in 2026 and closed sales held steady, showing that well-priced homes are still moving. With 4.9 months of inventory, a 94% list-to-close ratio, and median prices up 3.6%, the region continues to deliver strong demand, solid appreciation, and improving opportunities for buyers and sellers alike.
Highlands
The first quarter of 2026 reflects a real estate market characterized by price appreciation amid cooling sales. While both new listings and closed sales have dipped—down 7% and 6% respectively—the market has transitioned into a more “balanced” state, as evidenced by a 3.8-month supply of inventory and an increase in Days on Market (DOM) to 101 days. Despite the slower pace of transactions, the median sale price has surged 42% to $1,045,000, driven by higher sales of high-end luxury properties. Ultimately, with current inventory still down 7% from last year, the market remains tight, but the shift in DOM and MSI offers a rare window of breathing room for buyers.
Charlottesville
The first quarter of 2026 is slowly showing signals that the housing market is inching closer to a more balanced state. While conditions vary around the surrounding counties, one of the clearest indicators is the modest increase in days on market, even though the average home is still only taking 41 days to go under contract.
From an economic standpoint, this shift reflects a rebalancing of supply and demand dynamics. The slight increase in market time has given buyers the opportunity to re-engage more thoughtfully, touring multiple properties and making more measured decisions, rather than reacting with urgency.
At the same time, sellers are still positioned to capitalize on accumulated equity gains, particularly those who have benefited from the strong appreciation cycle of recent years.
We are also seeing a notable behavioral shift on the demand side: buyers who have remained on the sidelines are beginning to re-enter the market, driven by a combination of necessity, cooling of price appreciation, and a growing acceptance of current interest rate conditions.
Hamptons Road
The first quarter of 2026 is slowly showing signals that the housing market is inching closer to a more balanced state. While conditions vary across submarkets, one of the clearest indicators is the significant decrease in days on market, namely that the average home is only taking 33 days to go under contract.
From an economic standpoint, this shift reflects a rebalancing of supply and demand dynamics. The slight increase in market time has given buyers the opportunity to re-engage more thoughtfully, touring multiple properties and making more measured decisions, rather than reacting with urgency.
At the same time, sellers are still positioned to capitalize on accumulated equity gains, particularly those who have benefited from the strong appreciation cycle of recent years.
We are also seeing a notable behavioral shift on the demand side: buyers who have remained on the sidelines are beginning to re-enter the market, driven by a combination of necessity, cooling of price appreciation, and a growing acceptance of current interest rate conditions.
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Howard Hanna Allen Tate Real Estate is the #1 real estate company in the Carolinas, with more than 80 offices and 2,000 agents serving communities across North and South Carolina and Georgia. As part of Howard Hanna Real Estate Services, the largest family-owned and operated real estate company in the United States, Howard Hanna Allen Tate offers a full suite of real estate services, including mortgage, insurance, title and relocation. For more information, visit www.howardhannatate.com.
