Published October 4, 2026 in Market Update

More listings are giving buyers more room in this market

By Will Jones | Howard Hanna | Smith Marketing Team

Real estate, Primary market

The biggest shift this period: more homes to choose from. That means buyers can compare. Sellers who price and prep well still find buyers, but the easy days of any price working are fading.

These numbers cover the three months ending July 31, 2026. Freddie Mac put the 30-year fixed rate at 7.28% as of October 1, 2026. That is real pressure on monthly payments. But buyers are still out there, as pending sales show across most of this market.

The ZIP code that changed the most: 27282

The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 100 homes for sale in ZIP 27282 for the three months ending July 31, 2026. That is up 185.7% from the same period a year before. New listings rose 48.6% in the same ZIP, to 104. Buyers there have far more to look at than they did a year ago.

Prices in 27282 still rose. The Real Estate Data Aggregator put the median sale price at $372,350, up 6.7%. But homes took 9 days longer to sell than a year before. Sellers there are still winning, just not as fast.

The share of homes that sold above list price in 27282 fell 7.5 points, to 11%, per the Real Estate Data Aggregator. That is a real shift. A year ago, bidding wars were more common. Now, 11 in 100 homes go over asking.

Inventory is rising in most ZIP codes

The trend is wider than one ZIP. Realtor.com reported active listings up 6.3% from a year ago nationally, the fastest pace in at least six months. This market mirrors that pattern in most areas.

Not every ZIP followed the trend. The Real Estate Data Aggregator showed homes for sale in 27377 down 45.7%, and in 27284 down 18.7%. Each ZIP tells its own story.

Homes are taking longer to sell almost everywhere

More choices for buyers means more time on the market for sellers. That is a fair trade-off, but it requires patience and the right price.

ZIP 28202 stood out. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted a median of 104 days on market there, 45 days longer than a year before. Months of supply hit 8.3, up 2.9 months. That is a slower ZIP right now.

ZIP 27410 moved fastest. The Real Estate Data Aggregator put the median at 34 days, only 1 day longer than a year before. With 219 homes sold and 43% going under contract within two weeks, buyers there are still moving quickly.

How each ZIP compares on the key numbers

Prices: some up, some down

Not every ZIP saw prices rise. The Real Estate Data Aggregator showed the median in 27377 down 19%, to $280,700. ZIP 28202 fell 13.1%, to $367,000. ZIP 28206 dropped 20.9%, to $370,000.

On the other side, ZIP 28203 rose 24%, to $800,000. ZIP 27406 climbed 13.5%, to $285,000. ZIP 27282 gained 6.7%. Price moves vary a lot by location.

Buyers are still signing contracts

More inventory does not mean buyers stopped. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 83 pending sales in 27282, up 9.2%. In 27302, pending sales rose 8.2%, to 185. In 28203, they rose 15.9%, to 80.

The National Association of Realtors reported existing-home sales up 1.6% year-to-date through the first eight months of 2026. Sales are happening. The pace is just more measured.

Realtor.com noted that homes under contract nationally are down 4.1% year over year. That matches what the Real Estate Data Aggregator shows in some of these ZIPs, like 27284, where pending sales fell 22.7%.

What the rate environment means

Freddie Mac put the 30-year fixed rate at 7.28% as of October 1, 2026. CNBC reported the average contract rate for 30-year conforming loans at 7.30% as of September 30, 2026. Realtor.com noted rates crossed 7% in late September for the first time since January 2025.

Realtor.com also reported rates up nearly 40 basis points over the four weeks before October 1, 2026. That kind of move changes what buyers can afford. It slows some shoppers down.

Even so, buyers are active in most of these ZIPs. ZIP 27407 had 50.8% of homes go under contract within two weeks, per the Real Estate Data Aggregator. ZIP 27410 was at 43%. Motivated buyers are still moving.

ZIP 27201: a small sample

The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted only 2 homes sold in ZIP 27201 for the three months ending July 31, 2026. The sale-to-list ratio was 98.3%, and none sold above list price. With just 2 sales, these numbers describe two homes, not a trend.

The bottom line for sellers

Buyers have more to look at now. The Real Estate Data Aggregator shows that clearly. Homes that are priced right and show well are still selling. Most ZIPs still averaged 97.5% to 99.4% of list price at closing.

But the window for overpricing is smaller. Days on market are creeping up in most ZIPs. The share of homes selling above list is down almost everywhere. Prep and pricing are doing more of the work now.

These numbers are for whole ZIP codes. Your street, your floor plan, and your condition can read very differently. If you want to know where your home sits against what actually sold near you, send me your address.