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Longleaf Pine REALTORS® release July 2026 Housing Market Update

By Staff Report, posted Aug 21, 2026 on BizFayetteville.com

Longleaf Pine REALTORS® has released its July 2026 housing market statistics, providing a current look at residential real estate activity across southeastern North Carolina. The latest data reflects expanding inventory, positive year-over-year pending sales, modest price growth and longer marketing timelines, while closed sales edged below last year's level.

Key Market Statistics - July 2026

Market Interpretation

July's data points to a regional housing market that remains active while continuing to move toward more balanced conditions. Pending sales increased 4.3% year over year, indicating that buyers remained engaged, while closed sales declined 1.3%. At the same time, active inventory grew 13.1%, giving buyers more choices and increasing competition among sellers.

Compared with June, July brought more new listings but fewer completed and pending transactions. Closed sales declined from 734 in June to 689 in July, while pending sales decreased from 707 to 676. New listings increased from 899 to 966. The median sales price eased from $309,900 to $307,000, and the average time from listing to accepted offer increased from 61 to 65 days.

Pricing remained resilient overall. The median sales price increased 0.7% year over year to $307,000, while the average sales price declined 0.3% to $315,369. Sellers received an average of 98.7% of their most recent list price, reinforcing that accurately priced and well-positioned properties continue to attract serious buyers even as consumers gain more options.

Market performance varied by property type. Existing single-family homes recorded 491 closed sales, down 0.8 % from last year, with a median sales price of $295,000, up 2.7%. Single-family new construction posted 156 closed sales, a decrease of 4.9%, and a median sales price of $351,047, down 0.7 %. Townhouse and condominium closed sales increased 7.7% to 42, while the monthly median sales price rose 18.4% to $219,000. Because this is a smaller segment, individual transactions can create larger percentage swings from month to month.

Inventory growth continues to give buyers more choices. The region ended July with 2,676 homes for sale, up 13.1% from last year and representing a 4.3-month supply. Inventory increased 14.0% among existing single-family homes and 14.7% in new construction, while townhouse and condominium inventory declined 1.8%.

The broader 12-month view shows steady but segmented growth. For the rolling 12-month period ending in July 2026, pending sales increased 0.9% overall. The strongest gain occurred in the $350,000-and-above price range, where pending sales rose 5.9%. The rolling median sales price increased 1.4% to $299,000, while townhouse and condominium properties posted the largest price gain by property type, rising 21.8% to $207,000. Homes priced from $150,000 to $249,999 moved the fastest at 45 days, while properties priced at $350,000 and above averaged 75 days.

Local Market Highlights

County-level results continued to underscore how differently the market is moving across the region. In Cumberland County, existing single-family pending sales increased 3.0% year over year, while closed sales declined 5.4%. Hoke County's existing-home median price increased 5.9% to $315,000, although existing-home closed sales declined 4.5%. Lee County posted gains across both existing homes and new construction, with existing-home closed sales up 5.9% and new-construction closed sales up 33.3%. Robeson County's existing-home pending sales increased 43.5%, closed sales rose 20.8%, and the median sales price increased 22.5%.

"July's numbers show a market with more choices and more time for buyers to compare their options, but conditions continue to vary significantly across our region," said Candi Quigley, president of Longleaf Pine REALTORS® in a press release. "For sellers, thoughtful pricing, preparation, and marketing are increasingly important. A REALTOR® brings the local market knowledge needed to understand these differences and make informed decisions with greater understanding."

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