Residential Real Estate

Regional housing activity strengthens as closed sales and new listings rise

By Staff Report, posted 1 month ago

The Longleaf Pine REALTORS® recently released its March 2026 housing market statistics, offering insight into current real estate trends across the southeast in North Carolina. The latest data reflects stronger closed sales, increased new listings, continued inventory growth and relatively stable pricing across the region.

Key Market Statistics – March 2026

  • Total Closed Sales: 669 (▲ 13.4% year-over-year)
  • Pending Sales: 794 (▲ 1.5% year-over-year)
  • Median Sales Price: $299,063 (▼ 0.1% year-over-year)
  • Average Sales Price: $312,769 (▲ 2.2% year-over-year)
  • Active Inventory: 2,192 homes (▲ 9.2% year-over-year)
  • Months of Supply: 3.5 months
  • Average Days on Market: 72 days (▲ 14.3% year-over-year)
  • New Listings: 1,034 (▲ 7.5% year-over-year)

Market Interpretation

March’s data points to a spring market that is active and better supplied than it was a year ago. Closed sales posted a solid year-over-year gain, new listings rose noticeably and pending sales continued to edge upward, signaling that buyers are still active in the market. At the same time, the median sales price remained essentially flat, while the average sales price increased modestly, reinforcing the region’s overall pricing stability. Inventory continued to expand, giving buyers more choices than they had a year ago.

Compared with February, March also showed a clear month-over-month spring lift. Existing single-family new listings rose from 546 to 710, new construction listings increased from 184 to 260 and townhouse/condo listings moved from 33 to 64. Closed sales followed a similar pattern, increasing from 324 to 449 in existing single-family, from 157 to 184 in new construction and from 14 to 36 in townhouse/condo properties.

Market performance continued to vary by property type. Existing single-family closed sales increased 17.8% to 449, while the median sales price slipped 0.4% to $267,000. Single-family new construction closed sales rose 2.8% to 184, with the median sales price increasing 3.0% to $350,000. Townhouse and condominium closed sales climbed 20.0% to 36, and the median sales price rose sharply to $201,950, up 44.3% year over year.

Inventory trends also suggest a market that is gradually becoming more balanced. Existing single-family inventory rose to 1,284 homes with 3.0 months of supply, new construction inventory reached 749 homes with 4.6 months of supply and townhouse/condo inventory increased to 159 homes with 5.0 months of supply. 

Over the rolling 12-month period ending in March 2026, the strongest pending sales activity occurred in the $350,000 and above price range, where sales increased 6.5%. The rolling median sales price for all residential properties increased 4.0% to $298,900, while townhouse/condo properties posted the largest gain by property type, rising 11.3% to $189,250. The fastest-moving price range was $150,000 to $249,999 at 41 days, while homes priced at $350,000 and above took 73 days to sell.

“March’s numbers show a market that is active, resilient, and increasingly balanced as we move deeper into the spring season,” said President of Longleaf Pine REALTORS® Candi Quigley in a press release. “We saw stronger closed sales, more new listings coming onto the market, and continued pricing stability across the region. For buyers and sellers alike, local expertise remains essential as conditions continue to vary by county, property type, and price point.”

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