Published October 18, 2026 in Market Update

Primary market has more choices, but demand is still close behind

By Delia Knight

Real estate, Primary market

Here is the one thing that changes what you should do right now. Freddie Mac put the 30-year fixed rate at 7.40% as of October 15, 2026. That is a three-year high. It means buyers are paying more each month, and some are waiting. But the Real Estate Data Aggregator still counted 1,340 pending sales across the Primary market in the three months ending August 31, 2026. Demand has not stopped. It has slowed a little.

The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 1,568 new listings and 1,535 homes for sale in the Primary market for the three months ending August 31, 2026. Supply is up. Buyers have more to look at. That is good for them, and it is not bad for sellers either, because buyers who have real choices tend to make real decisions.

Rates are high, but the national picture shows sales still happening

The National Association of Realtors reported 3.99 million existing-home sales in September 2026. That is real activity at a 7.40% rate. Nationally, the median U.S. home-sale price rose just 0.5% year over year for the four weeks ending October 11, according to Redfin. Price growth has slowed. Not every home sold fast or above list price. That is the honest picture.

Where your ZIP code sits in the Primary market

The story is different street by street. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 1,336 homes sold across the Primary market in the three months ending August 31, 2026. But some ZIP codes moved fast and others sat longer. Look at the spread below.

Prices: some up, some down, most holding close to list

The Real Estate Data Aggregator showed price moves in both directions across the Primary market for the three months ending August 31, 2026. ZIP 27310 had the highest median sale price at $700,000, up 4.2% from a year before. ZIP 27288 had a median of $167,000, down 3.2%. Most ZIP codes still sold within a few points of list price, which tells you pricing discipline still matters.

Sellers still have an audience, but pricing counts more now

Nationally, Realtor.com reported for-sale listings growing nearly 7% year over year for the week ending October 10, 2026. More supply means buyers compare more carefully. In the Primary market, the Real Estate Data Aggregator found that ZIP 27357 had just 2.1 months of supply, the tightest in the market. ZIP 27048 had 9.2 months, the loosest. That gap is wide. Where your home sits on that range shapes everything about your sale.

Homes going under contract fast: some ZIP codes still move quickly

Not every home waited weeks. The Real Estate Data Aggregator found that in ZIP 27310, 46.2% of homes went under contract within two weeks of listing, for the three months ending August 31, 2026. ZIP 27265 matched that at 46.2%. ZIP 27048 was the slowest at 23.5%. That spread tells you the same rate environment lands differently depending on your street.