Published October 4, 2026 in Market Update

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

The one thing every homeowner should know right now: more competition is here. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 1,542 homes for sale across the Primary market in the three months ending July 31, 2026. At the same time, 1,383 sales were pending. That gap is real, but it is not a collapse. Buyers are still out there.

The National Association of Realtors put U.S. supply at 4.9 months nationally, the highest in over ten years. That is the backdrop. But the Primary market is not one uniform place. Some ZIP codes are moving fast. Others are sitting longer. Knowing which side your home is on changes what you should do next.

Rates are pushing buyers to think harder

Freddie Mac put the average 30-year fixed rate at 7.28% as of October 1, 2026. The 15-year rate sat at 6.60%. Realtor.com noted that mortgage rates crossed 7% in late September for the first time since January 2025. That is a real cost for buyers. It does not stop them, but it does make price the first thing they look at.

Speed varies a lot by ZIP code

Not every home is waiting long. In the three months ending July 31, 2026, the Real Estate Data Aggregator counted a median of just 29 days on market in ZIP 27310. ZIP 27045 was at 80 days. That is a 51-day spread across the same market. Where your home sits in that range depends on price, condition, and ZIP code.

Where buyers are still moving quickly

Some ZIP codes show strong buyer urgency. The Real Estate Data Aggregator found that 62.5% of homes in ZIP 27235 went under contract within two weeks of listing in the three months ending July 31, 2026. ZIP 27265 was at 50.9%, and ZIP 27048 was at 50%. These are not slow-moving areas. Priced right, homes there are finding buyers fast.

Prices: mostly steady, a few ZIP codes softer

Most ZIP codes held their prices or gained a little. The Real Estate Data Aggregator showed ZIP 27358 up 4.7% year over year to a median of $599,500. ZIP 27288 was up 12.8% to $190,000. ZIP 27235 rose 15.5% to $446,436. Not every area gained, though. ZIP 27027 was down 35.6% to a median of $170,000, and ZIP 27214 was down 32% to $285,000. Those are real dips. Small sales counts in those ZIP codes can move the median a lot, so one or two unusual sales can shift the number.

Supply: most ZIP codes are still below four months

The National Association of Realtors put the U.S. at 4.9 months of supply. Most ZIP codes here are below that. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 2.4 months in ZIP 27357, 2.5 months in ZIP 27310, and 2.8 months in both 27284 and 27235. ZIP 27048 was the clear outlier at 12 months. ZIP 27214 was at 6.7 months. Those two ZIP codes have more homes than buyers right now.

What sellers are actually getting at closing

Most homes are selling close to their list price. The Real Estate Data Aggregator put ZIP 27019 at 100.5% of list, meaning those sellers averaged slightly above asking. ZIP 27025 was at 99.5% and ZIP 27051 at 99.4%. The lowest was ZIP 27288 at 96.1% and ZIP 27048 at 97.4%. That gap matters when you are setting a price. A home priced too high often ends up selling for less than one priced right from the start.

The national picture adds context

The Federal Housing Finance Agency reported that U.S. house prices rose 2.1% year over year between the second quarter of 2025 and the second quarter of 2026. Quarter over quarter, the gain was 0.3%. The National Association of Realtors also noted that existing-home sales were up 1.6% year to date through the first eight months of 2026, even as they dipped 2.0% month over month in August. Nationally, buyers are still buying. The rate environment is the main weight on their shoulders.

One more thing worth saying: the numbers above cover whole ZIP codes. One street can read very differently from the ZIP code average. A new subdivision, a busy road, or a school boundary line can shift what buyers will pay and how fast they will move.