Statewide Home Sales Slide 13 Percent While Prices Hold Steady

North Carolina's housing market kept cooling in August, according to the monthly report from NC Realtors: fewer homes changed hands, but the price of a typical one barely moved.

The Numbers

• Closed sales: 11,554 in August, down 13.1 percent from 13,287 in August 2025.
• Median sales price: $375,000, essentially flat against $374,000 a year earlier, a 0.2 percent change.
• Active listings: 69,632, up 1.3 percent from a year ago.
• Months of supply: 5.81 across the state.

The association describes a market that has settled into balance. A rule of thumb among economists is that about six months of supply separates a seller's market from a buyer's market, and 5.81 months sits just under that line. The report says total active listings are holding relatively steady while the drop in closed sales points to cooler transaction velocity.

Different Markets by Price

The averages hide a split. NC Realtors reports that higher-priced homes carry the most inventory, with supply of 13.1 months for homes priced at $875,000 and above. Homes priced under $375,000, by contrast, remain tighter. That gap helps explain why prices have held up even as sales volume has fallen: buyers at the lower end of the market still face limited choices.

The July report, which also showed a median price of $375,000, put the sales decline at 13.2 percent, so August represents a very slight easing in the pace of the slide.

For buyers, the picture is a market with more to choose from than a few years ago, especially in higher price ranges. For sellers, the report suggests patience is part of the strategy.

Source: NC Realtors, August 2026 Housing Report. The association's reports are typically released on or after the eighth of the following month.