Year-End Market Snapshot: What Happened This Year & What’s Ahead in Triangle Real Estate Market

As 2025 winds down, homebuyers, sellers, and investors are asking the same question: What’s really been happening in the Triangle real estate market this year and where are things headed in 2026? Let’s break it down with clear trends and actionable takeaways.

Inventory Finally Softens - Giving Buyers More Options

After years of historically low supply, one of the biggest stories of 2025 has been the increase in available homes for sale throughout the Triangle. Inventory has grown significantly year-over-year, in some cases by nearly 30%, offering more choices for buyers navigating the market.

This doesn’t mean we’re in a buyer’s market yet, but it does mean that the intense competition and bidding wars that defined the last few years have eased in many submarkets. Sellers still hold leverage in desirable locations, but buyers are no longer facing the extremely tight conditions of the recent past.

Home Prices Show Modest Growth & Signs of Stabilization

Home prices in the Triangle remained relatively steady throughout 2025:

• Median home price in the Triangle has hovered around $500,000 with slight year-over-year increases or modest declines depending on the location.
• For the 8 cities we regularly track (Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Durham, Hillsborough, Pittsboro, Apex, Cary & Raleigh), median home price increased 3.7% YTD over the same time period last year. Pittsboro was the highest with a 7.9% increase.
• Many areas saw minimal price changes, as the market transitioned away from the rapid appreciation of previous years.

Overall, prices aren’t crashing; instead, they’re normalizing as inventory rises and buyers have more negotiating room.

Days on Market Have Increased

One clear indicator that the market has shifted is how long homes are staying listed:

• In many parts of the Triangle, the typical home is spending longer on the market compared to early 2024.
• For the 8 cities listed above, days on market increased 90.9% YTD over the same time period last year. Pittsboro was the lowest with a 13.2% increase, but that was largely a result of new construction (which is always 0 days on market).

This doesn’t signal weakness. It often signals a more balanced market, where buyers feel less pressure to rush decisions and sellers need to align pricing with current demand.

Submarket Nuances: Urban & Suburban Differences

Different neighborhoods and counties have shown unique trends:

• Urban cores like Raleigh and Durham continue to see strong interest thanks to job growth, walkability, and quality of life, even as inventory increases.
• Suburban and new-construction areas (Pittsboro, Apex, Fuquay-Varina) remain popular, especially with families and relocating professionals.

This variation underscores why hyperlocal data matters when pricing a listing or evaluating a purchase.

What’s Ahead for 2026

Looking forward, several factors will shape the Triangle market:

• Mortgage Rates: Interest rates have eased somewhat from earlier highs in 2025, and many economists expect this trend to continue moderately through 2026. Lower rates can spur buying activity, especially among first-time purchasers and move-up buyers.
• New Construction & Housing Supply: Builders are active across the region, with new homes and subdivisions expanding options for buyers. While this doesn’t solve affordability overnight, it does help relieve inventory pressure in key price tiers.
• Sustained Demand: Employment growth tied to Research Triangle Park, universities, healthcare, tech, and other industries continues to attract residents, underpinning long-term housing demand. Local projects and job announcements further reinforce the Triangle’s appeal as a relocation destination.

Final Takeaway

In 2025, the Triangle real estate market balanced. We moved from extremely tight supply and rapid price growth toward a more normalized environment with:

• More inventory for buyers
• Stable pricing trends
• Longer market exposure for sellers
• Continued strong demand driven by job growth and relocation

Whether you’re thinking of buying, selling, or simply tracking trends, this evolving market offers opportunities for both sides, especially with strategic pricing and local expertise guiding your decisions.