September 29, 2026
Contact: Kim Walker, 704-940-3149

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte region housing activity cooled in August following a relatively steady summer, as affordability pressures and ongoing economic uncertainty continued to shape buyer and seller decisions. New listings, pending sales and closed sales declined from both July and last August, though year-to-date activity remained relatively stable, suggesting a late-summer pause rather than a broader shift in market conditions.

Buyer demand, as measured by pending contracts, dipped 1.8 percent year-over-year to 3,763 homes under contract and fell 5 percent from July, as borrowing costs continued to pressure affordability. Still, pending sales through the first eight months of the year were essentially on par with last year, up 0.7 percent. Closed sales saw a sharper monthly pullback, declining 8.7 percent year-over-year to 3,560 transactions and 14.1 percent from July. Year-to-date closings, however, remained just 1.1 percent below the same period last year. Data in this press release is sourced from Canopy MLS, a subsidiary corporation of the Canopy Realtor® Association, and reflects existing-home sales of single-family homes, condos, and townhomes only.

New listing activity also softened in August, declining 2.2 percent year-over-year as sellers brought 4,940 homes to market. Compared to July, new listings fell 10.7 percent. Despite the slowdown in seller activity, inventory continued to build, rising 7.1 percent year-over-year to 13,574 homes for sale. Months of supply held at 3.7 months, up 5.7 percent from 3.5 months a year ago. While buyers have more choices than they did last year, supply remains well below the six-month benchmark typically associated with a balanced market.

“August was a softer month, but when we step back and look at the year as a whole, the Charlotte market continues to show resilience,” said Joan B. Goode, president of Canopy Realtor® Association/Canopy MLS and a Realtor®/broker with Dickens Mitchener. “Affordability remains a significant consideration for buyers, and we're seeing them become more selective as they weigh higher borrowing costs along with other household expenses. At the same time, pending sales through August remain essentially even with last year, while buyers have more homes to choose from. This is a more measured market, and both buyers and sellers are having to adjust their expectations to current economic and housing conditions.”

Showing Activity Highlights Market Hotspots
Showing activity across the Charlotte metropolitan statistical area (MSA), a key indicator of buyer interest and in-person market activity, softened further in August, with total showings declining 5.7 percent year-over-year and 3.5 percent from July. Listings across the MSA averaged 3.7 showings per property, down 7.5 percent from last year but up 1.3 percent month-over-month. Buyer interest remained strongest in Matthews, where listings averaged 4.8 showings per listing, followed by Concord (4.4), Kannapolis (4.3), and Waxhaw and Davidson (4.2 each).

Home prices continued to hold relatively firm in August, extending a pattern of price stability that has characterized the market since late spring. The median sales price rose 2.5 percent year-over-year to $410,000 and was unchanged from July. In fact, the regional median has hovered around $410,000 since May, even as inventory has increased and homes have taken longer to sell. The average sales price increased 3.7 percent year-over-year to $530,308, but declined 2.7 percent from July. The average list price was also relatively stable, rising 1.3 percent year-over-year to $520,021, while sellers received 95.5 percent of their original asking price, essentially unchanged from a year ago. Overall, the data show that increased supply is giving buyers more choice without producing broad downward pressure on home prices.

Attached Housing Continues to Expand Choice and Affordability in August
Single-family homes continued to anchor the Charlotte region’s housing market in August, with the median sales price increasing 2.4 percent year-over-year to $420,000. Attached housing continued to offer buyers lower price points, with the median townhome price declining 0.8 percent to $350,000 and the median condo price falling 4.1 percent to $292,000. Inventory growth remained strongest among attached properties, with townhome inventory rising 20.2 percent and condo inventory increasing 16.6 percent from a year ago, compared with 4.3 percent growth for single-family homes. As a result, buyers shopping for attached homes continued to benefit from greater choice, with months of supply reaching 4.4 months for townhomes and 5.8 months for condos, compared with 3.5 months for single-family homes.

Goode continued, “One of the more important stories in our market this year has been the stabilization of home prices. Since late spring, the regional median has remained around $410,000, even as inventory has continued to grow. That tells us that more supply isn’t necessarily resulting in lower prices, but it is changing the experience for consumers. Buyers have more choices and more time to consider them, while sellers are competing for those buyers in a way they weren’t when inventory was much tighter. For buyers looking for a more affordable entry point, the supply of townhomes and condos continues to create additional options.”

Homes spent more time on the market in August, giving buyers a longer window to consider their options. List to Close, which measures the total time from listing date to closing date, increased 8.7 percent to 100 days, up from 92 days a year ago. Days on Market, which measures the time a property spends on the market before an offer is accepted, rose 17.0 percent to 55 days, compared to 47 days last year. Marketing times remained relatively consistent across price points, ranging from 54 days for homes priced above $500,000 to 56 days for homes priced between $200,001 and $300,000 and between $400,001 and $500,000. The longer marketing window continues to reflect a more measured market, where increased inventory and greater choice are giving buyers more time to evaluate their options before making an offer.

See August 2026 data for 30+ communities

Mecklenburg County’s housing market cooled in August, with closed sales declining 6.4 percent year-over-year to 1,230 homes, while pending sales fell 8.1 percent to 1,232 contracts. New listings also declined 4.5 percent to 1,648 properties, though year-to-date seller activity remained ahead of last year, with new listings up 3.6 percent through August. Despite the monthly slowdown in new listings, inventory continued to expand, rising 12.7 percent year-over-year to 4,543 homes for sale, while months of supply increased from 3.1 months last August to 3.6 months. The continued build-up in available homes is providing buyers with greater choice, even as sales activity moderated during the month.

Home prices continued to appreciate modestly in August, with the median sales price rising 1.8 percent year-over-year to $468,000, while the average sales price increased 2.7 percent to $614,667. The average list price declined 2.6 percent to $600,029. As inventory expanded, homes took slightly longer to sell, averaging 45 days on market compared to 44 days last year, while sellers received 96.1 percent of their original list price, essentially unchanged from 96.2 percent a year ago. Even with the increase in supply, Mecklenburg County homes continued to sell faster than those across the broader Charlotte region, where homes averaged 55 days on market in August, underscoring the county’s continued competitiveness within the regional market.

Goode added, “Affordability remains challenging, but the growing range of choices across our market gives consumers more ways to approach it. Looking beyond a particular neighborhood, considering a townhome or condo, or exploring available down payment assistance can change what may be possible for a buyer. In a market like this, understanding all of the options is just as important as watching the price.”

The City of Charlotte housing market cooled in August, with closed sales declining 5.3 percent year-over-year to 971 homes, while pending sales fell 4.4 percent to 983 contracts. New listings were relatively steady, increasing 0.9 percent to 1,363 properties, and remained up 5.3 percent year-to-date. Inventory continued to expand, rising 15.7 percent year-over-year to 3,737 homes for sale, while months of supply increased from 3.1 months last August to 3.7 months, providing buyers with considerably more choice than a year ago. City-of-Charlotte

Despite the increase in supply, home prices remained relatively stable. The median sales price increased 0.6 percent year-over-year to $427,500, while the year-to-date median stood at $430,000, up 0.8 percent. The average sales price was essentially unchanged from last August, declining just 0.2 percent to $584,158. Sellers received 95.9 percent of their original list price, compared with 96.1 percent a year ago, while homes averaged 47 days on market, up from 44 days last August. Even with substantially more inventory and longer marketing times, homes in the city continued to sell faster than across the broader Charlotte region, where homes averaged 55 days on market in August.

Rental affordability also remains part of the region’s broader housing equation. In August, Canopy MLS rental data showed the average monthly lease price declined 1.8 percent year-over-year to $2,109, while active rental inventory fell 8.1 percent to 1,908 units. Rental activity also softened, with the number of properties leased declining 11.7 percent from last August. Year-to-date, however, the average monthly lease price remained relatively stable at $2,106, up just 0.3 percent from the same period last year. With the cost of both renting and homeownership remaining elevated, affordability continues to shape housing decisions across the region.

Canopy Realtor^® Association provides monthly reports on residential real estate market activity for the Charlotte region, representing 12 counties in North Carolina (Alexander, Cabarrus, Catawba, Cleveland, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, Rowan, Stanly, and Union) and four counties in South Carolina (Chester, Chesterfield, Lancaster, and York).

For more residential-housing market statistics, visit www.CarolinaHome.com and click on “Market Data.” For an interview with 2026 Association/Canopy MLS President Joan B. Goode, Realtor®/Broker with Dickens Mitchener, please contact Kim Walker.

Canopy Realtor® Association owns and operates Canopy MLS, the region’s primary source for accurate, timely property data across a multi-county service area spanning North Carolina and South Carolina, including the Charlotte, Asheville, and Hickory-Lenoir MSAs. With more than 21,000 subscribers, Canopy MLS delivers comprehensive property data and innovative tools that support residential real estate transactions, from buying and selling to investing and renting.