May 22, 2026
Contact: Kim Walker, 704-940-3149

CHARLOTTE, N.C. —  Even as the housing market continued to navigate broader economic uncertainty in April, buyer demand continued to build across the Charlotte region. According to data from Canopy MLS, contract activity rose 14.9 percent year over year, with more than 4,800 homes going under contract during the month, while pending sales also increased 2.0 percent compared to March 2026, signaling continued buyer engagement despite affordability pressures. Closed sales, however, lagged, declining 2.8 percent year over year as 3,754 homes sold in April, 110 fewer transactions than during the same period last year. Buyers continued to contend with mortgage rates that fluctuated between roughly 6.0 and 6.4 percent throughout the month, alongside rising economic pressures tied to elevated inflation and higher transportation and living costs, factors that likely contributed to more cautious and selective purchasing behavior.  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 listings increased 7.3 percent year over year, with 6,480 homes entering the market during April. Compared to March 2026, new listings rose 6.3 percent, continuing the seasonal spring inventory build and contributing to gains in both overall inventory and housing supply. Inventory increased 10.7 percent year over year to nearly 11,800 homes for sale, equating to 3.2 months of supply across the Charlotte region, still well below the six-month benchmark considered a balanced market. 

“The Charlotte region’s housing market continued to show resilience in April as buyer demand remained active despite ongoing affordability pressures and broader economic uncertainty,” said Joan B. Goode, 2026 president of Canopy MLS and a Realtor®/broker with Dickens Mitchener. “While growing inventory is creating more opportunities for buyers in some segments of the market, strong population growth and continued migration into the region are still supporting overall demand and home prices.”

Prices remained relatively stable across the region in April, with the median sales price rising 0.8 percent year over year to $399,000 and the average sales price increasing 0.7 percent to $522,405, reflecting continued resilience despite growing affordability pressures and rising inventory. The average list price also increased 2.9 percent year over year to $590,217. Meanwhile, sellers received 95.9 percent of their original list price, down slightly from 96.7 percent in April 2025, signaling modestly greater negotiating room for buyers compared to last year’s more competitive market conditions.

Showing Activity Highlights Market Hotspots

Showing activity across the Charlotte MSA, a key indicator of buyer interest and foot traffic, increased 6 percent year over year in April, while remaining relatively flat month-over-month (-0.4%) compared to March. Buyer activity remained strongest in mid- to higher-priced segments, particularly homes priced above $450,000.

Top markets for buyer showing activity included:

• Matthews: 6.5 showings per listing
• Waxhaw: 5.5 showings per listing
• Concord: 5.5 showings per listing
• Kannapolis: 5.3 showings per listing
• City of Charlotte: 5.0 showings per listing

Condos and Townhomes Expand Buyer Opportunities
Single-family homes continued to lead the Charlotte region’s housing market in April, with median prices rising 3.1 percent year over year to $417,500, improving slightly from March’s 2.7 percent gain and reinforcing continued demand for detached homes. Condos and townhomes, however, continued to offer more affordability opportunities for buyers. Condo median prices declined 4.3 percent to $296,745, an improvement from March’s 5.4 percent decline, while townhome prices dipped 2.8 percent to $350,000. At the same time, inventory growth remained strongest in attached housing, with townhome inventory rising 27.5 percent and condo inventory increasing 17.9 percent year over year, particularly in the $200,000 to $500,000 price ranges, giving buyers more choices and slightly more negotiating room heading into the late spring market.

Time on market metrics in April continued to reflect a market that is gradually rebalancing as inventory grows and buyers gain more options heading into the spring season. List to Close, which measures the total number of days from listing date to closing date, increased 7.6 percent year over year to 99 days, while Days on Market, which accrues during “Active” and “Under Contract-Show” statuses, rose 16.7 percent to 56 days compared to 48 days a year ago. Although homes are still taking longer to sell than they were a year ago, April’s pace improved from March, when Days on Market reached 63 days, suggesting that stronger spring buyer activity helped absorb some of the growing inventory. At the same time, the market remains highly localized, with core areas like Mecklenburg County continuing to move faster than many outlying counties despite rising inventory levels across the region.

See April 2026 data for 30+ communities

Mecklenburg County’s housing market remained competitive in April despite growing inventory and longer selling times, underscoring the continued strength of demand in the region’s core.   Homes continued to appreciate with the median sales price increasing 4.4 percent year over year to $475,000, while the average sales price rose 5.6 percent to $656,036, reflecting continued pricing resilience even as affordability pressures persist. Homes took longer to sell, with days on market rising 20.5 percent to 47 days compared to 39 days a year ago, while sellers received slightly less of their original list price at 96.9 percent, down from 97.6 percent last April, signaling somewhat greater negotiability for buyers. 

At the same time, buyer demand remained active as pending sales rose 11.2 percent year over year, outpacing the 9.6 percent increase in new listings. Inventory expanded 16.4 percent to nearly 4,000 homes for sale, pushing supply to 3.1 months, still well below the six-month benchmark for a balanced market. Rising inventory and longer market times suggest a gradual market recalibration.

“Mecklenburg County remains one of the region’s most competitive housing markets because the long-term drivers behind Charlotte’s growth have not slowed,” said Goode. “Strong population growth, continued migration into the Charlotte region, and limited supply in many desirable neighborhoods continue to support home prices and buyer activity. At the same time, growing inventory and the relative affordability found in some townhome and attached-home segments are creating important opportunities for buyers who may have been priced out of the single-family market over the last few years.” 

The City of Charlotte housing market remained competitive in April, with continued price growth and rising buyer activity despite growing inventory and ongoing affordability pressures. The median sales price increased 3.5 percent year over year to $439,945, while the average sales price rose 4.0 percent to $638,113, reflecting continued demand for homes within the city. At the same time, homes spent longer on the market, with days on market increasing 20.5 percent to 47 days compared to 39 days a year ago, while sellers received slightly less of their original list price at 97.0 percent, down from 97.7 percent last April, signaling modestly greater negotiating room for buyers compared to the highly competitive conditions of recent years.

Despite these shifts, demand within the city remained strong and continued to outpace supply growth. Pending sales rose 10.8 percent year over year as 1,362 homes went under contract during the month, while new listings increased 10.3 percent with 1,878 homes entering the market. Inventory climbed 18.0 percent to more than 3,200 homes for sale, pushing months of supply to 3.1 months, still well below the six-month benchmark for a balanced market.

Goode continued, “As Charlotte continues to attract new residents and job growth, buyer demand remains strongest in well-priced and desirable neighborhoods, where available inventory can still be absorbed quickly. Working with a Realtor® can help buyers move decisively and navigate opportunities as they emerge.”

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.