Your Q3 Carolina's Real Estate Update: There's a lot more for sale signs

More signs in the yard don’t have to mean trouble ahead. We break down what a 25–30% rise in Carolina inventory really signals, why four months’ supply points to a balanced market, and how to price to create demand rather than invite reductions that tell on your listing. Along the way, we get specific about concessions, builder competition, and the rate buydowns that move today’s payment-focused buyers—plus a Greensboro case study that shows how an intentional launch can outperform wishful pricing by tens of thousands.

We dig into the five stats that actually matter right now—days on market near 50, months’ supply around four, steady 3–6% appreciation, thinner showing counts, and list-to-sale ratios that must be read in context of price changes. Instead of chasing stale comps, we make the case for living in the active market: walk competing listings, track their traffic, call those agents when they go pending, and adjust quickly. For sellers, that means spotless condition, sharp photography, and offers sweetened with smart concessions to counter new-construction incentives. For buyers, it means loan readiness, clean terms, and the confidence to move in week one before momentum builds.

We also zoom out: discretionary movers are returning after years of “needs-only” transactions, first-time buyers can still build meaningful equity with modest appreciation, and families can unlock homeownership sooner through thoughtful down payment gifts. Layer in a better “feel factor”—job growth, a steadier stock market, and rates flirting with the 6s—and the path into Q4 looks constructive. Normal doesn’t mean slow; it means strategy wins. Subscribe for more data-driven market updates and share this episode with someone who’s debating whether to wait or act. Your take: are you pricing to test the ceiling, or to create a line at the door?

Gary Scott, President, Howard Hanna Allen Tate Real Estate
Tony Jarrett, Regional Vice President

https://www.allentate.com/

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