Published November 5, 2026 in Market Update

Primary market sales rose while inventory stayed nearly flat

Here is the one number that shapes everything right now. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 2,488 homes sold across this primary market in the three months ending August 31, 2026. That is up 5.8% from the same months of 2025. More buyers showed up and closed.

At the same time, homes for sale rose just 0.7%, to 2,290, according to the Real Estate Data Aggregator. Sales climbed. Choices barely grew. That gap matters for everyone on both sides of a sale.

If you are selling, buyers are still showing up. Pending sales across the primary market rose 3.9%, to 2,288, per the Real Estate Data Aggregator. Demand did not fade.

If you are buying, more sales did not bring more choices. New listings actually slipped 0.6%, per the Real Estate Data Aggregator. You are competing for a pool that did not grow much.

How each ZIP code read in the same period

The market-wide picture is one thing. Each ZIP code tells its own story. Some ran tight. Some loosened. Here is what the Real Estate Data Aggregator counted, ZIP by ZIP.

Speed: how fast homes went under contract

Speed varied widely by ZIP. The Real Estate Data Aggregator found that in 27511 Cary, 52.4% of homes went under contract within two weeks of listing. In 27518 Cary, that share was 51.7%. In 27513 Cary, it was 49.3%. Those three ZIPs moved the fastest.

At the other end, 27605 Raleigh saw just 23.3% go under contract within two weeks, per the Real Estate Data Aggregator. Median days on market there reached 92 days. Not every home sold fast.

Months of supply: how tight is each ZIP?

Months of supply tells you how long it would take to sell every home listed, at the current pace. Lower means tighter. The Real Estate Data Aggregator put 27518 Cary at 1.6 months. That is the tightest ZIP in this market.

27605 Raleigh sat at 5.8 months, per the Real Estate Data Aggregator. That is the loosest ZIP here. More supply, slower pace.

What the national picture adds

Nationally, the National Association of Realtors reported that existing-home sales in September 2026 reached 3.99 million units. Inventory nationally rose to 1.60 million homes. Existing-home prices rose 1.3% nationally in September 2026, the National Association of Realtors said.

Freddie Mac put the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage at 7.18% as of November 5, 2026. The 15-year rate averaged 6.57% the same day. Rates shape what buyers can afford, and that shapes what sellers can ask.

One more thing to keep in mind

Every ZIP code here is real. Every number comes from the Real Estate Data Aggregator for the three months ending August 31, 2026. But one street can read very differently from the ZIP code around it. Condition, price point, and location within a ZIP all shift the picture.