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Inventory & Sales Pace

How Many Homes Are for Sale in Wake County – and How Fast They’re Selling

The Pulse of the Market

Prices are the last thing to change. How many homes are for sale, and how fast they sell, tell you where things are headed. As of September 2026, Wake County has more homes for sale than a year ago, and each one is getting fewer showings. Buyers have more choice, and they’re still quick to react to mortgage rates.

Why Wake County: Real estate is local, so these numbers stick to one county. That makes it easier to see real seasonal and longer-term trends, instead of differences between areas. Wake is a good guide for the rest of the Triangle.

The Numbers Right Now

Wake County: Months Supply (The Speedometer)

Wake County had 3.7 months of supply in September 2026, up from 3.4 a year earlier. That matches July as the highest on this chart, which goes back to January 2023.

Wake County: Showings Per Listing (Buyer Activity)

Homes got about 3.4 showings each in September 2026, down from 4.3 a year earlier and from 5.6 at the spring peak in March.

Wake County: New Listings

Wake County had 1,902 new listings in September 2026, about the same as a year earlier (1,887). That’s down from the spring peak of 2,716 in April, as usual for the fall.

What It Adds Up To

Put the three numbers together and here’s what they say:

Supply is Up: Months of supply reached 3.7 in September, up from 3.4 a year earlier and more balanced than in recent years. New listings are level with last year, so the extra supply comes from homes selling more slowly, not from more sellers listing.
Buyers Are Choosier: Showings per listing fell to 3.4, from 4.3 a year ago. Buyers are still out there, but they’re seeing more homes before they decide, and condition matters.
The Rate Pendulum: Demand still moves with mortgage rates. Buyers come back quickly when rates ease and pull back when they rise.

In this market, it pays to watch for good weeks for rates, and to make sure your home is in great shape so it stands out when buyers hesitate.

Seasonality & The Market Cycle

It’s important to tell normal seasonal shifts apart from real long-term changes. Historically, the Triangle follows a predictable “pulse”:

The Spring Replenishment: It is normal for new listings and months of supply to climb through April and May. This does not indicate a market “crash,” but rather a standard re-stocking of inventory.
Buyers Come and Go: Buyer activity will rise and fall as long as rates keep reacting to world events.

Knowing these patterns helps us plan your timing around both the “Spring Surge” and homeowners staying put because of their low “locked-in” rates.

Supply Metrics

More homes are for sale than a year ago, but people are staying in their homes longer than ever, which keeps the total low.

Seller Tenure11 Years (Historic High)
Current Supply3.7 Months (Up)
Market StateMore Balanced

Buyer Activity

Buyers are active but choosy. The best homes are getting most of the attention.

Showings3.4 Showings/List
Mortgage RatesHesitation > 6.5%
Buyer Age40 (FTB Median)