Triangle Real Estate in Focus

We now have three quarters worth of home sales data to look at and so far 2026 has been a good year for The Triangle. Overall, sales volume is up and pricing has continued to moderate a bit after the record highs of the pandemic market.

Looking at the year-to-date trend for 2026 compared to the same period last year, we do see sales volume differences by market. Cary and Durham continue to be strong frontrunners, Chapel Hill/Carrboro shows a modest increase and Raleigh is actually down a bit.

Year-over-year prices continued to moderate everywhere except Chapel Hill/Carrboro where the correction began to hit in 2025. 

Here’s where we stand:

Jan-September 2026 average prices vs Jan-September 2025*:

CARY: $684K down 2.7%

DURHAM: $469K down 3%

RALEIGH: $546K  up 1.4%

CHAPEL HILL/CARRBORO: $693K up 5.6%

Mortgage rates are the big story right now. They have increased significantly from a month ago and are currently at 7.61% for a 30 year loan and 6.79% for a 15 year loan. These are the highest rates we’ve seen in almost three years. This 10% jump is certainly having a dampening effect on sales particularly for Buyers who have no equity to bring to the table.

Unfortunately the current outlook is for this upward pressure to continue.

Fall! While we still have some warm days, the evenings are getting cool and the leaves are beginning to turn—and signs of Halloween are everywhere! Enjoy the season.

Sources: 

Triangle MLS  10/10/26

bankrate.com  10/10/26

* For perspective on the broader vs luxury market, property data includes sales of $2M or less