Triangle Market Intelligence | September 2025

This update was published in October 2025 using complete September 2025 market data.

The September 2025 Raleigh housing market showed rising listings, steady demand, and a clear shift away from speculation and toward strategy. While national headlines leaned negative, the Triangle market continued to demonstrate resilience and opportunity for buyers and sellers who understood how to read the data.

This was not a market in decline. It was a market sorting itself.

1. The Big Picture

Everyone has an opinion about the housing market. Most of them miss what is actually happening locally.

Across Raleigh and the greater Triangle, inventory increased sharply while buyer demand remained steady. In Wake County alone, new listings climbed 9% year over year and closed sales increased 13%.

Inventory was up nearly 50% compared to the prior year. That increase did not weaken the market. It exposed it.

Homes that showed well, priced correctly, and were backed by strong marketing rose to the top. Homes that were mispriced or poorly positioned sat.

2. Price and Inventory Trends

The TARR data revealed a clear divide between strategic listings and guesswork.

• No price reductions: averaged 16 days on market and sold for approximately 99% of original list price
• With price reductions: averaged 89 days on market and sold for approximately 92% of list price

Overpricing was costly. Not gradually. Immediately.

In this market, sellers who priced with intention still won. Listings that tested the market paid for it in time, leverage, and final price.

3. What the Regional Data Was Showing

The Triangle is not a single market, and September made that distinction clearer.

• Durham: high-end closings surged, with average sale price up 20% month over month
• Triangle-wide inventory: up 41% year over year
• Months of supply: approximately three months, keeping the market near balance

More inventory did not signal a crash. It signaled choice.

And choice is a healthy condition for a maturing market.

4. What This Market Was Actually Demanding

September reinforced a simple truth. This was not a forgiving market.

Homes that were staged, priced correctly, and supported by expert marketing sold quickly and near list price. Homes that were not prepared or strategically positioned stalled.

The smartest move was not reacting to headlines. It was aligning strategy with goals.

5. Strategy Matters More Than Sentiment

This market did not reward gimmicks. It rewarded clarity, preparation, and execution.

After decades of guiding clients through multiple market cycles, one pattern remains consistent. Strategy outperforms emotion every time.

Sellers: the first ten days on market delivered the strongest list to sale price ratios.
Buyers: expanded inventory created leverage that would not last indefinitely.

Final Thoughts

September 2025 was a month of opportunity for those willing to approach the Triangle market thoughtfully.

With more listings, engaged buyers, and a stabilizing pace, the market favored intention over hesitation.

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Authority Note

With more than 30 years of resale experience, over 10,000 closings, and deep local relationships across the Triangle, Marti Hampton Real Estate provides one of the region’s most trusted perspectives on market behavior. Our data-driven approach helps buyers and sellers make confident decisions in every market cycle.