Published October 2, 2026 in Market Update

More listings are giving buyers more room in the Primary market

By Megan Wilson

Real estate, Primary market

The biggest shift in the Primary market right now is simple: there are more homes to choose from. That means sellers can no longer count on scarcity to do the work for them.

These numbers cover the three months ending July 31, 2026.

More homes, more competition

The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 2,194 homes for sale across the Primary market in the three months ending July 31, 2026. That is up 16.3% from the same months of 2025. New listings rose even faster, up 23.1%, to 2,149. Yet buyers kept pace: 1,672 homes sold, up 20.8% year over year. The market is bigger and busier, but shoppers have real choices now.

This is not just a local trend

The National Association of Realtors put U.S. supply at 4.9 months, the highest level in over ten years. Realtor.com reported active listings up 6.3% from a year ago, the fastest pace in at least six months. The Primary market's 16.3% inventory gain, tracked by the Real Estate Data Aggregator, runs well ahead of that national pace.

Rates have climbed again

Freddie Mac put the average 30-year fixed rate at 7.28% as of October 1, 2026. The 15-year averaged 6.60%. Realtor.com noted that rates crossed 7% in late September for the first time since January 2025. Higher rates slow some buyers down. That is one more reason pricing has to be sharp.

How each ZIP code read in the same period

The Real Estate Data Aggregator tracked each ZIP separately. The numbers below show where prices and speed differed most.

Speed varied a lot by ZIP

The Real Estate Data Aggregator found the fastest median in 35824 at 37 days, and the slowest in 35773 at 91 days. That is a 54-day gap inside the same market. In 35758, 44.4% of homes went under contract within two weeks of listing. In 35759, only 17.2% did. Prep and price drive those gaps.

Prices: some up, some down

Not every ZIP saw prices rise. The Real Estate Data Aggregator showed 35806 up 11% to $442,850. But 35758 slipped 5.3% to $394,900, and 35759 fell 3.6% to $318,000. The Federal Housing Finance Agency reported U.S. house prices rose 2.1% year over year through the second quarter of 2026. Some local ZIPs beat that; others did not.

What this means for sellers

Buyers now have 2,194 homes to compare in this market, tracked by the Real Estate Data Aggregator. Homes still sell, and 1,653 are pending. But the sale-to-list ratio slipped in several ZIPs. In 35758 it fell 0.6 points to 98.5%. In 35613 it fell 0.5 points to 98.8%. Homes that are priced right and presented well are still moving. The others are sitting longer.

What this means for buyers

More supply is real. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 2,149 new listings, up 23.1%. The National Association of Realtors put national supply at 4.9 months. But Freddie Mac's 7.28% rate on October 1, 2026 still shapes what a payment looks like. More choices do not automatically mean easier math.