Triangle Area · May 2026
Jump to: Market Update · Local Happenings · Day Trips
One of the things I love about working with relocation clients is that I get to do deep dives into micro markets across the Triangle. The truth is, not all markets are the same and it becomes painfully obvious when I compare one small pocket to the larger whole.
Market Update
Case in point: Chapel Hill.
The story that is hitting so hard lately is how slow the market is. And it’s true that things have slowed down compared to last year. But if that’s the only story you’re hearing, you’re not getting all the facts.
In Chapel Hill, for homes over $1 million (sold during the month of April), 52% sold OVER list price.
Let that sink in.
More than HALF of luxury homes in Chapel Hill sold in competitive offer scenarios. That’s compared to 42% in Cary (for all price points AND for luxury price points) and 22% for all of Wake County luxury.
What the broader Chapel Hill market looks like
Even across all price points, Chapel Hill holds its own. The new listings-to-pending ratio sits at 61% — meaning roughly 6 out of every 10 new listings finds a buyer immediately. In fact, two-thirds of homes go under contract in under 10 days, and sellers are receiving 99.1 cents on every dollar of list price on average. Those aren’t the numbers of a slow market.
April 2026 — Chapel Hill vs Cary vs Wake County
% Closed Above List Price
New Listings to Pending Ratio
Additional Metrics by Market
Chapel Hill — all prices
Chapel Hill — $1M+
Cary — all prices
Wake County — all prices
For Buyers: What This Market Means for You
If you’ve been sitting on the sidelines waiting for the market to “cool off” before making a move, here’s the reality check: in the markets that matter most — like Chapel Hill — the competition never really left. What has changed is that you have more inventory to choose from than you did a year ago, slightly more time to make decisions, and a better chance of landing a home at or near list price.
That’s actually a rare window. The urgency of 2024 and 2025 has softened just enough to give you a minute to think about your decision — but the fundamentals are still firmly in the seller’s favor. If you’re relocating to the Triangle and have Chapel Hill or Cary on your radar, now is a genuinely good time to get serious. The buyers who win here are the ones who show up educated, prepped, and ready to move when the right home hits.
If you’re really looking for a deal, there are micro markets where those exist.
If any of these sound like you, let’s talk.
For Sellers: The Problem With Listings and Something I’ve Been Working On
Introducing the 10-10-10 Program — and the Property Launch Method
So you just read all of that and thought — great, but my house isn’t in Chapel Hill.
Fair. Not every home is in the most competitive zip code; and not every seller is going to see 52% of their neighbors fielding multiple offers. But here’s what I want you to hear: a slower sale or a softer offer isn’t always about your home or your location. Sometimes it’s about how your home is being sold.
The market rewards preparation, positioning, and timing. And the truth is, most homes — regardless of zip code — never get the benefit of all three. They get listed the traditional way, priced on old data, and thrown onto the MLS to sit and wait. In a hot market, that strategy still works (although it could be even more optimized), but when conditions shift even slightly, the cracks in that model show up fast.
I’ve been bothered by this for a while, and I finally decided to do something about it.
The traditional way of listing a home has two problems that I don’t think get talked about enough.
#1. The first is pricing. As Realtors, we’re taught to pull the last 3–6 months of closed sales and work backward to determine a list price. But here’s the thing — the market is new every single day. Yesterday’s sold data doesn’t tell you what a motivated buyer is willing to pay today. Using old information to make one of the biggest financial decisions of your life has always felt backwards to me.
Also… we have no way of knowing the *real* details of those sold homes. A big drainage ditch in the back yard. Pet smells that hit you when you walk in the door. A neighbor’s rowdy dogs trying to bust through the fence. We can’t see any of these things in the listing pictures of comps, and they absolutely affect the final sale price. But, we still use these old comps as predictors of sale price. It doesn’t make sense.
#2. The second is showings. A standard MLS listing lets buyers schedule individually, whenever it’s convenient for them. This sounds fine, until you realize it spreads interest so thin that sellers rarely see a buyer’s best offer. When buyers trickle in over days and weeks with no sense of urgency or competition, the energy that drives a top-dollar offer simply doesn’t build.
So I’ve been studying, strategizing, and developing what I’m calling the Property Launch Method — a new approach designed to price homes based on current, real-time market signals and funnel buyer interest into a concentrated window that creates genuine competition and surfaces the best possible offer.
I believe this approach will produce meaningfully better results than a traditional sale. And I’m looking for sellers who want to help me prove it.
Here’s the deal: I’m taking 10 listings for a flat fee of $10,000 — and only until October 10th.
This is the 10-10-10 Program, and it’s a limited opportunity for sellers who are open to doing things differently in exchange for what I believe will be a dramatically better outcome.
If you’re thinking about selling — or you know someone who is — I’d love to have a conversation. You can schedule a discovery call [here], or just call or text me directly at 919-725-1885. And if you know someone this could help, please send me their name. I’ll take great care of them.
Want to Talk About the Market in Your Area?
Click to Schedule a Call!
Local Happenings
Artsplosure – The Raleigh Arts Festival
Y’all, this is Raleigh’s art party and it has been going strong since 1980 — which means it’s basically as old as us and still way cooler. Thousands of visual and performing artists take over the city in the name of “Art for All,” which honestly sounds like the most inclusive, feel-good event since the “We Are the World” video. Grab your people and go soak it in — free your inner art kid.
New Hope Valley Railway – Armed Forces Day Ride | May 16
Listen, if Sheldon Cooper had a spirit animal it would be this train, and honestly? Same. 🚂 The Triangle’s own historic railway is rolling through four miles of piney woods this Saturday, AND active duty military and veterans ride FREE as a thank-you for their service — so bring your favorite hero and hop aboard. It’s an hour-long round trip back in time, and I promise it’s more fun than anything else on your Saturday to-do list.
CaryLive at Downtown Cary Park
Free outdoor concerts, a blanket on the grass, and a band called Fancy Gap that sounds like it was made in a lab specifically for people who grew up with mixtapes — yes, please and thank you. Stuart McLamb and Charles Crossingham are bringing their gorgeous, soul-stirring folk-rock vibes to Downtown Cary Park, and the whole thing is free and open to the public. Pack your lawn chairs, grab some takeout, and pretend you discovered them before they were famous.
Got to Be NC Festival at the NC State Fairgrounds
Three days, free admission, free parking, a carnival, live music, baby chicks hatching, AND a Transforming Robot Car — I don’t know what that last one is, but I absolutely need to see it. This is peak North Carolina family fun, the kind where you come home sunburned and smelling like funnel cake and have zero regrets. If you grew up going to the State Fair every fall, consider this your warm-up act.
DAY TRIPS
Mayberry Farm Fest – Mount Airy | May 15–16
If you’ve ever wanted to walk down a street that looks exactly like the opening credits of The Andy Griffith Show — and deep down, we ALL have — Mount Airy is calling your name this weekend. Mayberry Farm Fest kicks off Friday evening with a tractor parade (very Mayberry, very iconic) and runs all day Saturday with vendors, exhibits, and activities. Go find Floyd’s Barber Shop, hum the theme song, and just be in that good, simple energy for a day.
NC Fossil Festival – Aurora | May 23–24
Free admission, fossil digging, a dinosaur show, and the kind of wholesome Southern charm that makes you feel like you stumbled into a really good episode of something on PBS — the North Carolina Fossil Festival in Aurora is a certified hidden gem. Your kids will think they’re the next Ross Geller (yes, I went there), and honestly you will too once you’re elbow-deep in that dig site. Two days, zero excuses — pack the sunscreen and make it a road trip.
Blue Crab Festival – Little River, SC | May 23–24 Weekend
Pack your stretchy pants and point the car toward the South Carolina coast, because the 44th Annual Blue Crab Festival on the Little River Waterfront is everything good about summer in one place — fresh seafood, live music, waterfront views, and hundreds of vendors. It’s been voted the Best Annual Festival on the Grand Strand, which is saying something because the Grand Strand does NOT play around with its festivals. This one’s worth every mile of the drive, I promise.
