Last Updated on August 5, 2025
Things are changing fast in the real estate industry. What you can expect now is very different from what your friend experienced six to twelve months ago when they bought and sold a house. Aligning yourself with a realtor well-versed in the local real estate market who’s keeping up with the changing market is advised. Are you considering entering the housing market soon? Here’s what you need to know.
Rule #1: You have more time to make an offer
This is good news for buyers who have heard stories about past buyers making offers within hours of listings hitting the market, or even worse, making an offer without seeing the property first. Today’s market is normalizing. In this new healthier market we’re entering, buyers have more time to make an offer. You don’t have to take time off from work to visit a house and then promptly draft an offer. Now there’s time to think through these large investments carefully.
That said, we are still seeing multiple offers, but this isn’t the norm. Particularly maintained and updated properties continue to attract multiple offers.
Thinking of selling soon but want to make sure your home receives top dollar? Reach out to your Realtor to schedule a home physical today.
Rule #2: You still need to find financing first
Regardless of the market, it’s smart to get pre-qualified or pre-approved for a loan before house hunting. This way, you know your budget and won’t fall for homes outside your price range. While it’s true that would-be buyers have considerably more time than sellers who purchased homes in the pre- and post-pandemic era, if you have a very specific wish list, you’ll want to be ready to act as soon as possible.
Rule #3: Sellers need to make the best possible first impression
While we’re still technically in a seller’s market, there’s more inventory now than there has been since 2019–meaning buyers have considerably more to choose from. In years prior, when inventory was so scarce, buyers were simply buying the first property available. Today’s buyers are calmer, knowing they have more inventory to choose from and are looking for value instead of availability.
Staging your home to maximize each room should be an absolute necessity. Renting staging furniture/props is highly advised to show off your home’s full potential to buyers. Don’t miss opportunities by failing to showcase your home’s value.
Lastly, curb appeal should not be overlooked and should be top of mind regardless of the season.
Rule #4: Pricing your home correctly from the onset is very important
The biggest issue sellers face today is incorrectly pricing their home. A remarkable 36% of all active listings in the state of North Carolina have had a price reduction. Homes that have price changes often sell for much less because they tend to remain on the market longer, which leads prospective buyers to question what might be wrong with them.
Rule #5: Those waiting on interest rates to lower will end up paying more in the long run
As buyers wait, home values consistently trend upward, with an average annual appreciation of 5%. Waiting to buy means paying more for the same property, even if interest rates fall slightly.
Consider the following example, using a $500,000 home and assuming a 5% appreciation:
| Timing | Home Price Estimate | Example Interest Rate | Mortgage Payment | Total Annual Savings Based on Monthly Payment | Loss of Wealth | Net Negative Wealth |
| Current Price | $500,000 | 7% | $2,661 | |||
| Wait 1 Year | $525,000 | 6.50% | $2,655 | $72 | $25,000 | $24,928 |
| Wait 2 Years | $551,000 | 6% | $2,643 | $216 | $51,000 | $50,784 |
| Wait 2 Years | $551,000 | 5% | $2,366 | $3,540 | $51,000 | $47,460 |
Waiting even one year adds $25,000 to the home’s value, which translates into a higher purchase price and a larger loan amount.
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Allen Tate is the Carolinas’ largest real estate company based on closed sales volume, with more than 70 offices and 1,800 Realtors in the Charlotte, Triad, Triangle, High Country, Highland/Cashiers and Asheville/Mountain regions of North Carolina and the Upstate and Low Country regions of South Carolina. Allen Tate is a partner of Howard Hanna Real Estate, the largest privately held real estate broker in the United States. The full-service real estate company has 480 real estate, mortgage, insurance, title, and escrow service offices and more than 15,000 sales associates and staff across 13 states. For more information, visit www.allentate.com and www.howardhanna.com.
