"Should we start high and come down if we need to?" It is one of the most common questions I hear from sellers. This fall's data gives a pretty clear answer for the Triangle: plenty of sellers are coming down, and the ones who price right from the start tend to sell faster.
How common are price cuts right now?
Realtor.com tracks the share of listings that had a price reduction each month. For October 2026:
Raleigh-Cary metro: 26.8%
Wake County: 26.5%
Durham County: 26.3%
Johnston County: 28.4%
Harnett County: 21.1%
Chatham County: 21.0%
Lee County: 19.4%
At the ZIP level, the range is wider. In Apex 27502, 35.2% of listings had a price reduction in October, up 12.9 percentage points from a year earlier. Holly Springs 27540 was at 28.2%, Fuquay-Varina 27526 at 26.9%, Cary 27513 at 24.4% and Cary 27511 at 23.5%.
Redfin measures price drops differently, and its figures are higher. For the period ending September 2026, Redfin's city pages reported price drops on 44.7% of homes in Raleigh (up 3.7 points from a year earlier) and 39.7% in Cary (down 1.3 points).
Homes that sell still close near list price
Here is the other half of the picture. Redfin's average sale-to-list ratio for the three months ending September 2026:
Holly Springs: 99.0%
Cary: 98.9%
Apex: 98.9%
Fuquay-Varina: 98.8%
Sanford: 98.5%
Raleigh: 98.1%
At first glance that looks like sellers are getting nearly full price. But a sale-to-list ratio does not tell you what a home was originally listed at, or how many reductions came before the contract. A home that cut its price twice and then sold at 99% of the final price still shows up as a near-full-price sale.
Speed rewards accurate pricing
Redfin also tracks how many homes go under contract within two weeks. For the three months ending September 2026:
Cary: 38.5%
Holly Springs: 38.3%
Raleigh: 30.4%
Apex: 30.1%
Fuquay-Varina: 22.3%
Sanford: 18.7%
Even in this slower market, roughly three in ten homes in Raleigh and Apex, and closer to four in ten in Cary and Holly Springs, went under contract within two weeks. In my experience, those are mostly homes that were priced and presented right on day one, and the first two weeks are when a new listing gets the most attention from buyers and their agents.
What this means for your pricing decision
Start from the competition, not the hope. Recent comparable sales tell you the range; the active listings tell you what buyers will tour instead of yours.
Watch the first two weeks closely. Showings and online activity in that window tell you whether the price is landing.
If a reduction is needed, make it meaningful and make it early. Small, repeated cuts can leave a listing looking stale.
Know your net. Before you list, look at what you walk away with at a few different prices, after commissions, payoff and closing costs.
If your home has already been on the market a long time, my posts on why homes sit and what to do after a listing expires go deeper.
Frequently asked questions
How many homes are reducing their price in Raleigh?
In October 2026, 26.8% of Raleigh-Cary metro listings had a price reduction, according to Realtor.com. Redfin's figure for the city of Raleigh, for the period ending September 2026, was 44.7%.
What is the average price reduction on a house?
I could not find a reliable, current local source for the average size of a price cut in the Triangle, so I am not giving a number. The right adjustment depends on how far your price is from your competition.
Is it better to price high and reduce later?
The local data suggests starting accurate. About a quarter of listings needed a reduction in October 2026, and the homes that went under contract quickly in Cary, Holly Springs, Raleigh and Apex were a meaningful share of listings.
If you are getting ready to list, or your home has been on the market longer than you expected, I will give you a straight pricing review based on today's comparable sales and active competition. Call or text (919) 527-5727 or email Blair.whelan@exprealty.com.
Blair Whelan | eXp Realty
Related pages
Why isn’t my house selling in Raleigh? 10 reasons homes sit on the market
What to Do After Your Listing Expires in North Carolina
How much is my Raleigh home worth? A 2026 home value guide
Selling a home in a tough market in Raleigh and the Triangle
Sources
https://www.realtor.com/research/data/
https://www.redfin.com/city/35711/NC/Raleigh/housing-market