Published October 25, 2026 in Market Update

Primary market inventory held steady while sales slowed

By Frances Marcou

Real estate, Primary market

Sales slowed. Supply did not. That gap is the story right now.

Fran Marcou has watched this market through many turns. The three months ending August 31, 2026 brought a clear signal worth reading carefully. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 1,523 homes sold across the Primary market, down 7% from the same months of 2025. At the same time, homes for sale held at 2,070, unchanged year over year. More homes sitting, fewer closing. That is a shift sellers need to understand before they price.

I say it this way: "Your home's price is the one thing you control in a market you cannot."

The market-wide picture, three months ending August 31, 2026

The Real Estate Data Aggregator shows new listings fell 3.4% and pending sales dropped 4.4%. So the pipeline is thinning on both ends. Supply did not flood the market, but buyers pulled back more than sellers did.

Nationally, the National Association of Realtors reported 1.60 million homes in inventory in September 2026. Existing-home sales reached 3.99 million units that same month. Prices nationally rose 1.3%, according to the National Association of Realtors. Our market is moving in a similar direction, just with its own local texture ZIP by ZIP.

Freddie Mac put the average 30-year fixed rate at 7.32% as of October 22, 2026. The 15-year averaged 6.68%. Realtor.com showed the average mortgage rate on the market at 7.40% as of October 22, 2026. Rates above 7% slow buyer decisions. That is part of why sales dipped.

What each ZIP showed

The numbers do not move the same way in every town. Here is what the Real Estate Data Aggregator counted for each ZIP, for the three months ending August 31, 2026.

Cottontown (37048) posted the biggest price gain, up 12.3%, according to the Real Estate Data Aggregator. Gallatin (37066) followed at up 9.5%. Goodlettsville (37072) dipped 3.8% and Hendersonville (37075) edged down 0.7%. Not every town moved the same way.

Days on market: some towns moved faster, some much slower

Greenbrier (37073) jumped 27 days longer year over year, per the Real Estate Data Aggregator. Castalian Springs (37031) stretched to 111 days, 63 days longer than the same months of 2025. Cottontown (37048) went the other way, 66 days shorter. One ZIP can tell a very different story.

Realtor.com reported median days on market nationally at 62 days as of October 22, 2026. Several of our ZIPs are right at or below that. A few are well above it.

How close to list price did homes sell?

White House (37188) averaged 99.9% of list price, the Real Estate Data Aggregator shows. That is up 0.6 points from 2025. White House also saw 22% of homes sell above list, up 9.4 points from a year ago. That is a notable move in a market where most ZIPs saw that share fall.

Hendersonville (37075) saw homes selling above list drop 6.9 points to just 11.2%. Castalian Springs (37031) had zero homes sell above list, down 18.5 points. Overpriced homes are sitting.

Supply: how many months of homes are on the market?

A balanced market typically sits around 5 to 6 months of supply. Most of our ZIPs are below that. White House (37188) is the tightest at 3.8 months, per the Real Estate Data Aggregator. Castalian Springs (37031) is the loosest at 5.9 months, up 1.8 months from 2025. More supply there, fewer buyers.

How quickly did homes go under contract?

The Real Estate Data Aggregator tracks the share of homes that went under contract within two weeks of listing. That share fell in most ZIPs compared with 2025.

Portland (37148) dropped 9.4 points to 21%, according to the Real Estate Data Aggregator. Greenbrier (37073) fell 10.7 points. White House (37188) bucked that trend, up 6.3 points. One town's momentum is another town's pause.

What this means if you own a home here

Sales are slower. Supply is flat. Buyers have more time to decide. That combination puts pressure on price.

Realtor.com reported September pending home sales down 11.3% year over year nationally. Our Primary market pending sales fell 4.4%, per the Real Estate Data Aggregator. We are softer, but not as soft as the national picture.

Homes priced well are still moving. The Real Estate Data Aggregator shows 25.5% of Hendersonville (37075) homes went under contract within two weeks. In Gallatin (37066), 14.4% sold above list. Buyers are still out there. They are just more selective.