Published October 6, 2026 in Market Update

Inventory is building in parts of Primary market, but buyers are still closing deals

By Nik Shewmaker

Real estate, Primary market

Here is the one thing every seller in Primary market needs to know right now. Shoppers have more choices than they did a year ago. That means your prep and your price matter more than ever.

The National Association of Realtors reported months' supply nationally reached 4.9 months, the highest in over ten years. That is the backdrop for what the Real Estate Data Aggregator counted right here at home.

Where inventory grew the most

The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted homes for sale in 37203 up 32.2% from a year before. That is the biggest jump of any ZIP code in this data. In 37075, homes for sale rose 13%. In 37122, they rose 11.8%. More supply means buyers can take a breath before they decide.

Note that 37138 saw homes for sale jump 48%, the steepest rise in the whole market. The Real Estate Data Aggregator also counted homes sold there down 13% and the median price down 3.9%. That is an honest sign of pressure on sellers in that ZIP code.

Buyers kept signing contracts anyway

More supply did not stop buyers from moving. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted pending sales in 37203 up 8.6% from a year before. In 37122, pending sales rose 8.3%. In 37069, they rose 22.3%. Deals are still getting done.

These three ZIP codes all saw inventory rise and pending sales rise at the same time. That tells you buyers are engaged. They just have more to look at before they commit.

How fast are homes moving across the market?

Days on market varied a lot by ZIP code. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted the median at 47 days in 37067 and 52 days in 37064. On the other end, 37201 sat at 159 days and 37121 at 179 days. Not every home sold fast, and the gap between ZIP codes is wide.

Prices held up in most ZIP codes

Even with more supply, most prices did not fall hard. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted the median sale price in 37203 up 14.9% from a year before. In 37066, it rose 12.6%. In 37067, it rose 9.6%. A few ZIP codes dipped a little: 37138 was down 3.9% and 37076 was down 2.3%. The Federal Housing Finance Agency reported U.S. house prices rose 2.1% year over year through the second quarter of 2026, so most of this market ran ahead of the national pace.

What about mortgage rates?

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 rates crossed 7% in late September for the first time since January 2025. That is a real cost for buyers, and it shapes how many can stretch on price.

Realtor.com also reported active listings nationally were up 6.3% from a year ago, the fastest pace in at least six months. That lines up with what the Real Estate Data Aggregator counted in several Primary market ZIP codes.

What this means for sellers

In ZIP codes like 37203 and 37138, inventory rose sharply. Buyers there have real options. Sellers who price right and show well are still closing. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 96.8% sale-to-list in 37203 and 98% in 37138. Homes that are priced sharp still land close to asking.

In ZIP codes like 37064 and 37067, supply stayed tighter. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 33.5% of 37064 homes under contract within two weeks of listing, and 40.3% in 37067. Those are very different conditions from 37203 or 37138.

One street can read very differently from the whole ZIP code number. If your home is in 37203, your block may be moving faster or slower than the 82-day median the Real Estate Data Aggregator counted. The only way to know is to look at what sold near you.