OBX Market Update | September 2026

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Outer Banks Sees Stronger Activity as Fall Market Firms Up.

September gave the Outer Banks market a boost! We closed 136 homes, up sharply from 108 in August, marking one of the few months this year where sales were either up or holding steady. Even with the September sales volume down 8% year over year, buyer activity showed real signs of life.

Pendings jumped — 132 homes went under contract — and cash buyers were back in force, making up 38% of all closings compared to 27% last month. And while most homes (72%) sold below their original asking price, nearly one in three sold above asking, proving that well priced, well presented homes are still commanding strong attention.

The Average Sales Price for the month dipped slightly but the Median Sales Price of $653,500 was a good jump from the $604,500 posted in August!

A stronger September sets a positive tone as we move deeper into fall.

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September MLS Fun Facts:

 Currently, there are 197 properties under contract with a Median Days on Market of just
33. 29 of the 197 were on the market for longer than 150 days!
 228 properties were listed in September. 61 of the 228 are already under contract (55)
or have been sold (6).
 On average, property sold for 95% of the original asking price.
 38 properties sold for 100% or higher!
 The Average Days on Market in September was 70
 195 price changes, an increase from the 167 the previous month.
 26 single-family homes sold for less than $500k, including 11 that sold for under $400k
 2 homes sold for above $3 Million!
 The highest sale of the month was for an oceanfront home in the 4-Wheel Drive area,
which sold for $5.6 Million and was purchased by Currituck County.

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Year to Date

Year to date, units are relatively flat with 1204 selling compared to 1212 year over year. Sales volume is up 1%.
The Average Sales Price of $761,138 represents a 2% increase while the Median Sales Price of $620,000 is down slightly less than 2%.
We have not seen the days on market jump this year and as of the end of September, the average DOM is 67 compared to 70 last year.

Waterfront Recap

Oceanfront homes are the star of the waterfront properties this year! Not only are sales up but both the Average and Median Sales Price have both increased substantially. See below for a comparison of single-family waterfront homes compared to the same period last year.

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Rental market update

According to Michelle Russell, Business Development Manager with Seaside Vacations, 2026 portfolio revenue is up 5.1% with guest check-ins up 13.6%. Some trends we are seeing:
 Shorter stays are up 55% and 7-night stays only represent 51% of check-ins
 Booking windows continue to shorten 
 Repeat Renter Revenue it up 10.5%
Rentals have been up this year, and pricing has been a key factor in that growth. 

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LET'S WORK TOGETHER!