Wilmington Area Fail-To-Sell Rates Tick Up
Morning. Grab your coffee and let's look at the numbers together, like we do most Mondays. This week's numbers cover all five counties plus a closer look at New Hanover, Brunswick, and Pender, and at Wilmington and Leland specifically. There's some good news in here for sellers who price right, and a real warning for anyone tempted to test the market with a number that doesn't match reality.
This week's numbers
Right now
| Area | For sale | New this week | Under contract | Median asking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All five counties | 5,864 | 519 | 2,501 | $410K |
| New Hanover | 1,315 | 117 | 482 | $521K |
| Brunswick | 2,644 | 233 | 1,131 | $411K |
| Pender | 479 | 48 | 238 | $520K |
| Wilmington | 968 | 92 | 399 | $459K |
| Leland | 473 | 45 | 210 | $415K |
Last 12 months
| Area | Median sold | Days on market | Sold vs. first ask | Failed to sell |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All five counties | $374K | 40 | 97.4% | 23% |
| New Hanover | $469K | 30 | 97.2% | 26% |
| Brunswick | $385K | 56 | 96.0% | 24% |
| Pender | $455K | 38 | 97.5% | 24% |
| Wilmington | $454K | 27 | 97.4% | 23% |
| Leland | $395K | 51 | 97.1% | 21% |
Homes only. Days on market counts from the first listing, even if the home was relisted. Source: Hive MLS; mortgage rate: Freddie Mac PMMS, 2026-09-17.
What This Means for Sellers
Across all five counties, homes that sold in the last 12 months brought 97.4% of their first asking price, with a true days on market of 40. That's solid. Buyers are still willing to pay close to full price for homes that are priced right from day one.
But here's the number that should get your attention: 23% of listings failed to sell across the region last year, up from 21% the year before. New Hanover County saw that climb from 23% to 26%. Pender County went from 18% to 24%. Brunswick moved from 22% to 24%. Even Wilmington and Leland, both with solid sale prices relative to asking, saw more listings expire or get pulled without selling.
That gap tells the real story. Homes priced and prepped correctly are still selling close to asking price in around a month. Homes that aren't are sitting until the listing dies. There isn't much middle ground left. If you're thinking about selling, the numbers say this is not the market to guess on price and hope buyers come around. Get it right the first time.
What This Means for Buyers
With 5,864 homes for sale right now across the five counties and 519 new listings hitting the market in the last week, there's real inventory to work with. New Hanover has 1,315 active listings, Brunswick has 2,644, and Pender has 479. That's a lot of choices if you're patient and know where to look.
Mortgage rates are part of this picture too. Freddie Mac's 30-year fixed average sat at 6.95% as of September 17. That affects what a monthly payment looks like on any of these median prices, so it's worth running your own numbers before you fall in love with a house.
Days on market vary a lot by county. Wilmington homes are moving in a true 27 days, New Hanover overall in 30, Pender in 38 — but Brunswick County is running 56 days and Leland 51. If you're not in a rush, there may be more room to negotiate in those areas, especially on homes that have been sitting a while.
One Thing Worth Watching
Watch that fail-to-sell rate. It moved up in every single area I track this week — New Hanover, Brunswick, Pender, Wilmington, and Leland. When a quarter of listings in a county are expiring or getting pulled without selling, that's not a random blip. It's a signal that a meaningful chunk of sellers are overpricing, under-preparing, or both. If you're gearing up to list, ask hard questions about how your agent plans to avoid becoming part of that statistic.
If you want to talk through what these numbers mean for your specific street or your specific plans, give me a call or text at (910) 395-1000. I'm happy to walk through it with you, no pressure, just straight answers.
