obx sandbar living monthly market update

🎃 Hello October from the OBX!


Fall has officially arrived on the Outer Banks, bringing crisp mornings, golden sunsets, and just the right mix of calm and coastal charm. It’s one of our favorite times of year—the crowds have thinned, the water’s still warm, and local events like the Seafood Festival and fall markets are in full swing. Whether you’re checking in on the OBX real estate market or dreaming about your own slice of sandbar living, this is some data you won’t want to miss!

-Danielle

Outer Banks Real Estate Market-at-a-Glance for YTD 2025

Sold and Under Contract Analysis

SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL:

  • YTD residential sales units are up 2.1% versus YTD 2024 

  • YTD residential sales dollars are down 2.5% vs. YTD 2024 

  • YTD median sale price is $703,000, down 2% vs. YTD 2024 (meaning that half of the properties sold above $703,000 and half sold below that price)

  • YTD average sale price is $855,009, down 4.5% vs. YTD 2024

  • September 2025 residential sales units were up 15.2% versus September 2024

  • Sales units September ‘25 over August ‘25 were up 2%   

    • New listing inventory for September was flat versus August

  • As a comparison, new listings for September ‘25 were down 7.2% versus September ‘24

  • September residential sales volume vs. August was up 32.2%

  • Active listings are up 1.6% versus August

  • September was a strong month relative to both the month prior and last year. We are continuing to see a slight rebound of sold units and median sold price; however, multiple offers, cash sales, days on market, and the sold-to-list price ratio continue to lag.

  • As mentioned above, multiple offer situations still occur; however, most of these instances occur after one or more price reductions and/or longer days on market. These situations are heavily influenced by area and town, so be sure to watch our monthly stats videos on YouTube for more insight!

  • As we’ve said before, it’s critical for sellers to price and position your home correctly from the outset. What does that mean? Follow the comparable sales and trends for your specific neighborhood and follow your trusted agent’s guidance on staging and making your home as attractive as possible to buyers. Even if you’re not quite ready to sell, it’s never too early to establish a game plan and I’m here to help!

  • For our buyers, keep in mind that if you’re waiting for a price reduction on your dream home, there’s a good chance that others are, too, and you might still wind up in multiple offers on a home that’s been on the market a while!

    Now, let's look at month-over-month:

  • Median sale price for all Residential property sold in the month of September was $762,772, up 18.3% versus August ‘25. 

  • September 2025's median sale price was up 7.2% versus September 2024.     

  • September ‘25 vs. September ‘24, residential properties sold 47.7% slower.

  • We’re seeing a reduction in cash buyers (down 3%) and disclosed multiple offers (down 1%) year over year (keep in mind that multiple offers are not a required disclosure in our MLS).

    RESIDENTIAL LOTS AND LAND:

  • YTD residential land sales units are down 16% versus YTD 2024. 

  • YTD residential land sales dollars are down 12% versus YTD 2024. 

  • YTD residential land median sold price is $157,500, up 5% versus YTD 2024. 

  • September residential land sales units were up 5% compared to September ‘24. 

  • September residential land sales units were up 11% versus August ‘25. 

  • September residential land sales dollars were up 11% versus September ‘24. 

  • September residential land sales dollars were up 18% versus August ‘25.

inventory analysis

  • New listing inventory for September 2025 was down 7.2% versus September 2024 and flat versus August’s new listings.

    • Drilling down, 141 new residential listings hit the market in September 2025, with one third of those properties already sold or under contract.

    • Average days on market for these is 8; median days on market is 8 (the new, good inventory is still moving fast!).

    • 2 of those listings have already closed as of 9/30; both were cash purchases and neither disclosed multiple offers (disclosure of multiple offers is not required by our MLS).

  • See the chart below for the full breakdown by area…

Inventory Analysis by Area YTD 2025

If you’d like to get more hyper-local with your neighborhood or area, please feel free to contact me!

days on market and distressed data analysis

  • Average days on market for SOLD residential properties in September was 65, selling 20.4% slower than August’s average of 54 days. 

    • As demonstrated in our pricing analysis chart below, we’re seeing increased days on market across the board in all pricing categories on a year-over-year basis.

  • The average home sold 47.7% slower in September 2025 (65 days) versus September 2024 (44 days).   

  • The Median days on market in September was 42, meaning that half of the sold units did so in 42 days or less. 

  • Year over year, the average DOM for properties sold in 2025 is 70 (up from 52 days YTD 2024), meaning that the average property sold 35% slower than one year ago. 

  • Average days on market for all current ACTIVE residential listings is 120 days (down 2.4% versus August)

  • Month-over-month, the average days on market for Under Contract properties is 73 days (down 12.1% vs 80 days in August 2025). 

  • 33.3% of properties listed in September have already gone under contract or sold with an average days on market of 8. 

  • It still rings true that homes that are priced consistent with their condition and/or are located in high demand areas per the chart above are still moving quickly and with multiple offers.

  • For distressed sales (short sales and/or bank-owned properties), there was 1 sold unit in September ‘25 (up from 0 in September 2024). There was 1 active distressed unit as of September 30, 2025.

Year-Over-Year Market Comparison

pricing analysis

Residential Median Sale Price for YTD 2025 was $703,000, which was down 2% versus the year prior.

You’ll find a breakdown by price point below:

Year-over-Year Sales Comparison by Price Point

area data at-a-glance

*All market data presented is courtesy of the Outer Banks Association of REALTORS MLS Single Family Residential, Jan 1 - Sept 30, 2024 and 2025.


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