Transylvania County Real Estate Market Report — August 2026

By Team Billy Harris  |  Howard Hanna Beverly Hanks  |  Brevard, NC  |  September 2026

Camp season wrapped up, the Music Center played its last shows for the year, and Brevard is settling into that first stretch of fall we always look forward to around here. Kids are back in class, the crowds have thinned out downtown, and the county has that particular quiet that shows up every September. The real estate market slowed down right along with it.

Every month we pull the latest numbers from Canopy MLS and tell you plainly what they mean for Transylvania County, whether you are buying, selling, or just keeping tabs on your neighborhood. August brought fewer closings, more pending contracts working their way to the table, and an inventory picture that is finally settling down after a busy summer. Here is where things stand.

Why This Market Holds Its Value

If you have lived here a while, none of this will surprise you. Transylvania County sits inside the southern Blue Ridge, wrapped by Pisgah National Forest, with an arts scene and a trail network that keep pulling people in from Charlotte, Atlanta, South Florida, and up the coast. Land is limited between the mountains and the forest boundary, and that scarcity, more than anything else, is what keeps values here steady even when the monthly numbers move around.

Brevard, Pisgah Forest, Rosman, Lake Toxaway, and Cedar Mountain each move at their own pace, which is exactly why pricing off a countywide average is a mistake we see too often. The right number for a home here comes from knowing the street, not just the county.

What Happened in August

51 homes closed countywide in August, down 7.3% from last August. New listings slowed too, down 7.1% to 65, continuing a pullback we have watched build since spring. Pending sales climbed 3.8% to 54, so there is a healthy stack of contracts headed toward the closing table this fall. Active inventory sits at 305 homes, still a touch ahead of a year ago, and months supply eased to 6.9, down from the 7.6 we reported in June.

Is This Still a Luxury Market?

The median price says yes. August closed at $550,000, up 4.8% year over year, and the year to date median has now sat at $550,000 for two months straight. That tells us this year's pricing has settled rather than spiked.

About that average sales price

The average sales price dropped 42.5% from last August, and on its own that number looks alarming. It is not. Last August had an unusual cluster of ultra luxury closings that pushed the average north of a million dollars for the month. This year's average of $599,999 is a return to normal, not a sign that values are falling. Look at the year to date figure instead: down 14% from last year, which lines up with what we have been seeing all year. Fewer seven figure sales are pulling the average down while the median keeps climbing.

Thinking About Selling

Price still decides everything. Days on market until sale hit 115 in August, which pushed the year to date average to 90 days, up from 68 last year. List to close has stretched to 132 days year to date, up from 112. Sellers are netting 91.3% of their original asking price so far this year, compared to 93.4% last year. None of that means the market has turned. It means buyers have more to choose from and they are taking their time, which puts more weight than ever on getting the price right from day one.

Thinking About Buying

Buyers have real leverage right now. Inventory has grown to 305 active listings, and while it has eased back a bit from June's peak of 326, there is still more to choose from than there was a year ago. Months supply sitting at 6.9 means sellers are more willing to talk, especially on homes that have been sitting for two or three months. If you have been waiting for a window with a little breathing room, this is close to it. Get your financing lined up and lean on someone who knows these neighborhoods block by block.

Year to Date

Through August, closed sales are up 6.9% over last year, 320 to 342. Pending sales are up 7.0%. New listings have flattened out completely, down 0.2% after running well ahead of last year back in the spring, which is the clearest sign yet that sellers have pulled back as the year has gone on.

The year to date average sales price has come down to $665,080 from $773,433, a 14% drop, driven by the same shift away from ultra high end sales mentioned above. The median is the number worth trusting: up 6.8% for the year, holding steady even as the mix of homes selling shifts from month to month.

A Few Words From Us

Fall is our favorite season to work in this county. The trailheads clear out, the light changes, and it is a good time to actually walk a property with a buyer or talk through a listing with a seller without either of you rushing to beat a showing. We work across Brevard, Pisgah Forest, Rosman, Lake Toxaway, and Cedar Mountain, and every one of those markets moves a little differently. That is the part of this job that keeps us paying attention street by street instead of leaning on one countywide number.

If you are weighing whether to list before the holidays, wondering what a home near Lake Toxaway or up toward Cedar Mountain would bring right now, or just want a second opinion on something you saw online, call us. We will give you a straight answer, not a pitch.

Talk soon,
Team Billy Harris
828-553-9666 • billyharrisnc.com • Howard Hanna Beverly Hanks, Brevard NC

All data sourced from Canopy MLS, Inc. via the Canopy Realtor Association. Current as of September 5, 2026. Transylvania County, NC. Percent changes calculated using rounded figures; small sample sizes may produce larger swings. This report is for informational purposes and does not constitute financial or legal advice.