Greenville Housing Check: Buyer’s Market Vibes, a $250 Giveaway & a Zillow Power-Up

Greenville’s latest market pulse reads like a two-act story: practical strategy for sellers (hello, Zillow upgrades), unexpected perks for past clients (yes, that $250 Amazon gift card), and data that’s tilting toward buyers—without tipping the whole table over. The episode opens with housekeeping—reviews, contests, and one very human admittance that the CRM needs tidying—then dives into numbers that explain why the pace feels cooler and why presentation now matters more than ever. (Think first day of fall: still bright, but you’re definitely grabbing a light jacket.)

Underneath it all sits a simple message: visibility wins, follow-through counts, and Greenville is faring better than most—even if it doesn’t always feel like it.

Greenville Housing Check: What’s Actually Changing

The host is running a limited contest designed to spark real social proof where it counts: Zillow. Past clients who post a Zillow review get an entry for a $250 Amazon gift card that will be announced on the show (targeting October). Extra entries are up for grabs: leave a podcast review on your listening platform, screenshot it, and text or email it in; buyer clients can send a photo of the front of their home for website use, since agents can’t reuse listing agents’ photos without an IDX setup. (Translation: your driveway glam shot could be worth literal dollars.)

There’s also a candid note about a “bug” (coughs happen; heavy edits don’t), and a straightforward ask: if you need the Zillow link, text for it. The goal isn’t vanity—it’s visibility. With almost a decade in the business, two Zillow reviews simply don’t reflect the actual track record to new leads who Google first and ask questions later.

A Zillow Power-Up Sellers Will Actually Feel

Here’s the tactical upgrade: Zillow Showcase. Through the brokerage’s program, listings can be promoted in a way Zillow’s algorithm prioritizes in the feed. That means enhanced placement and a more immersive experience—3D tours and a clickable layout that walks buyers through bedrooms and living spaces. It isn’t free to produce (there’s a camera standard Zillow requires), but the host committed to using it on every listing going forward without passing along the cost.

Shoutout to the photographer, Damien, who went all-in and sourced the compliant camera within minutes of hearing about it. (That’s the energy you want on photo day.) In a climate where buyers nitpick immaculate homes, the edge isn’t optional—it’s oxygen. And the strategy is simple: show better, place better, sell better. (It’s like upgrading to front-row seats—same game, better view.)

Conference Takeaways: Greenville’s Tough… And Still Outperforming

At the South Carolina Association of Realtors’ “Realtor Mania” conference (WWE vibes, beach backdrop at Wild Dunes, Isle of Palms), one theme kept surfacing: Greenville is doing better than many markets statewide. That perspective matters when today’s on-the-ground reality feels slow. Leadership notes landed, too—last year’s president, Kian Aldrich (the association’s first Black president), and this year’s president, Corwin Mullet, drew praise for presence and humility. Big room, real work, useful reality checks.

(Also: Isle of Palms is gorgeous—and wildly pricey. For budget beach trips, the guidance was simple: that’s a Myrtle Beach conversation.)

The Data: Cooler Pace, Sharper Strategy

• New Listings (August): Up 6.8% year-over-year (2,178 → 2,327), but down month-to-month from July. Historically, there’s often a mini “August bump,” and this year that bump appears to have shifted earlier (or fizzled). Softness here can foreshadow a slower near-term tempo.

• Pending Sales: July’s 901 unrevised figure became 1,452 after revisions—basically flat versus 1,445 in July 2024. August’s unrevised 867 should be revised into the low-1400s, likely near-flat with 1,425 in August 2024. In short, spring was lively; late summer cooled to neutral. (Like switching from iced coffee to hot—still caffeine, different vibe.)

• Closed Sales (August): 1,522, down 2.1% YoY (vs. 1,554). Slight slippage tracks with the pending-softness pattern.

• Days on Market: 49 days (up 8.9% from 45). That’s roughly a month and a half to go under contract—normal for a balanced market and a useful reset for expectations. (Speed dating had its moment; now it’s real dates again.)

• Prices:

  • Median: $324,250, up 1.3% YoY (vs. $319,950). Resilient, but not runaway.

  • Average: $395,000, up 3.2% YoY (vs. $383K). Seasonal easing from summer peaks is expected; it’s the pattern, not a panic.

• Percent of List Received: 98.2%, down 0.2% YoY. Small givebacks indicate negotiation room returning, especially for listings lingering longer than owners prefer.

• Affordability Index: Up month-to-month (92 → 95), but down from 98 a year ago. Mortgage rates recently eased before bouncing, with the episode citing an average around the mid-6s—enough to help the index climb. If rates drift lower into September, 100 comes into view (that’s the “median income can afford the median home” line).

• Inventory: July revised down from 6,444 → 5,871; August printed 6,540 (likely to revise down by ~600). Year-over-year, that’s about a 30% jump, taking active supply to the highest since 2011. Importantly, this is not a foreclosure flood; distress remains limited, and much of that category gets absorbed by institutions anyway. It’s simply… more choices for buyers and more competition for sellers.

• Months of Supply: July revised to 4.1 (from 4.7); August 4.7 should also be revised close to 4.1—about a 20% YoY increase from 3.4. The old “6 months = balanced” rule doesn’t translate cleanly anymore because new construction absorbs a disproportionate share of demand. Practically speaking, the resale experience already feels like a buyer’s market in many segments, even if the aggregate metric still reads low-4s.

For Sellers: How to Stand Out (Without Slashing Price on Day 7)

1. Win the scroll. Zillow Showcase + top-tier media (true 3D + clickable floor layout) gets you surfaced and saves buyers’ mental math. The goal is more minutes spent in your listing and fewer reasons to bail.

2. Expect (and plan for) DOM. With ~49 days on average to contract, price and presentation must work together. (Cookies help at showings. So does restraint on scented candles.)

3. Anticipate nitpicks. Even near-pristine homes get critiques in this climate. Pre-empt with obvious repairs and clarity on upgrades.

4. Use negotiation as a tool, not a fire alarm. With the percent-of-list softening slightly, smart concessions can close gaps without torpedoing net proceeds.

For Buyers: Options, Leverage, Reality

1. More choice = better fit. With inventory at multi-year highs, “must-have” lists don’t have to shrink as much.

2. New construction gravity is real. Many searches begin with resale and end with new builds—warranties, incentives, and clean punch lists sway hearts.

3. Rates matter, but timing does too. Affordability ticked up as rates eased; if that trend continues, competition can heat up quickly.

4. Negotiate; don’t nickel-and-dime. The market rewards thoughtful offers and reasonable due diligence—especially on homes that have already tested buyer sentiment.

Giveaway Mechanics & Why They Exist (Short Version)

• A $250 Amazon gift card will be drawn on-air (target: October).

• How to enter:

  • Leave a Zillow review (past/current clients).

  • For extra entries: review the podcast on your platform, screenshot it, and text/email it in.

  • Buyer clients: send a photo of your home’s front for the agent’s site (since IDX isn’t enabled and listing photos can’t be reused).

• Why this matters: Real consumers look at Zillow first. Two reviews after nine years sends the wrong message to new eyes.

(And yes, if you need the link, just text. Low friction, high impact.)

Watch Or Listen To The Selling Greenville Podcast

Subscribe to the Selling Greenville podcast for real-time insights, bold perspectives, and unfiltered takes on the Upstate housing scene. Whether you’re buying, selling, or simply watching the market unfold—this is where Greenville goes to stay informed.

Bottom Line

The Greenville Housing Check shows a market easing toward buyers: listings are up year-over-year, pendings cooled to flat, days on market stretched, and list-to-sale ratios nudged lower. Prices remain resilient, but seasonality is back in the driver’s seat. On the sell-side, differentiation is the name of the game—hence the all-in move to Zillow Showcase with 3D and interactive layouts. On the buy-side, choice and leverage returned (finally), with new construction pulling more of the spotlight.

If there’s a thread running through it all, it’s this: visibility + patience beat hurry + hope. Get seen, stay steady, and adjust with the data in front of you. (Also, snap that house photo—you might be one screenshot away from pepperoni money.)

Ien Araneta

Journal & Podcast Editor | Selling Greenville