Greenville Real Estate Rollercoaster: Record Listings, Rising Prices, and Market Whiplash

The Greater Greenville housing scene is giving everyone motion sickness—in the most statistically fascinating way possible. September’s market numbers brought record-breaking listings, climbing prices, and a pace that seemed to accelerate and decelerate at once. (Think of it as trying to sip coffee during turbulence.) For anyone keeping tabs, this month’s data offered both thrill and whiplash, depending on which side of the deal you’re on.

The Greenville Real Estate Rollercoaster

The latest Greater Greenville Association of Realtors report painted a picture of organized chaos. September logged 2,301 new listings, a jaw-dropping 22.8% increase over the previous year and the highest ever for that month. Builders and homeowners alike rushed to the market, likely sensing that demand—while wobbling—still had a heartbeat.

For buyers, this was a breath of fresh air: more choices, fewer bidding wars, and the faint return of negotiating power. For sellers, though, it’s a tougher climb. More homes mean more competition, and standing out now takes more than a “Just Listed” sign and a few throw pillows. (Imagine showing up to prom and three other people are wearing your outfit—you still look great, but you’ll need to own the dance floor.)

Pending Sales Rebound After the Summer Slump

August was, to put it mildly, weird. Pending sales dipped for the first time all year—a small but symbolic 0.6% year-over-year drop. Phones went quiet, buyers hesitated, and listings sat longer than usual. But in true Greenville fashion, September said, “Hold my sweet tea.”

Preliminary September numbers came in at 879 pending sales, but once revisions are done, that’s expected to jump into the 1,400s, marking a massive rebound and potentially the largest year-over-year increase of 2025. After a sleepy summer, buyers seemed to re-enter the ring, perhaps motivated by slightly friendlier mortgage rates—or maybe the realization that “waiting it out” rarely works when prices keep climbing.

Closed Sales Surge Despite Market Uncertainty

If pending sales were the warm-up, closings brought the main event. September saw 1,576 closed sales, up 20.6% from last year’s 1,307. That’s one of the strongest performances in recent memory, rivaling even pre-pandemic peaks. Both new construction and resales fueled the push, suggesting that pent-up demand finally found an outlet.

Still, few are celebrating. Buyers are grappling with affordability, while sellers are realizing that “sold in 24 hours” was a 2021 phenomenon. The market’s message this fall? Be patient, be strategic, and maybe keep a stress ball nearby. (Everyone’s coping differently, okay?)

Days on Market Creep Up—but Normalize

Homes are taking longer to sell—54 days on average, a 10% jump from last year’s 49. That might sound discouraging, but in context, it’s a return to normalcy. Historically, 50-to-60-day timelines are typical for balanced markets. The lightning-fast frenzy of 2021 and 2022 simply wasn’t sustainable (unless your listing agent also doubled as a magician).

For sellers, this means adjusting expectations. A well-priced, well-presented home will still move—but it won’t be gone by the weekend. Think of it as trading a sprint for a marathon. (At least in this race, you can stop for snacks.)

Prices Keep Defying Gravity

Here’s where the rollercoaster name really earns its stripes. The median sales price climbed to $319,919, up 3.5% year over year—the second-largest increase of 2025. Greenville’s median has hovered between $315,000 and $330,000 for much of the year, proving that despite shifting conditions, price stability remains surprisingly strong.

The average sales price told an even more dramatic story: a record-setting $423,495, up 11.8% from last year. That’s the highest average Greenville has ever recorded—crossing the $420K mark for the first time. Not every neighborhood is riding the same high; some are appreciating quickly, while others are flattening out. But from a market-wide perspective, prices aren’t falling—they’re climbing with a smirk.

(Translation: gravity called, and the market hung up.)

Buyers Catch a Tiny Break

For the first time in a while, there’s a small win for buyers. Sellers received 98.1% of their list price, down slightly from 98.3% last September. It’s a modest shift, but symbolically important—proof that negotiations are returning to the table.

That doesn’t mean sellers are rolling over. Many remain firm on pricing, determined to protect equity and offset higher mortgage costs. But buyers who do their homework (and keep their financing tight) are starting to see cracks in the “take it or leave it” era.

Affordability Finds Its Footing

A bright spot: Greenville’s Housing Affordability Index ticked up to 99, the closest it’s been to the ideal score of 100 all year. That means the typical household can almost afford the median-priced home. Not perfect, but close enough to matter.

The improvement stems largely from a dip in mortgage rates—a reminder that even small changes in financing ripple through the market. Greenville’s affordability is unusually sensitive to rate shifts; when borrowing costs rise, activity cools quickly. But when they fall, the phones light up. (If mortgage rates had a mood ring, September’s would be cautiously green.)

Inventory and Supply Keep Rising

Inventory continues to climb like a determined mountain hiker. September ended with roughly 6,516 active listings before revisions—up about 30% year over year. Once finalized, that number will likely land just under 6,000, but it still represents one of the largest year-over-year jumps in recent history.

For buyers, this means real choice—something rare since 2020. For sellers, it’s a wake-up call: today’s market rewards pricing accuracy and presentation. A cluttered, overpriced listing now lingers like last week’s leftovers.

Greenville’s months of supply metric (which measures how long it would take to sell all homes at the current pace) sits around 4.2 months, up from 3.4 last year. It’s not a buyer’s market yet—that’d take 6+ months—but it’s inching closer to equilibrium. The rollercoaster might still twist, but at least the ride’s smoothing out.

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Bottom Line

The Greenville real estate rollercoaster of 2025 shows no sign of slowing. Record listings, record prices, and climbing inventory have created a market full of contradictions—and opportunity. Buyers finally have breathing room, while sellers still enjoy strong values and healthy demand (it’s the closest thing this market has to a win-win, like both teams claiming victory in overtime).

If there’s one takeaway, it’s that resilience defines Greenville’s housing story (the city’s real estate might wobble, but it never spills its coffee). The market might twist, dip, and climb, but it’s still moving forward. The smartest players—on either side—are those who stay informed, flexible, and buckled in. (Because this ride, folks, is far from over.)

Ien Araneta

Journal & Podcast Editor | Selling Greenville