What Happened in 2025?

The 2025 real estate market along the Grand Strand was not defined by a crash, a surge, or a single headline. Instead, it was defined by the market balancing. Many metrics were a closer match to 2015-17 than they were the tumultuous COVID market.

After several years of rapid appreciation and highly competitive conditions, the market shifted toward balance. Buyers became more selective, sellers were required to be more realistic, and pricing accuracy mattered more than optimism. Homes that aligned with market expectations sold; those that didn't often stalled or failed to sell

altogether. Sellers that tested the market with a home that was not priced according to the market failed unless they adjusted their strategy.

One of the most important forces shaping the 2025 market was new construction. Builders were not operating on the sidelines — they were active participants in both successful sales and failed listings. At the same time, despite higher interest rates, financing remained the primary way homes were purchased, dispelling the myth

that cash buyers dominated the market.

This report looks at what sold, how it sold, and what didn't sell — because understanding all three is essential to making informed decisions as a buyer or seller. All numbers come from the Coastal Carolinas Multiple Listing Service and is a snapshot in time. These numbers are deemed accurate but not exact because retroactively, some listings can be updated.

2025 Sold Properties:

Residential Single-Family Homes Sold: ~12,222

Detached Single-Family (excluding leased land & manufactured): ~11,000

Condos & Townhomes Sold: ~5,057

New Construction:

New construction represented around half of total sales, far above what is typical in many U.S. markets. Nationally, new construction often accounts for roughly 10–15% of home sales. Locally, new construction played a much larger role in shaping inventory, competition, and pricing decisions throughout 2025. Before you complain about the development as a result of new construction, please factor in the supply/demand impact of housing. If new construction wasn’t providing homes for people to purchase, prices would have increased and added to the already growing affordability issue for buyers.

How Homes Sold: Cash vs Financing

Despite higher interest rates, most buyers still used financing.

Among detached single-family home sales:

Cash Sales: ~3,200

Financed Sales (Conventional, FHA, VA, USDA): ~7,681

This confirms that the 2025 market was not driven exclusively by investors or cash buyers. Conventional financing — along with FHA and VA loans — remained viable and widely used, particularly in resale homes. New construction attracted both cash and financed buyers, reinforcing the importance of understanding buyer type and financing strength, not just price.

A Market That Rewarded Accuracy

The defining feature of 2025 was market discipline. Homes priced and positioned correctly sold. Homes that relied on optimism, outdated expectations, or delayed

adjustments often struggled — or failed to sell entirely. This reality affected individual homeowners and large builders alike.

2025 — The Listings That Didn't Sell

Expired & Withdrawn Listings: A Critical Market Signal

One of the most overlooked indicators of market health is not what sold — but what failed to sell. In 2025, a significant number of listings across the Grand Strand were either withdrawn from the market or expired without selling. These outcomes were not isolated to one property type or price range. They reflect how buyers responded to pricing, competition, condition, and terms in a normalized market.

How Many Listings Failed to Sell

Residential Single-Family Homes

~4,494 total expired or withdrawn

Includes leased land and manufactured homes

~3,579 were detached single-family homes

~2,854 resales

~725 new construction

Condos & Townhomes

~3,727 expired or withdrawn

~3,541 resales

~186 new construction

These figures show that market resistance was broad-based, not limited to one segment.

New Construction Was Not Exempt

A common assumption is that builders are insulated from market shifts. The 2025 data tells a different story.

New construction accounted for a meaningful share of failed listings in both single-family and condo markets. Builders competed directly with resale homes on price, incentives, location, and timing — and buyers compared all options. Even as builders offered brand new construction with warranties, concessions to help pay for closing costs, special interest rates, and upgrade incentives, they were not immune to a home not selling. In the 2025 dynamic market, it was critical to make updates to match the market.

That said- resales were impacted the most. The presence of new construction increased choice, raising the bar for all listings.

What Failed Listings Had in Common

While every property is unique, 2025 outcomes consistently highlighted:

• Pricing misalignment with buyer expectations

• Competition from nearby new construction

• Insufficient concessions or inflexible terms

• Delayed responses to declining interest

Many failed listings were not "bad homes." They were simply out of sync with the market.

Why This Matters

For buyers, failed listings reveal where the market consistently said "no."

For sellers, they reinforce a critical lesson: The market does not negotiate emotionally — it responds to value, terms, and competition. The market’s math is almost always based on what a seller is willing to sell a property for and how much a buyer is willing to pay for that same property. In 2025, realism outperformed optimism.

Lessons Learned & Looking Ahead

What 2025 Taught Buyers

Successful buyers:

• Took advantage of builder incentives or seller concessions for a lower interest rate

• Understood where leverage existed — and where it didn't

• Focused on value, not urgency

• Relied on strategy rather than headlines

The market rewarded preparation and patience.

What 2025 Taught Sellers

For sellers, 2025 reinforced that:

• Pricing accuracy mattered more than ever

• New construction created real competition

• Concessions and flexibility influenced outcomes

• Waiting rarely improved results

Homes that aligned early with the market performed best.

Local Market vs National Context

Nationally, new construction typically represents a smaller portion of total home sales, and cash buyers account for roughly one-quarter to one-third of transactions.

Locally, the Grand Strand followed these same patterns — but with greater influence from new construction and buyer choice due to continued growth. This did not make the market unstable; it made it more competitive and selective.

What This Means Heading Into 2026

The lessons of 2025 point toward a market where strategy matters more than speculation.

Buyers benefit from preparation and clarity.

Sellers benefit from realism and responsiveness.

Data — not headlines — remains the most reliable guide.

Final Thought

Markets reward informed decisions.

Understanding what sold, how it sold, and why some listings failed provides a roadmap for smarter choices moving forward.

If you have questions about your specific situation and want to talk through how the market may react to your property, please contact us!