The Charleston housing market has undergone a dramatic transformation in 2025, with inventory surging 36% year-over-year to give buyers leverage not seen since before the pandemic scrambled the real estate landscape.

Active listings now stand at 3,696 across the metro area, more than triple the 1,170 homes available at the market’s pandemic-era low in 2022. The shift has cooled competition and given house hunters something they could only dream of three years ago: choices.

The signs of a softer market are everywhere. More than a third of listings have seen price reductions this year, the highest rate in five years. Homes that would have drawn multiple offers within days now sit for 45 days on average before going under contract, up from just 15 days during the 2022 frenzy.

For sellers, the adjustment requires recalibrating expectations set during a historically unusual period. Properties priced at pandemic-era valuations often linger, requiring cuts to attract interest. The days of bidding wars and waived contingencies are largely over.

The median home price in Charleston hit $647,000 in October, actually down 0.4% from the previous year. While prices haven’t collapsed, the appreciation that sellers took for granted has stalled.

Mortgage rates shoulder much of the blame. Rates that touched 7% and higher priced many buyers out of the market entirely, reducing the pool of qualified purchasers competing for homes. First-time buyers have been particularly affected.

The market’s direction suggests continued rebalancing into 2026. Inventory growth shows no signs of slowing as homeowners who waited for better prices finally list. Meanwhile, buyer demand remains constrained by financing costs and affordability challenges that accumulated during years of rapid appreciation.

For those who can afford to purchase, conditions have rarely been more favorable in recent memory.