DURHAM, N.C. — Realtors in the Triangle say an inventory crisis is making the market frustrating for buyers but a great time for people looking to sell.

What You Need To Know

  • Realtors say North Carolina is in an inventory crisis, creating a "seller's market"

  • Popular real estate markets in the Tar Heel State include Jacksonville, Fayetteville, Greensboro and Greenville

  • The National Association of Realtors does expect housing inventory to improve by fall

Inhabit realtor Emily Jo Roberts has had her best year so far during the pandemic.

“We are seeing people that really want more space, they've been in their home, they've been stuck in their homes ... and they're like, 'Well, I think we need an office space, plus four bedrooms,'” Roberts said.

Because the market is tricky to navigate, Roberts said realtors have to get creative with their offers. Her biggest piece of advice for anyone in the market is to trust the process.

“We know it sounds crazy to offer what we ask people to offer or to do some of things we ask them to do, and ... once they do trust that, they can be in a really good position to win,” Roberts said.

According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR) some of the most popular markets in North Carolina are Jacksonville, Fayetteville, Greensboro and Greenville.

And on any given day, the inventory of homes on the market is less than the amount of people looking to buy.

The latest statistics from April show pending homes sales dropped by 4.4%, in part due to that low inventory. But in comparison to 2020, home sales are up double digits in all regions.

The good news for buyers, according to NAR, is the housing inventory is expected to improve by the fall.