Saturday, October 24, 2026. Atlanta housing, by the numbers. Read time: 5 minutes.

That's how many single-family homes closed across the 12 core metro Atlanta counties in September, the fewest of any September in GAMLS data going back to 2013. It's 12.7% fewer than last September: about 1 in 8 sales gone, or 482 fewer closings.

But here's the twist. Showings went up 4.2%. The buyers didn't leave. They're just not signing.

So is that headline true for Atlanta? Yes and no. Yes, sales hit a September low. But the buyers didn't leave. They're just waiting for the right house at the right price, and are taking their time to see many more houses before making a decision.

And I'm seeing it firsthand with our buyer clients. They're being a lot more careful with their money. Back in 2022, they would have stretched for a house that needed work. Now, every dollar counts. So they're picky. And with this much inventory, they can be, and they should be.

Prices aren't crashing. They're flat. What changed is leverage, and that's a very different thing.

If you're selling, the market tells you in the first couple of weeks, and the longer you argue with it, the more it's going to cost you.

Metro first, then your county. If you gave me your zip, the card below is already yours.

Want to go deeper than your county? Your zip's full report is one click away.

Three readings that show what it actually takes to get a home under contract right now. Resale single family, metro Atlanta.

Reading 1: Showings. The typical resale listing got 2.4 showings in September. The homes that went under contract took 9.9. At 2.4 a month, that's about four months of showings. Back in September 2021 it took about the same number (9.4), but listings were getting 5.6 a month, so it took less than two.

Reading 2: The price cut that works. Half of active resale listings have cut, by 6.0% on average. More than half of the homes that went under contract (55.8%) never cut at all. The ones that did averaged 7.2%, about 1.2 points deeper than the sellers still sitting.

Your county, Readings 1 and 2. The same two readings for each of the 12 counties. Resale single family.

Showings

Price cuts

Henry took the most: 19.4 showings, about six months at its pace. Cherokee took the fewest: 3.6, under three months. Paulding has the biggest gap between the cut sellers have made and the cut that got homes under contract, 5.3% against 7.5%. Fayette's gap looks bigger, but it rests on just 22 contracts. Showings are logged differently from county to county, so read the showings columns as directional.

Showings: GAMLS, September. Price cuts: FMLS, active listings on Oct 10 against listings that went under contract Sep 1 to Oct 15.

Reading 3: The cost of waiting. Resale homes that sold in September, by how long they sat on the market:

First week to 61+ days is 7 points. On a $420,000 house, that's $29,400. Call it $29,000.

Seller-paid costs. 68.7% of single-family sales in September had seller-paid costs, typically $9,390. Highest: Henry (82.4%) and Paulding (80.5%). Lowest: Cherokee (58.5%).

Single-family sales in September, zips with at least 15 sales. Median days on market, and the median sale price as a share of the original list price.

Moving fast

Sitting

Same metro, same month: one zip sold in 4 days, another took 76. That's why the metro average doesn't tell you a whole lot about your house. Your zip does.

Add these to the seven above and you have the 15 fastest and 15 slowest of the 85 zips with at least 15 sales in September.

More moving fast

More sitting

If you're buying: Before you make an offer, have your agent ask the listing agent how many showings and offers they’ve had. Lots of showings and no offers means you've got leverage. Take a hard look at anything past 60 days, and ask for seller-paid closing costs, then ask your lender what that money buys you on the rate.

If you're selling: Price for week one. The homes that sold in their first week got their full original price. If you cut, make it count: about 7% is what got homes under contract, and a 1 to 2% nibble just adds days. Before you cut, ask whether a credit gets you there instead.

If you're waiting: Prices are flat, not falling. And right now sellers are paying buyers to show up. When rates come down and the crowd comes back, that help tends to go away.

Everything above is the metro, the counties and a handful of zips. Your house, or the one you have your eye on, is a little bit different.

So if you're thinking about buying or selling in the next year, let's look at your numbers together: your zip, your price range, your timing, and what it would actually take to get it done in this market. No pressure, and no obligation to work with us.

Sales just hit their lowest September since 2013, but the buyers didn't leave. In this month's video I break down why, and what's actually getting homes under contract.

Reply with your zip, and I'll tell you if it's in next month's Zip Watch.

See you next month. Reply anytime, I read them.

Terence

Sources: GAMLS InfoSparks for every market figure (12 core metro Atlanta counties, single family, September 2026; medians, days on market and months of supply are rolling 12 months; September pending sales are still being entered). FMLS for listing-level detail: price cuts, seller-paid costs and Zip Watch. Freddie Mac PMMS for rates.