The Midlands housing market is giving buyers more room to negotiate than they’ve had in years. Columbia metro median sale price sits at $285,000, up about 2% from a year ago, but homes are taking longer to sell — around 51 days on market, up from 38 a year ago. Inventory is up roughly 20 to 30%, and about one in four listings had a price cut in September.
In Lexington County, Zillow puts the typical home value around $272,000, up about 1.6% year over year, and Redfin shows homes averaging 57 days on market.
What this means for buyers: more choice, more time, and more leverage on price and inspections. If you’ve been waiting for the right moment, this is it.
One tip: with about one in four listings already cut, sellers are motivated. If you’re buying now, ask about buy-down options. A buy-down lets the seller contribution be used to buy down the rate. In a market where sellers are already cutting prices, combining a price reduction with a buy-down is worth asking about.
Sources: Columbia metro figures from Hubrec’s Columbia SC Regional Real Estate Market Report (September 2026) and Realtor.com’s Columbia SC market report (October 2, 2026). Lexington County figures from Zillow (typical home value, as of September 30, 2026) and Redfin (days on market, three months ending September 2026).
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