Chattanooga-Area Inventory Hits 4,106 Homes in September as Days on Market Climb to 56 and the Median Holds at $340,000

There were 4,106 homes for sale across the Chattanooga region at the end of September, 16.8% more than a year earlier, according to Greater Chattanooga Realtors’ September market report released Oct. 15, 2026. Homes took longer to sell, too. Days on market rose 21.7% to 56, while the median sales price was unchanged from last September at $340,000.

The report, written by 2026 association president Connie Brewer and also published on Chattanoogan.com, opens with a caution that one number rarely tells the whole story. September is a good example. New listings rose, pending sales slipped, and prices held still.

September by the numbers

Source: Greater Chattanooga Realtors September Market Report and Weekly Market Activity Report (data current as of Oct. 12, 2026; report by ShowingTime Plus).

Prices: flat for the month, up a little for the year

The September median of $340,000 matched September 2025 exactly. Over the past 12 months, the monthly medians in the weekly report ranged from $327,700 in February 2026 to $358,300 in December 2025 and $358,250 in May 2026. The 12-month average median was $345,000, up 1.6% from $339,463 a year earlier.

That is a market where prices are holding but not running. For comparison, our July report showed the region’s median slipping while listings jumped. See Chattanooga Home Prices Slip 3% as Listings Jump 25%.

Sellers are giving a little more ground

The clearest sign of a slower pace is in what sellers actually get. Chattanooga-area sellers received 94.3% of their original list price on average in September, down from 95.0% a year earlier. Measured against the last list price, after any reductions, the figure was 97.4%, nearly even with 97.5% a year ago.

The gap between those two numbers is the price-cut story. Homes that sell close to their final asking price but well under their first one were likely priced too high at the start. On a $340,000 home, the difference between 94.3% and 97.4% of list is more than $10,000.

Supply keeps building

Months supply of inventory reached 4.5 in September, compared with 4.1 a year earlier. The association calculates that figure by dividing homes for sale at month’s end by average monthly pending sales over the last 12 months. Supply has sat at 4.4 or 4.5 months every month from May through September.

The latest weekly numbers

Greater Chattanooga Realtors’ weekly report for the week ending Oct. 3 shows the trend continuing into October:

• New listings rose 3.0% to 346.
• Pending sales fell 11.5% to 161.
• Inventory rose 16.4% to 4,150.

Weekly inventory has stayed above 4,000 homes in every week from July 11 through Oct. 3, and the three-month average of 4,124 was 20.6% higher than the same stretch a year earlier.

Contracts: the three-month view versus the last two weeks

Week-to-week numbers bounce around, so the three-month totals in the weekly report are a useful check. Over the 13 weeks ending Oct. 3, the region logged 2,739 pending sales, up 2.4% from 2,674 in the same weeks of 2025. New listings over that stretch totaled 4,439, up 3.2%.

The softening shows up at the end of the window. Pending sales for the week ending Sept. 26 were 187, down 18.0% from 228 a year earlier, and the week ending Oct. 3 came in at 161, down 11.5% from 182. Two weeks do not make a trend, but they line up with the monthly drop in pending sales.

Twelve straight months of smaller original-price returns

The percent-of-original-list figure has come in below its year-earlier level in every month from October 2025 through September 2026. The widest gap was March 2026, when sellers received 94.9% of original list price compared with 96.2% a year earlier. In April it was 95.6% against 96.4%, and in August 95.1% against 95.2%.

Nationally, the weekly report cites Zillow data showing 1.39 million homes for sale and price cuts on 27.4% of listings, which it says gives buyers more room to negotiate.

Affordability slipped

The report’s Housing Affordability Index was 88 in September, down 6.4% from 94 a year earlier. The association explains that an index of 120 means the median household income was 120% of what is needed to qualify for the median-priced home at current rates. A reading below 100 means the typical household is short of that mark.

Brewer’s report points to national context. It says the Federal Reserve raised its benchmark rate a quarter point on Sept. 16 to a range of 3.75% to 4%, and that the 30-year fixed mortgage rate moved above 7% in late September, up from an August average of 6.67%, according to Freddie Mac.

The national picture

Nationally, existing-home sales fell 2.0% from the previous month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.98 million, the first reading below 4 million since June 2025, according to the National Association of Realtors figures cited in the report. NAR also reported 1.62 million homes listed for sale heading into September.

What Brewer says it means

The report says buyers may find they have more time to evaluate a property and discuss terms, while sellers may need to think carefully about how their home compares with the competition and what buyers are responding to.

Chattanooga dates to watch

• Oct. 20, 2026, 3:30 p.m. — Chattanooga City Council meeting, including a public hearing on an FY27 budget amendment.
• Second Monday of each month, 1:00 p.m. — Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission at the Development Resource Center, 1250 Market Street, Room 1A, where rezonings and subdivision plats are heard.

For recent planning cases that will add new homes to the supply, see Hamilton Planners Back 118 Homes on Dallas Lake Road and a Bank at the Old Buck’s BBQ Site.

What it means if you are selling in Chattanooga

• Price it right the first time. With more than 4,100 competing listings, a home priced high at launch is more likely to sit and then sell after cuts.
• Plan for about two months. At 56 days on market, build that time into your moving plans.
• Know your competition. Buyers have choices. Condition, presentation and terms matter more when supply is higher.

Want to know where your home fits in this market? Get a free home valuation, or request a cash offer if you need a firm number and a set closing date.

How many homes were for sale in the Chattanooga region in September 2026?

Greater Chattanooga Realtors reported inventory of 4,106 homes, up 16.8% from a year earlier.

What was the median home price in Chattanooga in September 2026?

The median sales price was $340,000, unchanged from September 2025.

How long are Chattanooga homes taking to sell?

Days on market until sale rose 21.7% to 56 in September 2026.

Are Chattanooga sellers getting their asking price?

On average, sellers received 94.3% of original list price in September, down from 95.0% a year earlier, and 97.4% of last list price.

What is the months supply of homes in Chattanooga?

Months supply of inventory was 4.5 in September 2026, up 9.8% from 4.1 a year earlier.

Source links

• Greater Chattanooga Realtors — September Market Report (Oct. 15, 2026)
• Greater Chattanooga Realtors — Weekly Market Activity Report, week ending Oct. 3, 2026 (PDF)
• Chattanoogan.com — Connie Brewer: September Housing Market Report (Oct. 15, 2026)
• Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Agency — Agenda & Case Information
• Chattanooga City Council — Oct. 20, 2026, agenda

More from Kings of Real Estate

Related local news:

• Chattanooga Home Prices Slip 3% as Listings Jump 25%
• 22 Chattanooga Townhomes Break Ground as Inventory Jumps 21%
• Hamilton Planners Back 118 Homes on Dallas Lake Road and a Bank at the Old Buck’s BBQ Site
• Chattanooga Council Weighs City Hall Landmark Bid and Final Vote on 100 E. 38th Street Rezoning
• Hamilton County OKs Step Toward 76 Staff Homes in St. Elmo

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