Frank Adams, President, Helen Adams Realty

Invest: spoke with Frank Adams, president of Helen Adams Realty, about Charlotte’s recalibrating housing market, what “normal” looks like in a higher-rate environment, and why local expertise is separating strong agents from the pack. “Skilled agents are winning in today’s market. When prices aren’t rising at an unsustainable pace, success comes from expertise and hard work — not luck,” Adams said.

How would you describe the past year for Helen Adams Realty, and how does that reflect the broader state of Charlotte’s residential real estate market?

2025 was our best year ever. We grew nearly 30%, and we attribute much of that to agent proficiency. After COVID, once the market found its new footing, the easy days faded. Skilled agents are winning in today’s market. When prices aren’t rising at an unsustainable pace, success comes from expertise and hard work — not luck. Today, it takes real preparation and real strategy. Buyers and sellers need agents with strong marketing, the right tech, and deep local relationships — including contacts who can help a home get market-ready and advisers who know the neighborhoods well enough to spot opportunities that are not always obvious.

We are also seeing attrition in the broader realtor population. At the market’s peak, the region had roughly 18,000 realtors. For a market our size, something closer to 12,000 feels more sustainable. As we settle into a post-COVID normal, that kind of right-sizing is expected.

As Charlotte continues to attract new residents and corporate relocations, how is in-migration influencing housing demand?

Charlotte has benefited from a wave of corporate relocations and expansions. In 4Q25 alone, the announcements would have been meaningful for a full year. We have seen moves and growth across sectors, with companies such as Scout Motors, Pacific Life Insurance, American Express, and Maersk, along with others, deepening their East Coast presence.

The draw is a mix of climate, the convenience and reach of Charlotte Douglas International Airport, quality of life, and affordability relative to peer cities. That in-migration supports demand across price points and has helped Charlotte mature quickly, from new food and culture to the diversity and energy you feel across the metro. It also brings growing pains, especially traffic and infrastructure, but the net impact has been positive. People arrive, fall in love with the region, and want to invest in its success.

Mortgage rates have remained elevated. How have buyer and seller behaviors shifted over the past year?

Buyers have adjusted to a new normal. There was a period where many waited on the sidelines for rates to drop, but as rates settled into roughly the 6.5% range, low 6s, and in some cases high 5s, the market recalibrated, and activity returned.

Perspective matters. If you look over the last 50 years, the average mortgage rate is around 7.7%. Older generations remember buying homes at far higher rates. First-time buyers were introduced to historically low rates in the 2s, 3s, and 4s, so this shift feels dramatic, but those ultra-low days are likely behind us. In the high 5s to low 6s, we can still have a healthy and robust market.

How would you describe the balance between supply and demand in Charlotte today, and what does that mean for pricing and transaction volume?

Demand has remained strong because the region continues to attract people and jobs, but supply has lagged. The good news is that it is still more feasible to build here than in heavily regulated markets, and many municipalities in North Carolina and upstate South Carolina want responsible private investment, including projects that expand housing options and affordability.

From a market health standpoint, it is helpful to compare today with the immediate post-pandemic period, when we had about one month of supply and demand was overwhelming. Today, Mecklenburg County is closer to three months of supply. That is still a seller’s market, but it is far more balanced. Historically, five to five-and-a-half months is closer to an even market, where buyers gain negotiating leverage.

We use 2018 as a benchmark for what “healthy” felt like before the COVID and post-COVID distortion. In many ways, we are closer to that environment now. Homes that are priced well and well maintained still sell quickly, but you cannot simply put a sign in the yard and expect multiple offers. Some sellers still have expectations shaped by the post-COVID run, so part of the work today is reframing what normal looks like.

Charlotte has also seen rising demand for high-net-worth properties. What differentiates the market in attracting luxury buyers?

Charlotte attracts young, highly educated professionals who build careers here, form families, and put down roots, which supports a strong first-time and move-up market. Also, the luxury segment, often defined as the top 10% of sales, has been exceptional and has helped lift the broader market.

The challenge is inventory. Demand at the high end has outpaced supply, and pricing has continued to climb as builders try to keep up. Municipalities have helped by allowing new communities to move forward, but the region remains underbuilt, and new construction activity is still not where it needs to be.

Buyer priorities are shifting toward quality of life and convenience. What are clients asking for more often today?

We have offices across the metro, including Fort Mill, Ballantyne, Myers Park, Uptown, and Lake Norman, and each submarket offers something different. A consistent theme is that people want to limit commute time and improve daily convenience. They want ease of access to shopping, schools, community anchors, and the airport.

Remote work has also changed the calculus. Buyers have more flexibility to prioritize lifestyle, and that supports demand across a wider set of neighborhoods and surrounding communities. The region’s spread of job centers, combined with continued investment and development, has strengthened the live-and-work balance across the broader Charlotte area.

How is Helen Adams Realty leveraging new tools and technologies to support agents and clients?

We turned 50 in 2025, and our focus is simple: be the best business partner for great agents. That requires strong marketing, strong support, and a strong tech stack, and we have invested heavily in all three.

We also have a meaningful relocation business, working with companies of all sizes to help move employees in and out of Charlotte, which keeps us connected nationally and internationally. We often describe our model as “big enough to back you, small enough to know you.” We can provide the horsepower you would expect from a larger platform, while implementing it in a hands-on way because we are here with our agents every day.

Looking ahead three to five years, which areas are best positioned to sustain residential growth?

Charlotte is in a strong place overall. We view the region as an eight-county area, from Rock Hill to Mooresville, and from Concord to Gastonia, and there is real growth potential across the map. Job opportunities are distributed, reinvestment continues, and we believe migration trends will remain a tailwind. In our view, there is something for everyone, at multiple price points, across the broader metro.

You have emphasized independence amid consolidation. Why does that matter, and what is your outlook for the remainder of 2026?

We have seen a lot of M&A in real estate over the last decade, but we are committed to remaining independent and staying focused on service. When you can go to work with people you trust, and when the business is built around supporting agents so they can support clients, that is a special thing, and we intend to keep it that way.

For the remainder of 2026, we expect the market to remain robust. We could see roughly 4% to 5% appreciation across the metro, supported by continued in-migration and job growth, even as the market operates in a more measured, normal rhythm than the post-COVID surge.