Quarter-Point Pricing: How to Win in Raleigh's Buyer's Market

By Paul Huber, REALTOR® | Huber Real Estate | January 21, 2026

Are you worried about pricing your Raleigh-area home too high — and watching it sit while other homes sell?

The Complete Picture: Pricing Homes in Today's Triangle Market

The days of simply picking a price and expecting multiple offers are largely behind us.

In a buyer's market, buyers have options — and they're paying close attention to value. Having helped hundreds of families across Wake County navigate this shift, I've seen firsthand how even pricing your home slightly off strategic increments can cause it to linger on the market, forcing reductions later that often result in a lower final sale price than if you'd priced it correctly from day one.

This is where quarter-point pricing becomes a powerful advantage.

Understanding Quarter-Point Pricing

Quarter-point pricing is about maximizing your visibility across buyer search ranges.

Most buyers use price filters on sites like Zillow, Realtor.com, and brokerage websites. While some buyers set custom ranges, most align their searches with logical budget increments:

• $400,000 – $500,000
• $450,000 – $550,000
• $500,000 – $600,000
• $550,000 – $650,000

Here's the strategic insight most agents miss:

A buyer prequalified for $475,000 and searching in Apex might set their search to $400,000–$500,000. Another buyer prequalified for $525,000 looking in the same Apex neighborhoods might search $500,000–$600,000.

If your home is priced at $500,000, you appear in both searches. Price it at $495,000 or $505,000? You've just cut your buyer pool in half.

This principle applies at every quarter-point: $0, $25,000, $50,000, and $75,000 increments throughout the price spectrum.

The Strategic Power of Quarter-Point Pricing

Beyond search filters, there's also strategic buyer capture at play.

Pricing at even increments — $0, $25,000, $50,000, and $75,000 — maximizes your visibility across buyer search ranges.

Here's a real-world example from Holly Springs: A buyer prequalified for $290,000 typically sets their search from $200,000–$300,000. Meanwhile, a buyer prequalified for $330,000 might search $300,000–$350,000.

By pricing at $300,000, you capture both groups. You appear for buyers who set $300,000 as their maximum and buyers who set it as their minimum.

Price at $299,000? You miss the entire second group.

The same principle applies at every quarter-point in markets across Cary, Fuquay-Varina, and Garner: $325,000, $350,000, $375,000, and so on. These increments align with how buyers think about their budget ranges and how search engines parse results.

This strategic positioning increases clicks, showings, and momentum — all critical in a buyer's market.

Data-Driven Pricing, Not Guesswork

Quarter-point pricing isn't about forcing your home into an arbitrary number.

With $135M+ in Triangle sales and experience across every price range, I base pricing decisions on:

• Recent comparable sales in your specific neighborhood
• Current active competition in your area
• Days on market trends across the Triangle
• Buyer search behavior patterns on major platforms
• Your home's condition, features, and improvements

Whether your home is in downtown Raleigh, the growing communities of Apex and Holly Springs, or the established neighborhoods of Cary and Fuquay-Varina, the strategy is tailored specifically to your location, condition, and buyer pool — then positioned at the optimal quarter-point increment.

Market Reality in the Triangle

Let me share an example from a recent listing in Apex:

Imagine two nearly identical homes in the same neighborhood:

• Same square footage
• Same layout
• Similar condition

One is strategically priced at $575,000. The other at $589,000.

In today's Triangle buyer's market, the $575,000 home captures buyers searching $500K–$600K and buyers searching $550K–$650K. The $589,000 home? It only appears for the first group.

That strategic difference means more exposure, more showings, and typically faster offers at a stronger final price.

Rising inventory across Raleigh, Cary, and surrounding Wake County areas means buyers move on quickly when a home feels overpriced or doesn't appear in their searches. A stagnant listing can signal "something's wrong," even when nothing is.

Action Steps to Use Quarter-Point Pricing Effectively

• Work with a local expert: Online estimates don't account for quarter-point strategy or buyer search behavior. As a broker who actively lists and sells in the Triangle market, I provide free, data-backed pricing consultations that account for your specific neighborhood dynamics.
• Study recent comps: Focus on homes that actually sold in your area — not just what's currently listed — then position at the right quarter-point.
• Price for maximum visibility: Position your home at $0, $25K, $50K, or $75K increments to capture buyers from both search directions.
• Create momentum early: The first two weeks on market matter most — strategic pricing from day one is critical.
• Stay adaptable: I monitor feedback and market shifts across all Triangle submarkets so we can adjust quickly if needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts

In today's Raleigh-area real estate market, pricing is strategy — not guesswork.

By aligning your list price with quarter-point increments, you maximize exposure to buyers searching from both ends of the price spectrum. This strategic positioning helps your home stand out, generate momentum, and sell with confidence.

With over 15 years of experience across the Triangle market and a track record that includes ranking in the Top 3% of agents nationwide, I've refined this approach through hundreds of successful transactions across Raleigh, Cary, Apex, Holly Springs, Fuquay-Varina, and Garner.

Don't let your home sit while others sell. Let's build a smart quarter-point pricing plan from day one.