Johnston County, NC Housing Market Report (Nov–Dec 2025) — And What Listing Media Actually Moves the Needle
If you work Johnston County, you already felt the late-2025 vibe: buyers were still buying, but they weren’t sprinting. The data backs that up.
In November 2025, the median sale price countywide was $373,500 (up 5.4% year-over-year) — but homes took 55 days on average to sell, and only 14.9% sold above list. Redfin
So what do you do with that reality in November–December (aka the season of fewer showings, more serious buyers, and “we need this under contract before the holidays” decisions)?
You reduce friction. You get the buyer confident faster. And in 2026, that means your listing media matters more than ever.
The 30-second takeaways (for busy agents)
Prices were up YoY, but the pace slowed: median $373,500, average 55 DOM in Nov 2025. Redfin
Contracts still happened quickly once buyers committed: Zillow shows Johnston County homes went pending in ~32 days (Zillow “days to pending” metric). Zillow
Negotiation leverage showed up: Zillow reports 57.6% of sales under list, and the county median sale-to-list ratio ~0.990 (Oct 31 data). Zillow
Clayton vs. Smithfield felt like two different markets: Clayton’s typical value ~$363,318 with 36 days to pending; Smithfield’s typical value ~$286,310 with 33 days to pending (data through Nov 30). Zillow+1
3D tours are a measurable advantage (platform-wide): Zillow says listings with a 3D Home tour sold/pended ~14% faster and got ~37% more views than listings without. Zillow
A quick note about November vs. December 2025 data
This report focuses on Nov–Dec 2025, but most public county dashboards update with a lag. The county-level “snapshot” numbers below are published through Nov 2025 (Redfin) and through Nov 30 / Oct 31, 2025 (Zillow). Redfin+1
So, here’s the promise: everything in this post is real, sourced, and date-stamped — and the December strategy section is built from the seasonal realities agents face plus what the public metrics are already telling us.
Johnston County market snapshot (Nov 2025)
Redfin (Nov 2025 — closed-sale oriented)
Median sale price: $373,500 (+5.4% YoY) Redfin
Homes sold: 262 (down from 358 YoY) Redfin
Median days on market: 55 (vs. 48 YoY) Redfin
Sale-to-list price: 98.9% Redfin
Sold above list: 14.9% Redfin
Zillow (through Nov 30 / Oct 31, 2025 — broader market indicators)
Typical home value (ZHVI): $338,752 (-1.4% YoY) Zillow
For-sale inventory (Nov 30): 843 Zillow
New listings (Nov 30): 233 Zillow
Median list price (Nov 30): $379,667 Zillow
Median days to pending (Nov 30): 32 Zillow
Median sale-to-list ratio (Oct 31): 0.990 Zillow
% sold under list (Oct 31): 57.6% Zillow
% sold over list (Oct 31): 19.5% Zillow
What this means (in plain English)
Late 2025 wasn’t “dead” — it was selective.
If your listing looked dialed in, it could still go pending in about a month (Zillow’s metric). Zillow
But if your listing felt uncertain (layout questions, small rooms, tricky lots, older homes with “wait…how does this flow?” vibes), the buyer hesitated — and hesitation is where DOM grows.
That’s the gap great media closes.
Inside the county: where the numbers differ (useful for pricing + positioning)
Clayton (higher price point, heavy competition)
Typical value: $363,318 (down 1.6% YoY) Zillow
For-sale inventory (Nov 30): 379 Zillow
New listings (Nov 30): 101 Zillow
Median list price (Nov 30): $394,133 Zillow
Median days to pending (Nov 30): 36 Zillow
Clayton takeaway: buyers have options. Your listing has to win the click and then win the confidence.
Smithfield (more affordability, fewer listings)
Typical value: $286,310 (down 2.2% YoY) Zillow
For-sale inventory (Nov 30): 92 Zillow
New listings (Nov 30): 27 Zillow
Median list price (Nov 30): $332,400 Zillow
Median days to pending (Nov 30): 33 Zillow
Smithfield takeaway: fewer listings doesn’t automatically mean faster sales — but it does mean strong presentation can separate you instantly.
Zip-code example: 27527 (Clayton area)
Redfin shows 27527 had a $425K median sale price in Nov 2025 and 45 median DOM, with 119 homes sold. Redfin
Why this matters: when you’re speaking to a seller, “Johnston County stats” are helpful — but zip-level context is what makes your pricing and marketing plan feel credible.
The late-2025 listing problem: buyers need certainty (not just pretty photos)
Here’s what we see over and over in November–December:
Fewer casual showings → buyers “shop harder online”
More out-of-area buyers (or busy schedules) → more reliance on digital walkthroughs
More negotiation leverage → less patience for listings that feel unclear
That’s why pro photography + aerial context + 3D clarity isn’t a “nice-to-have” anymore — it’s a practical speed tool.
3D tours: the clearest public evidence we can point to
Zillow’s own research is blunt: Zillow 3D Home tours made homes go pending ~14% faster than listings without that feature, and those listings received ~37% more views. Zillow
They also note improved visibility (special exposure in search results, filters, and buyer emails). Zillow
Is that “causation” for Johnston County specifically? No — it’s platform-wide. But it’s a strong indicator of what buyers reward: confidence + clarity.
So… when should an agent use drone vs. Zillow 3D vs. Matterport?
Here’s a practical rule of thumb for Johnston County listings:
Use Drone/Aerial when…
Lot lines, acreage, wooded privacy, outbuildings, or neighborhood proximity matters
The home is up on a hill, even a little one
New construction needs context (community, amenities, distance to schools/highway)
The home competes in a “same floorplan, different street” subdivision
Use Zillow 3D Home when…
You want the best ROI “digital open house” quickly
The layout is straightforward but buyers need flow confirmation
You want a fast add-on that supports online-first buyers
Use Matterport when…
The home is larger, higher-end, unique, or has a layout that needs true spatial understanding
You want a premium asset for marketing, relocations, and longer buying cycles
You want a tour that feels like a serious experience, not just a quick scroll
Goodlook offers both Matterport and Zillow 3D Home (plus FAA-licensed drone) so you can match the tool to the listing — not force every listing into the same package.
A simple “Nov–Dec 2025” marketing playbook (that agents can actually use)
1) Win the first 2 seconds (scroll-stopping cover shots)
In a county where only ~15–20% of homes sell above list (depending on the metric/source), you can’t rely on “the market” to do the heavy lifting. Redfin+1
Your hero images need to:
show space
show light
show what the home “feels like”
and eliminate the “what am I missing?” vibe
2) Reduce “layout anxiety” (add a 3D tour when flow matters)
If a buyer can’t understand the layout online, they delay the showing or skip it entirely — especially in late Q4.
A 3D tour does two things:
it makes serious buyers more confident
it filters out buyers who weren’t a fit anyway
Zillow’s data supports the speed advantage (14% faster to pending + 37% more views). Zillow
3) Add aerial context when the lot is part of the value
In Johnston County, “the land” is often half the story. If the home has:
usable yard
privacy
proximity value (or distance value)
views, frontage, outbuildings, pool placement
…aerials turn that into proof instead of “trust me.”
4) Match your media to your price band (quick guide)
You can tweak this by neighborhood, but as a starting point:
Entry to midrange: Pro photos + (optional) Zillow 3D when layout is a question
Move-up / family homes: Pro photos + drone when lot/neighborhood matters; add Zillow 3D for flow
Upper tier / unique homes: Pro photos + drone + Matterport (or Matterport + floor plan assets when applicable)
The goal isn’t “more media.” The goal is less uncertainty.
What agents should watch for in December (the strategy section)
Even when public dashboards haven’t posted clean “December-only” county aggregates yet, your day-to-day reality remains consistent:
December is a motivated-buyer month.
You’ll see fewer tire-kickers and more “we’re moving, we’ve got timing constraints, we need to decide.”
So your winning strategy is:
make the listing easy to understand online
make the showing decision obvious
and justify the price with presentation
If you’re listing in December (or re-launching a stale listing), the fastest lever you can pull is often:
(1) refreshed hero images, (2) a 3D tour, (3) aerials if the lot matters, (4) a clean, confident description that matches what the visuals prove.
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FAQ (for agents + sellers)
Does Johnston County feel like a buyer’s market or seller’s market in late 2025?
It’s best described as selective. Prices were up YoY (Redfin), but fewer homes sold vs. last year and DOM was longer — buyers still bought, just with more scrutiny. Redfin
What’s a realistic “time to pending” expectation?
Zillow’s Johnston County metric shows homes went pending in ~32 days (data through Nov 30, 2025). Zillow
Are more homes selling under list price?
Zillow reports 57.6% of sales under list (Oct 31, 2025) and a 0.990 median sale-to-list ratio — consistent with negotiation leverage. Zillow
Do 3D tours actually help listings sell faster?
Zillow reports listings with a 3D Home tour went pending ~14% faster and received ~37% more views than listings without. Zillow
(Local results vary, and this is correlation at the platform level — but it’s meaningful evidence that buyers reward clarity.)
Clayton vs. Smithfield: what’s the headline difference?
Clayton’s typical values and inventory are higher, and time-to-pending is similar but slightly longer in Zillow’s metrics (Clayton ~36 days vs. Smithfield ~33, through Nov 30). Zillow+1
What virtual tour options does Goodlook offer?
Goodlook offers both Matterport and Zillow 3D Home tours, plus drone options, so agents can match the tool to the listing and budget. Goodlook
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Sources + methodology (so you can cite this in listing appointments)
This post uses publicly available market dashboards and metrics, including:
Redfin’s Johnston County Housing Market Trends (Nov 2025 snapshot; closed-sale oriented metrics). Redfin
Zillow’s Johnston County Housing Market page (ZHVI, inventory, new listings, days to pending, and sale-to-list / under/over list shares, with date stamps). Zillow
Zillow’s Clayton and Smithfield market pages for town-level context (date stamped). Zillow+1
Zillow’s published research on 3D Home tours (platform-wide performance indicators). Zillow
Important note: different platforms define “days on market” differently (e.g., Zillow’s “days to pending” vs. Redfin’s DOM to sale). That’s why this report uses each metric as labeled by the source rather than blending them into a single number. Redfin+1
If you want a “media-first” listing plan for your next Johnston County listing
Goodlook serves Johnston County agents with:
pro interior/exterior photos (MLS-ready)
FAA-licensed drone
Matterport tours
Zillow 3D Home tours
…and you can choose what fits the listing (and the seller).