Amid a backdrop of falling rents, increasing vacancies, and plentiful new inventory, renters have increasingly become less urgent in their search for a new home. But recent data suggests that may be beginning to change.
In a new report by Apartment List, they explored trends in a metric they named “renter urgency.” They found that the share of renters searching with low urgency peaked last September, but then turned a corner to close out the year.
According to the report:
- 52.9% of renters looking for a new home in the Charlotte metro were searching with low urgency as of December 2025, compared to a national average of 53.8%. That ranks #33 among the nation’s 25 largest metros.
- The share of low urgency searches in Charlotte was down from 53.2 in December 2024, and has fallen slightly from the 2025 peak.
- With the multifamily construction boom now past its peak, the recent increase in urgency could be an early indicator that market conditions are starting to shift.
