Charlotte Climbs to No. 10 in Emerging Trends Ranking
The 2027 Emerging Trends in Real Estate report places Charlotte among the top 10 of 81 U.S. markets for the first time since 2022.
Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Residential
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The Urban Land Institute and PwC ranked Charlotte No. 10 among 81 U.S. markets in the 2027 Emerging Trends in Real Estate report, up from No. 14 in 2026. Dallas-Fort Worth retained the top spot for a third consecutive year.
Why it matters
The ranking signals growing investor and developer confidence in Charlotte's real estate market relative to other U.S. metros. Charlotte's homebuilding prospects, however, fell to No. 24 in the same report, a sign that the market's momentum is not uniform across sectors.
Charlotte's 2027 rank of No. 10 out of 81 markets marks its first top-10 finish since 2022, when it was last ranked in the top 10. The report does not detail the criteria weighting behind the individual market scores.
The players
Urban Land Institute
The Urban Land Institute is a nonprofit research and education organization focused on responsible land use and real estate development, and it co-publishes the Emerging Trends in Real Estate report.
PwC
PwC is a multinational professional services firm that co-publishes the Emerging Trends in Real Estate report with the Urban Land Institute.
The details
The 2027 Emerging Trends in Real Estate report, issued by the Urban Land Institute and PwC, draws on insights from approximately 1,500 real estate investors, developers, lenders and advisers across the United States and Canada. Charlotte's climb followed a No. 14 ranking in 2026 and No. 18 in 2024, while Nashville, Miami and Raleigh-Durham placed second through fourth.
Timeline
2022: Charlotte last reached the top 10 in the report.
2024: Charlotte ranked No. 18.
2026: Charlotte ranked No. 14.
2027: Charlotte ranked No. 10 in the 48th edition of the report.
Market Landscape
Charlotte's rise to No. 10 places it ahead of several established Southeastern markets in the report, consistent with the broader Sun Belt migration that has lifted Nashville and Raleigh-Durham into the top four. The ranking reflects investor appetite for growing metros, even as the report's homebuilding measure suggests constraints on new supply.
Homebuyers and renters in Charlotte may see continued investor interest in the local residential market as the city's profile rises in national rankings. The drop in homebuilding prospects to No. 24, however, suggests that new housing supply may not keep pace with demand.
The takeaway
Prospective Charlotte homebuyers and investors should weigh the city's rising market ranking against its weaker homebuilding outlook before committing to a purchase or development plan. Monitoring local permit activity and inventory levels can help clarify whether supply is keeping pace.
Further reading
For more on housing trends in the region, explore Residential coverage on Wisevoter.
Source note: This article includes information reported by K 104.7.
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