We're just over halfway through 2026, so this week, host Blake Watson of Epique Realty breaks down the data from the first half of the year to see where the Chattanooga real estate market really stands, and what to expect for the rest of the year.

In this episode, Blake looks at the latest numbers pulled from the Chattanooga MLS, operated by the Greater Chattanooga Realtors, comparing June 2026 to June 2025 and the first half of 2026 to the first half of 2025.

Topics covered:

Why real estate doesn't behave like the stock market, and what the 2007 to 2010 housing crisis really tells us about long term home values, including how the VW plant announcement helped soften that downturn locally

Inventory update: total listings jumped from 3,334 in June 2025 to 4,120 in June 2026, a 23.6 percent increase year over year, the highest inventory level in more than 10 years

What rising inventory means if you are buying: more homes to choose from and more time to decide

What rising inventory means if you are selling: the importance of pricing your home correctly and presenting it well

Median sale price update: up from 347,000 dollars in June 2025 to 355,000 dollars in June 2026, a 2.25 percent increase that tracks close to the national inflation rate

Sales activity: just over 1,000 homes sold in June 2026 versus 978 in June 2025, a 3.6 percent increase. For the first half of the year, sales rose about 5.5 percent, from 5,024 homes in the first half of 2025 to 5,300 in the first half of 2026

Why Chattanooga has shifted from a seller's market to a balanced market, and what months of inventory tells us about that

Average days on market: up slightly from 54 days in June 2025 to 57 days in June 2026

Interest rate trends in 2026, including the dip below 6 percent early in the year and the increase tied to the war with Iran, plus rising oil and fertilizer prices

Blake's prediction for the rest of 2026: interest rates holding around 6.5 percent, home sales up roughly 5 percent year over year, and prices remaining steady to slightly higher

Whether you are thinking about buying, selling, or just want to understand what is happening in the local market, this episode gives you a clear, data driven look at the Chattanooga real estate market at the midyear mark and where things are headed.

Contact Blake Watson

Phone or text: 423-315-1815

Instagram: @rocknrollblake

Facebook and LinkedIn: Blake Watson

Website: athomeChattanooga.com

Epique Realty office: 888-893-3537 Licensed realtor in Tennessee and Georgia

In this episode, host Blake Watson of Epique Realty sits down with Robin Leach, owner of Robin's Nest Estate Sales, for a warm and candid conversation about a business that does much more than sell household contents. Robin shares how estate sales help families close one chapter of life while opening a new one for buyers, and why the heart behind the work is what has kept her thriving in Chattanooga for 13 years.

What You Will Learn in This Episode

What an estate sale actually is and who it serves:

Robin explains that estate sales are not just for families dealing with the loss of a loved one. They also serve people who are downsizing, moving to assisted living, transitioning to a condo, or businesses looking to move inventory. The common thread is helping people close a chapter with dignity and care.

How Robin got started:

What began as a spontaneous stop between youth soccer games turned into a career that found her. After working for another Chattanooga estate sale company for three years, a friend handed her the keys to her aunt's home and asked her to take care of a sale. That moment gave birth to Robin's Nest Estate Sales 13 years ago.

What sellers can expect:

Robin and her team go into a home after the family has removed what they want to keep. From there, the team empties every cabinet, drawer, and closet, cleans and polishes furniture, and stages the home like a store so that buyers and the family alike can feel good about how things are presented. Robin's company takes a percentage of the sale and covers all associated costs including advertising, labor, and hauling, so families receive a check without worrying about fees. A separate crew can also empty whatever remains after the sale so the home is ready for its next stage.

What shoppers can expect:

Robin's Nest typically draws lines of 100 to 400 people at opening. Sales generally run three days with full price on the first day, 30 percent off on the second, and 50 percent off on the third. Robin emphasizes that her team is known for fair pricing, great customer service, and a fun atmosphere where regulars get to know each other. Shoppers who prefer to avoid crowds are welcome to come later in the day.

The social media strategy that reaches buyers across the country:

Robin works Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok actively, teasing items with live videos ahead of each sale. Her reach has drawn buyers from Mississippi who drove through the night, a shopper who flew in from Pennsylvania, and a bride who postponed a wedding dress fitting in New York City to secure a Lenox canister set.

A remarkable story from a recent sale:

While working an estate in Ooltewah, Robin discovered she had been corresponding with Debbie McKee Fowler of the McKee Bakery family, makers of Little Debbie snack cakes, without realizing who she was. The moment Robin recognized the signature on a Little Debbie doll in the home moved her entire team to tears.

Robin's philosophy on working with families:

Robin describes herself as transparent and approachable from the very first phone call. She is honest about what will and will not sell, treats every family's belongings with respect regardless of monetary value, and stays focused on the mission of honoring the lives that were lived in each home.

How to Connect with Robin's Nest Estate Sales

Phone: 423-443-7029

Facebook: Robin's Nest Estate Sales, Chattanooga

Instagram: Robin's Nest Estate Sales, Chattanooga

How to Connect with Blake Watson

Phone: 423-315-1815

Epique Realty Office: 888-893-3537

Website: athomechattanooga.com

Facebook and LinkedIn: Blake Watson

Instagram: rocknrollblake

Thank you for listening to Let's Talk Chattanooga Real Estate. Until next time, we wish you the best in your real estate journey.

In this episode, host Blake Watson takes a detailed look back at two decades of growth in the Chattanooga housing market. How did prices get to where they are today? Was this boom sudden, or has it been building for years? Blake walks through the key economic turning points, migration trends, and supply and demand forces that have shaped the market we are living in right now.

What you will hear in this episode:

How Chattanooga navigated the 2007 and 2008 housing crash better than most markets, and why that matters.

The game-changing impact of Volkswagen's decision to build its only US manufacturing plant in Chattanooga, announced in 2008 and operational by 2011.

How employment growth throughout the 2010s outpaced national trends, according to research from UTC, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

Why Chattanooga's citywide gig-speed internet, launched in 2010, generated billions in economic impact and put the city on the national map.

The structural housing shortage that developed as household growth outpaced housing unit construction throughout the mid-2010s into the early 2020s.

How the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of remote work turned Chattanooga into a migration destination, with the metro area growing at more than twice the national population growth rate between 2020 and 2025.

Why demand spilled outward into surrounding areas like Catoosa and Walker counties in Georgia and Bradley County in Tennessee as prices rose in Hamilton County.

What accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, are and how the City of Chattanooga has introduced them as one tool to address the housing shortage.

Where the market stands today, with inventory improving, homes taking longer to sell, and the region still on track to surpass 600,000 people by 2026.

What all of this means for buyers, sellers, and anyone watching the market from the sidelines.

If you have questions about buying, selling, or figuring out your next move in the Chattanooga area, reach out to Blake Watson directly. Blake is a real estate agent in Tennessee and Georgia.

Phone: 423-315-1815

Website: athomechattanooga.com

Facebook and LinkedIn: Blake Watson

Instagram: @rocknrollblake

Brokerage: Epique Realty, 888-893-3537

If this episode helped you understand what is happening in our market, share it with someone who needs to hear it.