Raleigh and the Triangle · Buyer Services
Buying a Home in Raleigh, NC
Find the right Raleigh home and close with fewer surprises.
Buying a home in Raleigh, NC goes more smoothly with a buyer's agent who knows the North Carolina contract. Raleigh Realty is a locally owned Raleigh brokerage at 707 N West Street, helping buyers across Wake County and the Triangle.
5.0★★★★★
Raleigh Realty holds a 5.0 rating from 664 Google reviews.
3 years
INDY Week readers voted us "Best Real Estate Company" in Wake County in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
Local
Locally owned at 707 N West Street, serving Wake County and the Triangle.
Contact Us To Get Started
Your buying team
Buy Real Estate in Raleigh With a Local Buyer's Agent
Your agent handles price and deadlines. You choose the three other people who handle the rest.
Your Raleigh Realty agent
- ✓Pulls recent sold prices before you write an offer
- ✓Writes and negotiates the Offer to Purchase and Contract
- ✓Tracks the due diligence date and every contract deadline
The people you hire alongside us
- ✓Your lender approves the loan and orders the appraisal
- ✓A licensed home inspector checks the house
- ✓A North Carolina attorney handles title and runs the closing
Meet a Few of Our Raleigh Realty Buyer's Agents
Reviews
What Raleigh Realty Buyers Say
"We were coming from out of state, so we weren't really sure where to start... She was knowledgeable about the area we were looking at, and always had our best interest in mind when it was negotiations and making sure we were making the right decisions since this was our first home purchase."
"Well, we did it again. Another house and another opportunity to work with Jerry Robtoy. Once again he didn't disappoint. Top notch realtor."
"She helped us to purchase a beautiful townhouse in Chapel Hill... She was always available to answer any questions or concerns we had during this process and managed all the meetings very well."
Step by step
How Buying a Home Works in North Carolina
01
Before your first tour
Sign the Right Buyer Agreement
Since August 2024, an agent needs a written buyer agreement before touring a home with you, including a live video tour. The Exclusive Buyer Agency Agreement (Form 201) must carry a specific expiration date, and your agent's pay is negotiable and written into it.
02
While you shop
Tour Homes and Compare Sold Prices
Listing sites show asking prices. Before you settle on a number, ask for recent sold prices on that street or subdivision.
03
From contract to the due diligence date
Use the Due Diligence Period
Under the standard North Carolina contract, you can terminate for any reason before 5:00 p.m. on the due diligence date. The inspection, appraisal, survey and loan approval all need to come back inside that window. I usually tell buyers to book the home inspection the day the contract is signed because the seller needs time to respond to a repair request before the deadline.
04
Closing day
Close With a North Carolina Attorney
Only a North Carolina attorney can give a title opinion, and you pick the attorney. Your agent schedules the final walk-through so any agreed repairs come up before you sign.
Nationally, the average purchase loan closed in 36.8 days in March 2026, according to the ICE Mortgage Monitor. Your contract sets the actual settlement date, so we set it with your lender before the offer goes in.
Costs
What Buying a Home in Raleigh Costs and What Changes It
| Cost | Who you pay | When | What changes it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Due diligence fee | The seller | When the contract is signed | Negotiated. Nonrefundable except in narrow cases, and credited to you at closing. |
| Earnest money | A trust or escrow account, typically held by the listing firm | After the contract is signed | Returned if you terminate before the due diligence deadline. |
| Inspection and appraisal | Your inspector and lender | During due diligence | Home size, added tests and loan type. |
| Attorney, title and lender fees | Paid at closing | Closing day | Loan amount and the attorney you choose. |
| Property tax, inside Raleigh city limits | Wake County and the City of Raleigh | Yearly, often through your mortgage escrow | 90.91 cents per $100 for FY2026-27 (county 53.71 plus city 37.20), about $3,636 a year on a $400,000 assessed value. |
| HOA dues | The HOA | Monthly or quarterly | The community. Ask for the budget and rules too. |
Outside city limits, a home pays a fire district rate instead of the city rate. Wake County's next revaluation takes effect January 1, 2027, so the tax line on a listing today may not match your first full bill. Our guide to closing costs in NC covers the rest.
Check these for any Raleigh address before your due diligence date:
- City limits: the City of Raleigh's iMAPS shows whether a parcel is inside the city and pays the city rate.
- School assignment: run the address through the WCPSS base school lookup and the draft 2027-28 enrollment proposal released October 20, 2026.
- Flood zone: look up the address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center
Who we help
Who Raleigh Realty Helps Buy
Moving to Raleigh From Another State
Sign the buyer agreement before your first live video tour, then plan one in-person trip around your shortlist.
Buying and Selling at the Same Time
The Contingent Sale Addendum (Form 2A2-T) ties your purchase to the sale of your current home. Set the order of the two closings before you list.
Buying New Construction
Builder contracts set their own deposit and inspection terms, and some builders require your agent at the first visit. See new construction homes in Raleigh.
Buying a Condo or Townhome
Review the HOA budget, rules, and rental limits before due diligence ends, and share the condo address with your lender early.
Buying With a VA Loan
A VA appraisal checks the home against VA minimum property requirements, so we look for condition issues before you make an offer.
Buying Your First Home
Talk with an approved lender before you tour. Where the home is decides which down payment help you can use, and the City of Raleigh program requires a price below $390,000. See our first-time home buyer programs guide.
Our agents also help luxury, land, downsizing, and investment buyers.
FAQs
Buying a Home in Raleigh, NC FAQs
Do I have to sign a long-term agreement just to see one house?
No. In October 2024, NC REALTORS® released Form 202, a one-page Property Showing Agreement for touring a property. It is non-exclusive, so you can still hire a different buyer's agent later.
Who pays my buyer's agent now?
Your agreement sets the amount, and a seller can agree to pay some or all of it. Session Law 2025-52, signed July 2, 2025, allows broker compensation in a preprinted purchase contract. On NC REALTORS® forms, that amount goes on Form 220, separate from Seller Concessions.
Can first-time buyers get down payment help in Raleigh?
Yes, and where the home is located decides which help you can use. As of October 2026, the City of Raleigh offers up to $45,000 for homes inside city limits priced below $390,000. DHIC lists up to $50,000 through the Wake County program for homes in other Wake towns, but it excludes homes in Raleigh and Cary. Statewide, the NC 1st Home Advantage Down Payment adds $15,000 on homes priced up to $525,000.
Each program sets income limits and requires an approved lender. See our first-time home buyer programs guide for income tables and how to apply.
Do I count as a first-time buyer if I owned a home before?
Often, yes. The NC Housing Finance Agency treats you as a first-time buyer if you have not owned a home as your main residence in the past three years. The Wake County program is stricter and counts any real estate you owned in that time.
Do I need a lawyer to buy a house in North Carolina?
Yes. The NC State Bar requires a licensed attorney to supervise the material parts of a residential closing, and the attorney must be selected by the party receiving the legal services. Your agent can suggest names, and the choice stays yours.
Next step
Talk to a Raleigh Buyer's Agent
Call to talk through neighborhoods, the buyer agreement and your monthly payment, or send your areas and price range and an agent will reply with a starting search.
