Centerton Real Estate Market Recap

Full Year 2025 With Market Behavior and 2026 Outlook

By Allie Verdery, The Blue Haired Broker
Centerton Luxury Real Estate Advisor with Engel & Völkers Bentonville

A Quick Framing Note

Everything in this recap comes directly from locally pulled, median-only data. No averages. No national headlines that may strongly differ from our protected bubble.

But data alone does not tell the full story.

What makes this meaningful is how the numbers line up with what I am seeing every day. In showings. In negotiations. At Planning Commission meetings. At City Council. And in conversations with buyers who are choosing Centerton very intentionally.

Affordability

Why Centerton Continues to Pull Buyers In

We ended 2025 in a very clear affordability position.

December 2025 median sales prices:

• Centerton: $410,670 (up 14.5% vs December 2024)

• Bentonville: $495,000 (up 9.5% vs December 2024)

• Rogers: $406,700 (up 2.9% vs December 2024)

• Benton County overall: $399,950 (up 20.6% vs December 2024)

Centerton sits just above the county median but well below Bentonville. That gap matters more now than it did a few years ago.

What I am seeing on the ground:
Buyers are no longer stretching just to get in the door. They are comparing monthly payments, commute times, and future resale. For many of them, Centerton checks all three boxes.

A growing number of these buyers are coming from:

• Bentonville buyers priced out of their preferred neighborhoods

• Rogers buyers wanting newer housing stock

• Relocators who want Bentonville schools without Bentonville pricing

This is not speculative demand. This is lifestyle-driven demand.

New Construction Share

How Growth Is Being Absorbed

Early 2025 was heavily influenced by new construction.

As the year progressed, that shifted.

End-of-year pattern:
By December, resale homes made up a larger share of sales than they did earlier in the year.

What this tells me as someone deeply involved locally:
Centerton did not overbuild and then stall. New construction was absorbed, incentives replaced price cuts, and resale homes stayed competitive.

This lines up with what has been discussed in Planning Commission meetings. Growth is happening, but it is being acknowledged and adjusted rather than allowing allowing an overgrowth of inventory to occur.

Days on Market vs Cumulative Days on Market

How Long Buyers Are Really Taking

This is where the story gets interesting.

2025 trend:
Median days on market increased compared to the frenzy years. Median cumulative days on market told us why.

Homes that were priced aggressively early in the year sat longer. Homes that adjusted pricing, or came on the market correctly later in the year, moved faster.

Where we ended the year:
By Q4, median DOM stabilized while median CDOM declined. That tells me sellers learned the market quickly.

What I am seeing in real time:
Buyers are taking longer to decide, but not disengaging.

• They are touring more than one weekend

• They are re-visiting neighborhoods

• They are watching price adjustments closely

This is not hesitation. This is confidence. Buyers feel like they can take time without losing everything overnight.

Inventory

Balanced Does Not Mean Slow

December 2025 median months of inventory:

• Centerton: 7.04 months

• Bentonville: 5.37 months

• Rogers: 5.24 months

• Benton County overall: 5.29 months

Centerton ended the year slightly above balanced, while many surrounding markets stayed tighter.

What this actually means:
Buyers had choices in Centerton. That reduced panic and bidding wars, but it did not remove demand.

From my perspective, this is one of the healthiest positions a city can be in. Buyers can breathe. Sellers have to price correctly. Homes that are well prepared still sell.

This also mirrors conversations happening at the city level. Growth is being recognized and planned for, not ignored.

How Buyers Are Acting Right Now

This Is the Human Side of the Data

Here is the biggest behavioral shift I saw in 2025.

Buyers stopped rushing and started choosing.

They are:

• Spending more time in the search phase

• Asking deeper questions about neighborhoods and zoning

• Caring more about layout and long-term livability

• Comparing Centerton directly against Bentonville and Rogers

And importantly, they are still buying.

Centerton is benefiting because it offers flexibility without sacrificing value.

Centerton at A Glance (2025)

Here’s the full snapshot, with Bentonville and Benton County included strictly for context:

The Psychographic Picture: What Residents Value

When you connect the dots, a clear profile emerges.

In 2025, the typical Centerton household:

• Owns their home

• Is led by adults in their 30s

• Earns above the regional average

• Values space, schools, and long‑term stability

• Commutes or works remotely, but lives intentionally

Centerton isn’t competing with Bentonville’s urban energy — it complements it. Bentonville is where many people work. Centerton is where they build their lives.

Predictors for 2026

Why Normal Appreciation Is the Most Likely Path

Based on how 2025 ended, here is what I am watching closely.

Inventory

Centerton ended the year at 7.04 months of inventory, with a full-year median of 6.32. Unless inventory spikes sharply, which there are no indicators of right now, prices tend to appreciate at a normal pace.

Affordability gap

The price gap between Centerton and Bentonville remains wide. That continues to funnel demand here.

Buyer behavior

Buyers are engaged, educated, and intentional. That is a recipe for steady appreciation, not volatility.

City involvement

Infrastructure, planning, and growth conversations are actively happening. That matters more than most people realize for housing stability.

Taken together, these indicators point to a 2026 that looks a lot like 2025. Balanced. Intentional. Steady.

Final Thought

Why This Matters for Centerton

Centerton is no longer just growing. It is maturing.

We ended 2025 affordable, balanced, and attractive to buyers who are thinking long term. That is not accidental. That is the result of market forces lining up with thoughtful planning.

I spend a lot of time in these rooms, in these meetings, and in these transactions because I believe Centerton deserves clear, honest information about where we are headed.

If you are thinking about buying, selling, or just trying to understand how these trends affect your specific neighborhood, that is exactly what I help people navigate every day.

Reach out to me anytime.

I am always happy to talk through the data, the strategy, and what it means for you right here in Centerton.