SC realtors closed 7,556 transactions in March 2024. From the moment a contract was signed to the day agents got paid, they waited an average of 71 days (DTC — Days to Close). That is -4.1% versus March 2023. Every transaction represents commission earned but sitting unpaid — and the longer that wait, the bigger the cash flow gap for SC realtors.
March is when SC's spring market kicks into gear. Closings dipped 9.9% in March 2024 but DTC improved to 71 days — 4.1% better than March 2023. Fewer deals closing faster. Prices rose 5.7% — commission checks are bigger even as the market adjusts.
Contract-to-close times vary dramatically across South Carolina. The same state, the same month — but agents in different regions wait vastly different amounts of time for the same commission check.
| Region | DTC — March 2024 | vs Statewide avg | YoY change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston Trident | 37 days | 34 days faster | -14.0% |
| Spartanburg | 46 days | 25 days faster | -2.1% |
| Piedmont Regional | 47 days | 24 days faster | -7.8% |
| Greater Columbia | 53 days | 18 days faster | +17.8% |
| Greater Greenville | 54 days | 17 days faster | -6.9% |
| Pee Dee | 60 days | 11 days faster | -41.2% |
| Western Upstate | 63 days | 8 days faster | -11.3% |
| Sumter/Clarendon County | 68 days | near avg | +28.3% |
| Aiken | 83 days | 12 days slower | +18.6% |
| Cherokee County | 91 days | 20 days slower | -4.2% |
| Greenwood | 92 days | 21 days slower | -22.0% |
| Beaufort | 103 days | 32 days slower | +4.0% |
| Central Carolina | 108 days | 37 days slower | -24.5% |
| Greater Augusta | 113 days | 42 days slower | +10.8% |
| Coastal Carolinas | 118 days | 47 days slower | -2.5% |
| Hilton Head Area | 146 days | 75 days slower | +0.7% |
Multiply the number of March 2024 closings by the average DTC and you get a picture of how much earned but unpaid commission is sitting in the SC pipeline at any given moment. In March 2024 that number reached 536,476 agent-days of unpaid commission statewide. Every SC realtor with an open contract is carrying their share of this backlog — and the only way to close the gap before closing day is a commission advance.
The SC median home price in March 2024 was $335,000 (+5.7% from last year). At a 3% commission rate that is approximately $10,050 per transaction. That check is sitting unpaid for an average of 71 days (DTC) from contract signing. As both prices and DTC continue to move, the dollar amount of commission sitting unpaid per agent changes every month.