SC realtors closed 5,014 transactions in January 2024. From the moment a contract was signed to the day agents got paid, they waited an average of 72 days (DTC — Days to Close). That is 0.0% versus January 2023. Every transaction represents commission earned but sitting unpaid — and the longer that wait, the bigger the cash flow gap for SC realtors.
January is SC's slowest closing month — the fewest buyers, fewest contracts, and longest waits of the year. January 2024 came in at 72 days — flat versus January 2023. Even holding steady, 72 days of unpaid commission heading into spring is a significant cash flow burden for SC realtors.
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 — January 2024 | vs Statewide avg | YoY change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spartanburg | 35 days | 37 days faster | +6.1% |
| Charleston Trident | 38 days | 34 days faster | -5.0% |
| Greater Columbia | 44 days | 28 days faster | -4.3% |
| Piedmont Regional | 44 days | 28 days faster | -10.2% |
| Greater Greenville | 51 days | 21 days faster | +4.1% |
| Sumter/Clarendon County | 57 days | 15 days faster | +1.8% |
| Aiken | 67 days | 5 days faster | -1.5% |
| Western Upstate | 68 days | near avg | +3.0% |
| Beaufort | 95 days | 23 days slower | -9.5% |
| Greenwood | 96 days | 24 days slower | -18.6% |
| Pee Dee | 98 days | 26 days slower | -12.5% |
| Greater Augusta | 106 days | 34 days slower | +5.0% |
| Cherokee County | 114 days | 42 days slower | +2.7% |
| Coastal Carolinas | 123 days | 51 days slower | -2.4% |
| Hilton Head Area | 158 days | 86 days slower | +14.5% |
| Central Carolina | 228 days | 156 days slower | +142.6% |
Multiply the number of January 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 January 2024 that number reached 361,008 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 January 2024 was $325,000 (+4.9% from last year). At a 3% commission rate that is approximately $9,750 per transaction. That check is sitting unpaid for an average of 72 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.