SC realtors closed 6,392 transactions in November 2024. From the moment a contract was signed to the day agents got paid, they waited an average of 68 days (DTC — Days to Close). That is +4.6% versus November 2023. Every transaction represents commission earned but sitting unpaid — and the longer that wait, the bigger the cash flow gap for SC realtors.
November marks the start of SC's winter slowdown — transaction volume drops and DTC typically lengthens heading into year-end. November 2024 closings fell 2.3%. DTC came in at 68 days — 4.6% longer than November 2023. The seasonal slowdown is adding to the structural trend of longer waits.
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 — November 2024 | vs Statewide avg | YoY change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Piedmont Regional | 46 days | 22 days faster | +27.8% |
| Charleston Trident | 48 days | 20 days faster | +20.0% |
| Spartanburg | 49 days | 19 days faster | +75.0% |
| Greater Columbia | 51 days | 17 days faster | +18.6% |
| Greater Greenville | 53 days | 15 days faster | +15.2% |
| Sumter/Clarendon County | 57 days | 11 days faster | -16.2% |
| Pee Dee | 69 days | near avg | -31.7% |
| Western Upstate | 69 days | near avg | +15.0% |
| Cherokee County | 72 days | near avg | -10.0% |
| Central Carolina | 85 days | 17 days slower | -30.9% |
| Greenwood | 112 days | 44 days slower | +28.7% |
| Aiken | 113 days | 45 days slower | +66.2% |
| Greater Augusta | 121 days | 53 days slower | +28.7% |
| Beaufort | 122 days | 54 days slower | +17.3% |
| Coastal Carolinas | 128 days | 60 days slower | +14.3% |
| Hilton Head Area | 138 days | 70 days slower | -13.8% |
Multiply the number of November 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 November 2024 that number reached 434,656 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 November 2024 was $330,000 (+3.4% from last year). At a 3% commission rate that is approximately $9,900 per transaction. That check is sitting unpaid for an average of 68 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.