Central Mississippi's #1 Non-Franchise Brokerage for Q3 2026: Hopper's Home and Land Results

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What nearly $56 million in closed home and land sales says about Hopper's third quarter across Rankin County, Madison County, and the broader Central Mississippi region, and what it means for buyers and sellers heading into the end of the year.

By Josh Williamson, Managing Broker, Hopper Real Estate Leaders · Published October 2026

The third quarter of 2026 was Hopper Real Estate Leaders' strongest quarter of the year, with nearly $56 million in closed home and land sales ($55,968,164) across 122 transactions. That volume climbed 15.7% over the second quarter, and it happened while 30-year mortgage rates pushed past 7% for the first time in about a year. Rising borrowing costs did not slow the momentum: demand for homes and land across Rankin County, Madison County, and the surrounding area held firm.

It was also a milestone quarter. Based on MLS United closed-sales data, Hopper Real Estate Leaders ranked as the #1 non-franchise brokerage in Central Mississippi by sales volume for Q3 2026, and that ranking does not include $13,234,512 in off-market sales closed the same quarter, which never touch the MLS.

_{A note on the numbers below: every figure reflects Hopper's own closed production for the quarter, not total market activity across Central Mississippi. The only market-wide comparison is the MLS United ranking above. Because Hopper's two largest markets are Madison and Rankin counties, the county figures show where the team is most active, not the region as a whole.}

Hopper's Q3 2026 at a glance

• Total closed volume: $55,968,164 (up 15.7% over Q2 2026)
• Home and land sales closed: 122 (74 homes, 48 land)
• Median sale price: $270,000
• Most active counties for Hopper: Madison (61 sales, about $28.0M) and Rankin (31 sales, about $9.8M)
• Off-market volume closed: $13,234,512 (not reflected in MLS totals)
• Market ranking: #1 non-franchise brokerage in Central Mississippi by Q3 MLS United sales volume
• Rate backdrop: 30-year fixed averaged roughly 6.68% for the quarter, climbing above 7% by late September (Freddie Mac)

How did Hopper perform in Q3 2026?

Hopper finished Q3 2026 ahead of every prior quarter this year by dollar volume. The quarter closed at nearly $56 million in homes and land, a 15.7% jump over Q2. The number of sales actually eased slightly from the second quarter, so the story of Q3 was fewer, higher-value transactions rather than a jump in count. Larger homes, higher-priced land, and several significant acreage closings carried the quarter.

The rate backdrop makes the result stand out. Mortgage rates rose through 2026, with the 30-year fixed averaging around 6.68% during the third quarter and crossing 7% by late September, the highest level in roughly a year and up from about 6.3% a year earlier (Freddie Mac). Higher borrowing costs often cool buyer activity. Across Hopper's markets, well-priced homes and land kept moving.

That balance is rooted in how the brokerage works. Hopper sells across the full range of Central Mississippi property: homes in established Brandon and Flowood neighborhoods, new construction around Madison and Gluckstadt, and acreage and hunting tracts across Rankin and the counties beyond. When one segment slows, another tends to pick up, and Q3 is a clear example.

What did a typical Hopper sale look like in Q3 2026?

The median sale price across Hopper's Q3 2026 closings was $270,000. The median is the most useful number to anchor to, because it sits in the middle of the sales and is not distorted by the extremes.

The average sale price was higher, at $462,547. The gap between the two tells its own story: a handful of large land tracts and higher-end homes pulled the average well above the median. In plain terms, the core of Hopper's business runs in the mid-two-hundreds to low-three-hundreds, while the ceiling stretches into multimillion-dollar land and estate territory.

Across Hopper's 2026 closings, activity has concentrated in two price bands:

• $150,000 to $300,000, the largest share of sales and the heart of the entry and move-up home market.
• $300,000 to $500,000, the second-largest band, covering established neighborhoods, new construction, and smaller acreage.

Homes and land priced accurately inside those ranges continued to attract serious buyers, even as rates climbed.

Which counties was Hopper most active in?

Two counties anchored the quarter for Hopper.

Madison County was Hopper's most active market in Q3 2026, with 61 closed sales totaling roughly $28.0 million. Activity stayed strong across the City of Madison, Ridgeland, Gluckstadt, Canton, and Flora, spanning established neighborhoods, new construction, and land.

Rankin County was Hopper's other core market, with 31 closed sales totaling roughly $9.8 million across Brandon, Flowood, Pearl, Florence, Pelahatchie, Pisgah, and nearby communities. Rankin's mix leans toward homes and smaller acreage, reflecting steady residential demand around the Brandon and Flowood corridors.

Because Madison and Rankin are where Hopper is most active, these totals reflect the team's footprint rather than the full market. The quarter also reached well beyond those two counties, including significant land transactions across the broader region. Closing deals from in-town Brandon homes to large rural tracts counties away is a defining feature of how this brokerage works.

Homes and land: a business that moves both

Many brokerages in this region lean one direction, either residential or land. Hopper is built to do both well, and Q3 2026 shows why.

Of those 122 sales, 74 were homes and 48 were land. Across Hopper's 2026 closings, land has made up roughly 38% of transactions. That is not a side business; it is close to four of every ten deals. The same quarter included starter homes in Pearl and Florence, move-up homes in Brandon and Madison, new construction near Gluckstadt, and multimillion-dollar acreage across the broader region.

For a buyer, that range matters. Searching for a first home, a larger lot with a shop, hunting land, a working farm, or a rural homesite are very different journeys, and they are best handled by a team that closes all of them every month.

What this means if you're buying in Central Mississippi

Higher rates changed the math, but they did not freeze buyers out. Well-priced homes and land are still closing, and buyers who are prepared continue to win the properties they want. A few takeaways from the quarter:

• The mid-market moves fast. The $150K to $500K range is where most buyers are, so pre-approval and quick, informed decisions matter most there.
• Land requires its own playbook. Access, utilities, soil, flood zones, and acreage pricing all behave differently than residential, so working with agents who close land regularly is the difference between a smooth purchase and a costly surprise.
• Local knowledge beats national estimates. Automated valuations miss the nuances of individual Brandon, Flowood, Madison, and Ridgeland neighborhoods, and they are even less reliable on rural land.

Start with the full picture of what's available. Browse every active home and land listing Hopper has across Central Mississippi here.

What this means if you're selling

A record quarter against rising rates is good news for sellers who price and market correctly. The buyers are there; the margin for error on pricing is simply smaller than it was when rates were low. Homes and land that are priced to the current market, presented well, and put in front of the right audience are still selling, and some of Hopper's strongest Q3 results came from off-market sales that never hit the MLS at all.

Knowing what your property is worth in today's market is the first step. Request a free, no-obligation home or land valuation.

Why buyers and sellers choose Hopper

Hopper Real Estate Leaders is a locally owned, independent brokerage founded in Brandon in 2014, with 40+ agents serving Central Mississippi. Q3 2026 made the case with numbers: the #1 non-franchise brokerage in the region by MLS United sales volume, nearly $56 million closed in a single quarter, and a team that sells homes and land at volume rather than specializing in only one.

The agents here were raised in Central Mississippi, live here, and know how to effectively market both land and homes. For buyers and sellers choosing who to trust with the largest transaction of their year, that local depth and track record are the whole point.

Frequently asked questions

Who is the top real estate brokerage in Central Mississippi? Based on MLS United closed-sales data for Q3 2026, Hopper Real Estate Leaders was the #1 non-franchise brokerage in Central Mississippi by sales volume, closing nearly $56 million in homes and land. That figure does not include an additional $13.2 million in off-market sales.

What was the median sale price for Hopper's Q3 2026 closings? The median sale price across Hopper's Q3 2026 home and land closings was $270,000. Most of Hopper's sales fall between roughly $150,000 and $500,000.

Which counties was Hopper most active in during Q3 2026? Madison County and Rankin County. In Q3 2026, Madison County accounted for Hopper's highest closed volume (about $28 million across 61 sales), followed by Rankin County (about $9.8 million across 31 sales), covering Brandon, Flowood, Madison, Ridgeland, Gluckstadt, Pearl, Florence, and nearby communities.

Is it a good time to buy land in Central Mississippi? Land stayed in strong demand through Q3 2026, making up close to 40% of Hopper's transactions even as interest rates rose. Because land purchases involve access, utilities, soil, and flood considerations that homes do not, working with a brokerage that closes land regularly is especially important.

Did higher mortgage rates slow Hopper's sales in Q3 2026? No. The 30-year fixed rate averaged roughly 6.68% during Q3 2026 and rose above 7% by late September (Freddie Mac), yet Hopper posted its strongest sales quarter of the year, with well-priced homes and land continuing to close.

_{Methodology and sources}

Production figures (volume, sales counts, median and average sale prices, and county activity) reflect closed transactions by Hopper Real Estate Leaders agents from July 1 through September 30, 2026, compiled from the brokerage's internal production records. They represent Hopper's own production, not total market activity across Central Mississippi. The #1 non-franchise ranking is based on MLS United closed-sales volume for Central Mississippi in Q3 2026. Mortgage rate figures are from Freddie Mac's Primary Mortgage Market Survey. Figures are current as of the publication date and subject to final reconciliation.

About the author

Josh Williamson is the Managing Broker of Hopper Real Estate Leaders and a lifelong Brandon, Mississippi resident. A REALTOR® and FAA Part 107 certified drone pilot, he has spent his career helping buyers and sellers across Rankin County, Madison County, and Central Mississippi navigate both the residential and land markets.