High Country Short-Term Rental Market 2026: A Strong Recovery Year for Banner Elk
If you’ve been watching the High Country vacation rental market and wondering whether the recovery is real, the latest numbers suggest it is. On a recent episode of the Banner Elk Living podcast, I sat down with Brock Buchanan, Head of Growth at Carolina Cabin Rentals. We talked about where the short-term rental market stands in 2026 and what buyers should know before buying a mountain vacation home.
Meet Brock Buchanan and Carolina Cabin Rentals
Brock grew up in Iredell County and came to Boone to attend Appalachian State. After college he joined a small local vacation rental company with about 20 properties, as its third employee. Nearly 15 years later, Carolina Cabin Rentals manages more than 400 homes across the High Country. It is the largest locally owned management company in the area, and it grew almost entirely on its own rather than by buying other companies.
The company offers full-service management, which covers:
- Guest bookings
- Cleaning and maintenance
- Coordinating repairs
- Accounting
- Filing and paying occupancy taxes
Brock compares the work to “spinning eighteen plates at once.” That’s why the service fits owners who have day jobs and families. It also fits investors who own several properties and watch their returns closely.
The Road from 2019 to 2026
The High Country rental market has been through a lot in the past several years:
- 2019 was the last “normal” year.
- COVID shut things down briefly.
- After COVID, demand soared and a wave of new rental properties came onto the market.
- 2023 brought a correction as supply caught up with demand.
- Hurricane Helene hit about a year later, and the recovery took longer than many expected.
The 2026 Headline: A Strong Recovery
Brock’s summary of 2026 is simple: it’s a strong recovery year. Carolina Cabin Rentals compared bookings for August through December with the same period last year. Measured per home, not boosted by the company adding properties, the results are:
- Bookings are up 40%
- Nights booked are up 18%
- Revenue is up 27%
Brock noted that the gains didn’t come from raising prices. They came from more travelers searching for, booking, and staying in High Country homes. Performance has been strong week after week since May, and he expects the recovery to continue into 2027 and beyond.
That matches what we’ve seen in Banner Elk this summer: busy streets, full restaurants, and plenty of visitors. My midsummer market report on BannerElkLiving.com points to the same trend.
Why Banner Elk Stands Out
Banner Elk is one of the few true four-season vacation markets in the Southeast. Guests come for many reasons:
- Skiing at Beech Mountain and Sugar Mountain
- Easy access to Grandfather Mountain
- Hiking trails, rivers, and fishing
- Summer festivals and events downtown
The area is also an easy drive from Charlotte, Raleigh, Nashville, and Atlanta, and a short flight from Florida. Weddings add even more demand. With so many kinds of visitors, owners face fewer slow months.
Brock’s Advice for Vacation Rental Buyers
- Work with a great Banner Elk realtor and a great management company. Brock says these two partners make buying “a hundred times easier.”
- Get a projection based on real booking data. Ask a local manager for a projection built on actual bookings at similar homes. Carolina Cabin Rentals provides these for free.
- Buy the property, not the projection. Views, a hot tub, a fireplace, the right number of bedrooms, and reliable winter access all matter to guests. The home should also work for your own family.
- Plan for mud season. March and April are slower, between the end of ski season and the start of warmer weather. That makes them good months for updates, maintenance, or a quiet weekend at the house.
- Choose your manager before closing, not after. Buyers have a lot to juggle, including inspections, insurance, and financing, so the management decision often gets pushed back. Lining it up early means your home can be ready for guests much sooner.
Treat It Like a Hospitality Business
Brock’s closing point is the one I share with every client: the market rewards owners who treat their property as a hospitality business. The formula is to buy well, price your home to match demand, and take care of your guests. The 2026 numbers show that demand is there for owners who do.
Ready to explore High Country vacation rentals? Visit CarolinaCabinRentals.com and click “List Your Property” to request a free projection. You can also contact me to start your search for the right Banner Elk property.
Let’s talk about High Country real estate:
Jeff Hamm, Real Estate Broker
Ivester Jackson | Christie’s International Real Estate – High Country Office
144 Poplar Grove Rd, Boone, NC 28607
(980) 422-6069 · jeff@bannerelkliving.com
Jeff Hamm is an expert real estate broker with Ivester Jackson | Christie’s International Real Estate, serving Banner Elk and the greater high country of North Carolina. He specializes in luxury communities including The Lodges at Eagles Nest, Elk River Club, Farm at Banner Elk, Diamond Creek, and Echota. He focuses specifically on buyer representation and short-term rental and investment purchases, where his relationships with the region’s top listing brokers, builders, and designers give his clients a measurable edge.
Jeff is also the founder and host of Banner Elk Living, a podcast, newsletter, and media platform that spotlights the Banner Elk area’s most admired small businesses, nonprofits, and entrepreneurs every week. He publishes the annual Banner Elk Guide, regular market reports, and hosts the Banner Elk Business Network.