The U.S. housing market is experiencing a wave of uncertainty following President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs on nearly all trading partners, sparking concerns over rising construction costs and potential disruptions to the supply chain.

In Raleigh, North Carolina—part of the fast-growing Research Triangle—real estate development is booming as thousands of people relocate in search of more affordable housing options near job hubs. Yet, despite the market’s momentum, the impact of tariffs is weighing heavily on the minds of builders and realtors.

“In the real estate industry, we're just not sure what's going to happen,” said Leonard Windham, a local realtor in the Raleigh area, during a tour of a new housing development in Youngsville, just 20 miles north of the city. “If there's a possibility, of course, as the price of construction material goes up, it could affect the home price.”

Though construction remains active heading into the spring season, builders are bracing for higher costs on key materials such as steel, aluminum, copper, and appliances—many of which are imported. Some critical materials, like Canadian lumber and Mexican gypsum, have been exempt from tariffs, offering a slight reprieve. Still, developers are re-evaluating their sourcing strategies.

“We're going to be looking at pricing. We're going to be making sure that our clients get the value that they want and need,” said Alex Yost, vice president of the North Carolina Home Builders Association. “And so, to the extent that Chinese light fixtures end up costing more, then that's certainly going to factor into the decisions that we make, absolutely.”

While tariffs could incentivize more domestic manufacturing in the long run, the immediate concern lies in supply chain reliability and consumer confidence.

“Last week's news about the market is probably going to cause some buyer confidence gaps, and so we are concerned,” Yost added. “Mostly, what we're concerned about is that buyers feel good about making the acquisition of a new home, and we build luxury homes, but the entire marketplace is built on people buying the most expensive thing they ever bought. They've got to feel good going into it.”

Despite looming economic uncertainties, many buyers remain undeterred—for now. First-time homebuyer Deishali DeWitt, 33, has been searching for a home for more than a year and hasn’t yet noticed a shift due to tariffs.

“Personally, no because I don't have a whole lot of experience of what that is going to mean for me as a homeowner,” she said.

For DeWitt, the bigger issue has been rising home prices that started well before the tariffs took effect.

“The past or two years ago, I remember looking…houses were about half the price that they are right now,” she said. “So that's been part of why it's taken me some time. Like, do I really want to pay for a house that's $600k right now? That was worth $250k just two years ago?”

Windham echoed the sentiment that most first-time buyers are primarily focused on what they’ll pay monthly.

“They're looking at monthly payment, and they have a set number in mind,” he said, adding that affordability concerns are pushing buyers farther from city centers, into new developments in suburban areas.

Still, any disruption to material supply or cost surges could delay projects and compound housing shortages.

“When we start to see tariffs come into play, what then happens to an interrupted supply chain or is there an interrupted chain that causes it to take a couple weeks longer to get cabinets?” Yost said. “That can extend my build time. Then the client may not be in their home for a couple extra months. All those things have real human impact.”

With builder confidence falling to a seven-month low, according to the National Association of Home Builders, many industry professionals are watching closely to see how long the housing market can stay insulated from broader economic pressures.

Originally reported by Briana Stewart and Jaclyn Lee in ABC News.