The number of homes sold in the Wilmington area increased by 4 percent in January compared to the first month of last year, according to the latest figures from the Wilmington Regional Association of Realtors.

The home sales report, released Thursday, is based on numbers from the new N.C. Regional MLS.

Don Harris, president of WRAR, said the latest numbers showed positive growth over last year, from 400 to 416.

“While the average sales price decreased Jan. ’16 over Jan. ’15 (-5.56%), the median price increased over the same period (+3.6%) and the total sales volume increased (+1.8%),” wrote Harris, in a statement accompanying the report. “In 2016, WRAR joined a 10-association MLS providing our members and their clients access to a greater amount of real estate information and marketing areas. We see this as a tremendous growth opportunity.”

Because of the MLS transition, the average days on market (DOM) increased over last January, from 116 to 166, which represents a change in the way DOM is measured, explained Harris.

“Last year, DOM was calculated from contract date to pending date. We are now measuring from contract date to closing date. This is a truer picture of the market but will take more months of reporting to be better understood,” Harris said in Thursday's statement.

Harris said it’s important to look at the big picture.

“The 2015 sales volume of $1,867,948,727 is almost 18% greater than that of 2014, $1,585,541,227. This shows very positive trending and a good sign that the real estate market in our region is healty. This also shows what a significant economic player real estate has [become] in our overall regional economy.”