Sellers Are More Realistic This Spring: What's Driving the Shift?
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- 1 min read
Here's where sellers are starting to budge.
![Market Perspective: Fast Facts About The Housing Market.
Sellers Are More Realistic This Spring: What’s Driving the Shift? Most sellers still expect top dollar. But more are also planning to make concessions. More sellers are entering the market: New listings up 2.1% Year over Year in April, 10.7% Month over Month[1]. But listings aren’t converting to sales at the same pace: Pending home sales are up 7.7% Year over Year[2], to the highest level since 2022, boosted by a brief pullback in rates. Despite rising inventory, closed sales are essentially flat (down 0.4% Year over Year)[1]. Homes are taking longer to go under contract: 43 days, up 3 days from a year ago[2].
Pricing trends show seller expectations are starting to shift — slowly. Median list price: $425,0003 which is up 2.3% Month over Month (in line with typical seasonal patterns). But that median list price is down 1.4% Year over Year, marking the 6th straight month of annual declines. 23.5% of listings have price cuts, which is down from a year earlier[1]. This suggests sellers are pricing more accurately upfront, rather than starting high and adjusting later.
83% of sellers expect to receive at or above their asking price[4]. Yet 39% expect to offer concessions, up from 30% in 2025[4]. Sellers are confident in their home's value but increasingly aware that buyers have regained traction. With more competition and fewer bidding wars, sellers are holding firm on price while getting more flexible on terms — a notable shift from last spring.
What this means: Concessions are becoming the new negotiation lever, helping deals come together without cutting price. Rate buydowns and seller credits can help bridge the gap between seller expectations and buyer budgets. Financing terms may be easier to negotiate than price in today’s environment.](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f9967d_5f95d14b21024c738d41db50e91964e0~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_980,h_4912,al_c,q_90,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/f9967d_5f95d14b21024c738d41db50e91964e0~mv2.jpg)
Sources:
Zillow, April 2026 Housing Market Report, “Zillow’s April Market Report Shows a Stalled Sales Recovery,” May 6, 2026.
Redfin, “Pending Home Sales Hit Highest Level in Nearly 4 Years,” May 7, 2026.
Realtor.com, “April 2026 Monthly Housing Report: Spring Market Weathers Economic Uncertainty,” April 30, 2026.
Realtor.com, “Spring Seller Survey: Optimism Meets Reality in the 2026 Housing Market,” April 14, 2026.
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