If you have put off buying a home because you did not want to waive important conditions or offer drastically over asking price, it may be worth taking another look at your options.
A sellers’ market can still leave room for negotiation. When buyer demand and bidding wars ease, buyers may face less competition and have more room to ask for terms that matter to them.
The key is not to assume that every seller will negotiate. It is to understand what you can discuss with your real estate agent and loan advisor before you write an offer.
A Sellers’ Market Can Become More Moderate
The market described in the original reporting was still a sellers’ market, but a more moderate one than the period that preceded it. Buyer demand and bidding wars were easing, giving buyers less competition and more negotiating power.
That distinction matters. Regaining some negotiating power does not mean sellers have lost all of theirs. It means buyers may no longer need to approach every offer as though waiving contingencies or paying drastically over asking price is the only way to be considered.
If bidding wars were your main reason for staying on the sidelines, focus on two areas when you revisit the conversation: contingencies and seller help with closing costs.
The research cited below illustrates those negotiating opportunities. Treat the figures as findings from the cited reporting, not as a promise about what a particular seller will accept.
1. Keeping Inspection and Appraisal Conditions in Your Offer
During the more competitive period described in the original article, more buyers were willing to skip important steps, including the home inspection or appraisal, to try to win a bidding war.
As competition eased, fewer buyers were waiving those conditions. Data cited from the National Association of Realtors showed a decline in the percentage of buyers waiving their home inspection and appraisal.
A survey from realtor.com also supported the return of offers with conditions. Sellers reported accepting offers that included these requests, rather than expecting buyers to leave them out.
What Sellers Reported About Inspections
The realtor.com survey cited in the original article found:
- 95% of sellers reported that buyers requested a home inspection.
- 67% of sellers negotiated with buyers on repairs resulting from inspection findings.
Those findings point to two separate opportunities. Buyers were requesting inspections, and inspection results were becoming part of the negotiation.
In other words, the conversation did not necessarily end when a seller accepted an offer with an inspection condition. Buyers and sellers also negotiated over repairs based on what the inspection found.
Make the Conditions a Deliberate Conversation
Before submitting an offer, ask your agent to walk through the inspection and appraisal conditions you want included. Do not begin with the assumption that you must remove them just to get the seller’s attention.
Use direct questions to keep the discussion practical:
- Can we submit this offer with inspection and appraisal conditions?
- Are we assuming those conditions must be waived, or have we discussed keeping them?
- If the inspection identifies repairs, how should we approach that conversation with the seller?
The point is not to expect every request to be accepted. It is to make a conscious decision about your offer instead of letting memories of intense bidding wars make the decision for you.
2. Asking Sellers to Help With Closing Costs
Closing costs generally range from 2% to 5% of a home’s purchase price. That makes them an important part of your conversation with your loan advisor, alongside the price you plan to offer.
Seller help with closing costs was a common negotiation tactic before the especially competitive buying period discussed in the original article. Sellers could cover some of the buyer’s closing costs to sweeten the deal.
That happened less often during the peak buying frenzy. As demand slowed and the market became more moderate, the realtor.com reporting cited in the article suggested that this negotiating tool was making a comeback.
What the Reporting Found
According to the cited realtor.com article, 32% of sellers paid some or all of their buyer’s closing costs.
That finding does not mean every seller will contribute. It does mean seller-paid closing costs deserve a place in the discussion rather than being dismissed before you ask.
If closing costs are one of your concerns, tell your loan advisor and real estate agent. Ask them to help you consider whether a request for seller assistance belongs in your offer.
Check the Limits Before Making the Request
There are limits on closing cost credits. As the original article notes, those limits are set by your lender and can vary by state and loan type.
Work closely with your loan advisor to understand how much a seller can contribute toward closing costs in your area and for your loan. Do not choose a requested amount without first having that conversation.
Start with these questions:
- What closing costs should I plan for?
- How much seller assistance is allowed for my loan?
- What limits apply to the contribution we are considering?
- How should we coordinate that request with the rest of the offer?
Focus on Your Offer, Not Just the Market Label
The central lesson is straightforward: negotiation can return even while a market still favors sellers. Less intense competition may create room for inspection and appraisal conditions, repair discussions, and seller contributions toward closing costs.
You do not need to assume every opportunity is available. You also do not need to assume every opportunity is off the table.
Your next step: Write down the conditions you want to keep and the questions you have about closing costs. Then reach out to Ed Parcaut, Modesto mortgage professional, NMLS 235384, to discuss your financing questions and how to approach a possible seller contribution before you make an offer.
