Housing Market Flips as 62% of Home Purchases Land Below List Price for First Time Since 2019

Property hunters are finally wielding the negotiating sword they’ve been sharpening for years. Homebuyers had more room to negotiate last year, landing an average 8% discount on homes that sold below asking — the biggest markdown since 2012. About 62% of buyers paid less than the list price, the highest share since 2019, highlighting the shift from seller dominance to buyer leverage.

• House hunters now enjoy a 47% larger pool of sellers compared to buyers nationwide, giving them rare negotiating power and far more choice.
• The gap widens by region — Florida metros like West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, and Miami see ~10% discounts, while San Francisco buyers still pay roughly 4% above asking.

Building hope: Despite growing concessions, affordability is still strained. The median single-family home cost $419.3K in 2025, while builder sentiment fell to 36 in February. Still, Redfin senior economist Asad Khan noted, “Homebuyers in 2026 shouldn’t write off homes that are slightly above their budget because there’s a good chance they’ll get some sort of concession from the seller, be it a price cut, money toward closing costs, or funds for repairs.”