Selling a Home in This Market: What Are Your Options?
After more than 30 years in real estate, I have worked through a lot of different markets.
This one is not particularly friendly to sellers.
That does not mean homes are not selling. They are. But the days when sellers could put almost anything on the market, receive multiple offers, and expect buyers to overlook condition or price are behind us—at least for now.
Today’s seller needs a strategy.
Buyers Have More Leverage
As of October 1, 2026, the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate was 7.28% (Freddie Mac, 2026). For buyers, that has a very real effect on purchasing power.
Consider a $500,000 mortgage. Principal and interest at 4% is approximately $2,387 per month. At 7.28%, that payment is roughly $3,420 per month.
That is more than $1,000 per month in additional housing expense before adding property taxes, insurance, or HOA fees.
Buyers notice.
At the same time, inventory has increased. The National Association of REALTORS® reported 1.62 million existing homes for sale in August, representing a 4.9-month supply—the highest level in more than a decade (National Association of REALTORS®, 2026).
Redfin's data paints an even clearer picture. In August, it estimated that there were 58% more sellers than buyers in the U.S. housing market. It also reported that three out of five homes sold below their original asking price (Anderson & Khan, 2026).
That is not the definition of a strong seller's market.
So What Should a Seller Do?
There isn't one answer. Your strategy should depend on why you are selling, how much equity you have, how much it costs to keep the property, and how urgently you need to move.
But I think sellers should seriously consider five options.
1. Price It Correctly From Day One
This is probably the most important one.
In a rapidly appreciating market, sellers sometimes get away with testing an aggressive price. In today's market, an overpriced home can simply sit.
And once a property accumulates days on market, buyers start wondering what is wrong with it.
Recent Redfin data found that about 21% of active sellers reduced their asking price during the four weeks ending September 20—the highest percentage Redfin has recorded for this time of year (Redfin, 2026).
I would rather price a property correctly from the beginning than spend six weeks chasing the market downward.
Pricing correctly does not mean giving your house away. It means looking carefully at recent closed sales, competing active listings, pending properties, inventory, days on market, and buyer activity.
The house is worth what today's buyer is willing and able to pay—not necessarily what a neighbor received two years ago.
2. Make the House Look Better Than the Competition
When buyers have choices, presentation matters more.
Clean it.
Declutter it.
Repair the things you have been meaning to repair.
Improve the landscaping and entrance.
Use professional photography.
And stage it well.
You don't necessarily need to spend tens of thousands of dollars renovating a house before selling it. In many cases, good staging, fresh paint, lighting, landscaping, and removing excess furniture can make a much bigger difference than an expensive remodel.
The goal is simple: when buyers compare your home to the other five homes they saw that weekend, yours should stand out.
3. Consider an Interest-Rate Buydown Instead of Another Price Reduction
This is one of my favorite strategies in a high-rate environment.
Instead of automatically reducing the sales price by another $10,000 or $20,000, consider offering the buyer a credit that can be used toward closing costs or an interest-rate buydown, subject to lender and loan-program rules.
Why?
Because buyers often shop based on monthly payment, not just sales price.
A seller concession that reduces a buyer's mortgage rate may create more immediate affordability than the same amount taken off the purchase price.
Have the buyer's lender run the numbers. A good agent should be able to market the incentive clearly so buyers understand the potential benefit.
4. Maybe You Shouldn't Sell Right Now
Sometimes the best real estate advice is: don't sell.
If you do not have to move, you have substantial equity, and the property is not creating financial stress, waiting is a legitimate strategy.
I think economic and political uncertainty is contributing to some buyers' reluctance right now. Redfin has also cited economic uncertainty, alongside high housing costs, as a factor keeping some prospective buyers on the sidelines (Anderson, 2026).
Could conditions improve in 2027?
Absolutely.
Could we still be dealing with a sluggish housing market in 2028?
Absolutely.
I would not be surprised to see some homeowners decide to hold property through the current political and economic cycle, potentially even beyond the 2028 presidential election.
But an election is not a housing-market reset button. Mortgage rates, employment, inflation, housing supply, consumer confidence, local economic conditions, and household formation will ultimately matter much more than a date on the political calendar.
Waiting should therefore be a financial decision—not a bet on an election outcome.
5. Lease It and Revisit the Sale Later
For some owners, this may be the best middle ground.
Instead of accepting a price you are unhappy with, consider leasing the property for a year or two and reevaluating.
But do the math first.
Calculate:
Expected rent– mortgage payment– property taxes– insurance– HOA fees– management fees– maintenance– vacancy allowance= actual cash flow
Also consider whether becoming a landlord fits your life.
A property that costs you $600 every month to keep as a rental is not automatically a good investment simply because you hope it will appreciate later.
On the other hand, if rent covers most or all of your carrying costs and you have significant equity, holding the property may give you something valuable: time.
The Seller's Advantage Right Now Is Strategy
There are still buyers in the market.
The difference is that today's buyers can afford to be selective.
That means sellers need to be realistic about price, thoughtful about presentation, and willing to negotiate.
If you need to sell, I would focus on making your property one of the best values in its competitive set rather than waiting for the market to behave differently.
If you don't need to sell, then we should have a completely different conversation.
Sometimes selling now is the right financial decision.
Sometimes leasing is.
And sometimes the smartest decision is simply to stay where you are and wait.
After three decades in real estate, one thing I know for certain is that markets change.
The question isn't simply, "Is this a good market to sell?"
The better question is:
"Given this market, my property, my finances, and where I want to go next—what choice makes the most sense for me?"
References
Anderson, D. (2026, September 10). High costs sideline some would-be homebuyers, handing upper hand to those who stay in the market. Redfin. https://www.redfin.com/news/housing-market-update-high-costs-sideline-buyers-negotiating-power/
Anderson, D., & Khan, A. (2026, September 10). It’s now the strongest buyer’s market on record, driven by the Sun Belt. Redfin. https://www.redfin.com/news/buyers-vs-sellers-august-2026/
Freddie Mac. (2026, October 1). Primary Mortgage Market Survey. https://www.freddiemac.com/pmms
National Association of REALTORS®. (2026, September 10). NAR existing-home sales report shows 2.0% decrease in August. https://www.nar.realtor/newsroom/nar-existing-home-sales-report-shows-2-0-decrease-in-august
Redfin. (2026, September 30). One in five home sellers cut prices as buyer’s market persists. https://www.redfin.com/news/press-releases/one-in-five-home-sellers-cut-prices-as-buyer-market-persists/
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