A house that didn’t sell over the summer may offer new opportunities for fall buyers. But a longer listing period doesn’t guarantee a bargain, especially when the asking price tells only part of the story.
According to Realtor.com®’s 2026 housing report, Dallas-Fort Worth homes spent a median of 62 days on the market (DOM), while 27.5% of listings had price reductions. That was higher than the national price-cut share of 20.8%, suggesting more DFW sellers were adjusting their expectations to attract buyers. However, local inventory also declined 2.3% year-over-year, meaning buyers don’t necessarily have more homes to choose from.
Longer listing periods and price cuts are only part of the negotiation picture. Redfin’s August 2026 analysis found that 53.3% of Dallas-area home sales involved seller concessions, up 6.5 percentage points from a year earlier. These concessions can include assistance with closing costs, repairs or mortgage-rate buydowns, giving buyers another negotiating option beyond asking for a lower price.
Also, there are a few ways DOM’s can vary.
Cumulative DOM. Some MLS systems track cumulative days across listing periods. If a home was on the market for 30 days, taken off, and relisted, cumulative DOM shows all of that.
Resets. Some agents relist properties to “reset” DOM to zero. Buyers who look closely can usually spot this. Public records show the real history.
Under-contract periods. Some markets pause DOM when a home goes under contract but relists (contingent). Others don’t.
- Was the home previously listed? Review its listing history to uncover previous prices and time on the market.
- Did an earlier deal collapse? Ask whether financing, appraisal or inspection issues affected the sale.
- Are repairs behind the price reduction? Arrange an independent inspection before assuming the discount represents savings.
- Would seller concessions be more valuable? Compare closing-cost assistance and eligible rate buydowns with a lower purchase price.
- Is the total ownership cost affordable? Account for property taxes, insurance, HOA fees and maintenance.
