Home Sellers Gave Concessions to 46.2% of Buyers in May

Seattle, WA, June 22, 2026—Home sellers gave concessions to buyers in 46.2% of U.S. home sales in May, up from 43.1% a year earlier and the highest share for that month in our records, reports Redfin.

This is based on an analysis of data submitted by Redfin buyers’ agents across the country, covering rolling three-month periods from 2019 to present. May refers to the three months ending May 31, 2026. The data is seasonally adjusted. A concession is recorded when an agent reports a seller provided something that helped reduce the buyer’s total cost of purchasing the home. That could include money toward repairs, closing costs and/or mortgage-rate buydowns. It does not include situations in which the seller lowered the list price of their home or lowered the price due to a negotiation with a buyer. 

Seller concessions are at a record high for spring because it’s a buyer’s market, with 47% more home sellers than buyers in the U.S. Mortgage rates and home prices are still historically high, and many would-be homebuyers are backing away due to widespread economic uncertainty stemming from the impacts of the Iran war, inflation jitters and nerves about job security. Because demand has been tepid, listings have piled up, causing sellers to turn to concessions as they compete for buyers. 

“There are two main reasons concessions are so prevalent: Buyers have leverage, and some sellers are pricing too high,” said Amanda Peterson, a Redfin Premier agent in Dallas. “With more inventory and less competition, buyers can be selective and negotiate for everything from repairs to closing costs. Sellers–especially those with dated homes that haven’t been renovated in decades–are increasingly willing to make concessions because they can be the difference between securing a buyer and leaving their listing sitting on the market. Some sellers are stuck in the mindset of the 2021 market, when they had the leverage; those sellers are often pricing too high, making concessions even more necessary to close a deal.”