The 2026 Real Estate market has been and is currently a challenging market for sellers. Are there many successes? Yes. Several homes are Sold and goals have been met. However, not without knowing how to navigate through the market conditions. Who you hire matters and experience, marketing and negotiation are paramount. This year, the target is always moving. The shift to a buyers’ market is much more pronounced than it was a year ago. The landscape has changed from the hot seller’s market from the last 12 – 14 consecutive years. 2023 started to flatten out. The trend continued into 2025. I’ve been describing this with my clients as a “real estate tug of war” where buyers want a steal and a deal and sellers aren’t willing to budge as much in parting with their equity. In some cases, if a seller purchased within the last few years, the opportunity for a gain in equity may be nonexistent. Right now, the buyers are winning. The Las Vegas real estate market continues to create opportunities. Success is less about waiting for interest rates to fall and more about knowing where and how to negotiate. This is increasingly becoming a negotiation market rather than a low-interest-rate market.
Last week, 191 Las Vegas valley homes came back on the market after previously being under contract. That means 191 transactions didn’t make it to the finish line — and potentially 191 new opportunities for buyers.
A home returning to the market can put a seller in a very different negotiating position. In many cases, the seller is already packed, planning their next move, or simply more motivated to get a deal done.
RATES are at a ONE-YEAR HIGH
TODAY’S RATES:
30-Year: 6.87%
15-Year: 6.38%
ARM: 6.42%
FHA: 6.40%
VA: 6.42%
Jumbo: 6.92%
THE MARKET RIGHT NOW — BUYERS HAVE LEVERAGE
Mortgage rates remain elevated, at or near a one-year high. At the same time, sellers are increasingly having to compete for qualified buyers. The takeaway is simple: Rates may be stubborn, but sellers are becoming less stubborn.
In July, approximately 1 in 7 purchase agreements fell through, the highest share in nearly 3 years. Buyers are showing they’re willing to walk away when the numbers, condition of the home, or terms of the transaction don’t make sense.
For prepared buyers, that can create significant negotiating leverage.
Depending on the property and seller motivation, buyers are being aggressive in negotiating for:
- Price reductions
- Seller-paid closing costs
- Repairs or repair credits
- Interest-rate buydowns
- Other favorable contract terms
The buyers finding the best opportunities today aren’t necessarily getting the lowest mortgage rates but to offset the higher interest rates, they’re trying to negotiate a better overall deal for themselves.