Remember When Buyers Had to Beg Sellers?

How Arizona’s Housing Market Has Changed

Remember when buying a house felt a little like competing in a reality show?

You’d find a home you loved, schedule a showing, and discover that half the city apparently loved it too.

Multiple offers. Prices climbing above asking. Buyers waiving inspections or appraisal protections. And sometimes, even after doing all of that, you still didn’t get the house.

If you were trying to buy a home in Arizona during the pandemic housing boom, you probably remember how frustrating that could be.

Well, things have changed.

Now we’re seeing sellers offer closing cost assistance, negotiate repairs, and sometimes even help buyers lower their mortgage rates.

That’s quite a turnaround.

And if you’re thinking about buying or selling a home in Glendale, Peoria, Surprise, or anywhere around the Northwest Valley, it’s worth understanding what’s behind this shift.

Remember When Buyers Were Competing Just to Get an Offer Accepted?

A few years ago, the Arizona housing market looked very different.

Interest rates were historically low, homes were selling quickly, and buyers were competing for a limited number of properties.

In some cases, buyers felt pressured to make offers without the protections they would normally want.

Some offered above asking price. Others shortened inspection periods or waived certain contingencies to make their offers more attractive.

It wasn’t exactly a relaxing way to buy a house.

But the market has shifted.

Higher mortgage rates have made affordability more challenging, and buyers have generally had more homes to choose from than they did during the height of the pandemic market.

That means sellers often have to work a little harder to attract serious buyers.

And one way they’re doing that is through seller concessions.

What Are Seller Concessions in Arizona?

A seller concession is something a seller agrees to contribute or provide as part of a real estate transaction.

It’s different from simply reducing the asking price.

For example, a seller might agree to:

• Contribute toward the buyer’s closing costs.
• Provide a credit for repairs identified during the home inspection.
• Help pay for a mortgage interest rate buydown.
• Complete certain repairs before closing.
• Negotiate other costs or terms that help the transaction move forward.

The exact options depend on the purchase contract, the buyer’s financing, and what both parties agree to.

And here’s something buyers don’t always realize.

A seller concession can sometimes be more useful than a price reduction.

Let’s say you’re purchasing a $450,000 home.

The seller could reduce the price by $5,000, bringing it down to $445,000.

Or the seller might agree to contribute $5,000 toward eligible closing costs while keeping the purchase price at $450,000.

Those two arrangements affect your finances differently.

A price reduction lowers the purchase price and may slightly reduce your monthly mortgage payment.

A closing cost contribution, on the other hand, could mean keeping an additional $5,000 in your bank account after closing.

For a buyer who wants to preserve cash for moving expenses, furniture, or unexpected repairs, that can make a meaningful difference.

Of course, seller contributions are subject to loan program limits and lender requirements, so it’s important to review the numbers before deciding which option makes the most sense.

Here’s How Much the Phoenix Market Has Changed

One of the more interesting statistics I’ve seen recently comes from Redfin.

According to its September 2026 report, 67.4% of Phoenix-area home sales handled by Redfin buyers’ agents included some form of seller concession during the three months ending in August 2026.

A year earlier, that number was approximately 52.1%.

Nationally, the figure was 44.7%.

That’s a pretty noticeable difference.

It also shows why I think it’s important to look at what’s happening locally instead of assuming the national housing market tells the whole story.

One important detail: These figures represent transactions handled by Redfin buyers’ agents, not every home sale in the Phoenix area.

And they don’t mean that every seller is offering concessions or that every buyer will be able to negotiate them.

But they do show how common these negotiations have become.

A Little Perspective: Then vs. Now

Sometimes the easiest way to understand how much the market has changed is to look at what buyers were asking a few years ago compared with what they’re asking today.

During the Pandemic Housing Boom	In Today’s More Negotiable Market
How much over asking should I offer?	Is the asking price reasonable?
Should I waive the inspection contingency?	What repairs might the seller agree to make?
How quickly can I submit an offer?	How long has the home been on the market?
What can I do to beat the other buyers?	What terms would make this a good deal for both sides?
Will the seller even consider my offer?	Would the seller help with closing costs?

Of course, these are general examples, not rules that apply to every transaction.

A well-priced home in a desirable neighborhood can still attract multiple offers.

But the overall conversation has changed.

And frankly, I think having room for a little negotiation is a healthier situation than buyers feeling like they have to make every decision in five minutes.

Why Are Arizona Sellers Offering More Concessions?

There isn’t one single reason.

It’s a combination of affordability, competition, and changing buyer behavior.

Buyers Are Paying More Attention to Monthly Costs

Mortgage rates have made affordability a major concern.

Even when a buyer finds a home within their price range, the monthly payment may be higher than expected.

That can make seller assistance with closing costs or a mortgage rate buydown particularly appealing.

A seller who understands what a buyer needs may be able to structure an offer that works better for both sides.

Buyers Have More Choices

When there are more homes available, buyers don’t necessarily feel the same urgency they did a few years ago.

They can compare properties, consider different neighborhoods, and take a closer look at condition and pricing.

For sellers, that means the competition isn’t just the house down the street.

It’s every comparable home a buyer might be considering.

Sellers Still Want to Get Their Homes Sold

This might sound obvious, but sellers have reasons for moving too.

Some are relocating.

Some are downsizing.

Some have already purchased another home.

Others simply want to move on to the next chapter.

If a reasonable concession helps bring together a transaction that otherwise makes sense, a seller may decide it’s worth considering.

That doesn’t mean the seller is desperate.

It means they’re negotiating.

And there’s a difference.

Should Arizona Buyers Ask for Seller Concessions?

I think buyers should at least understand what options may be available.

That doesn’t mean automatically asking for everything imaginable.

The condition of the home matters.

The asking price matters.

How long the property has been listed matters.

And the seller’s circumstances matter too.

For example, a home that’s been sitting on the market for several weeks may offer a different negotiating opportunity than one that was just listed yesterday.

A property needing repairs may also create opportunities to negotiate a credit or have certain work completed before closing.

But it’s important to approach each situation individually.

A seller concession isn’t automatically a good deal if you’re paying too much for the house in the first place.

And a large credit doesn’t necessarily make up for problems with the property.

The goal isn’t to see how much you can get the seller to give you. It’s to put together a purchase that makes financial sense.

What Does This Mean If You’re Selling a Home in Arizona?

If you’re selling, hearing that buyers are receiving concessions might not sound particularly encouraging.

But I wouldn’t automatically look at it as bad news.

Sometimes a concession can be a useful negotiating option.

Let’s say you’ve received an offer from a qualified buyer who loves your home but is concerned about having enough cash left after closing.

They might ask for a contribution toward closing costs.

You could reject the request.

You could counter with a smaller contribution.

Or you might decide that accepting the concession makes sense based on the rest of the offer.

The important thing is looking at your net proceeds, not just the number written on the purchase contract.

A higher purchase price with a large seller credit may leave you with less money than a slightly lower offer without concessions.

That’s why I think sellers need to evaluate the entire offer.

Price is important, but so are financing, contingencies, closing dates, repair requests, and the likelihood of the transaction actually closing.

Does This Mean Arizona Is Now a Buyer’s Market?

Not necessarily.

That’s where I think housing market headlines can get a little misleading.

A market can become more negotiable without every neighborhood suddenly becoming a buyer’s market.

Glendale, Peoria, Arrowhead Ranch, Vistancia, and Surprise don’t all have identical housing conditions.

Even within the same city, two neighborhoods can behave differently.

A beautifully maintained home that’s priced appropriately may still receive strong interest.

Another property with an ambitious asking price or significant maintenance needs might sit longer and require more negotiation.

That’s why I prefer looking at comparable homes and recent activity in the specific neighborhood rather than making decisions based on a national headline.

The Biggest Change? Buyers and Sellers Are Talking Again

For a while, it seemed like the entire home-buying process had become a competition to see who could make the biggest offer with the fewest conditions.

That wasn’t particularly comfortable for buyers.

And it created some unrealistic expectations for sellers.

What we’re seeing now is a return to something that has always been part of real estate.

Negotiation.

Buyers can ask questions, evaluate the condition of a home, and consider whether the terms make sense.

Sellers can weigh those requests against their own goals and decide what they’re comfortable accepting.

Neither side automatically gets everything they want.

But there’s more room for an actual conversation.

And after the market we experienced a few years ago, I don’t think that’s a bad thing.

If you’re considering buying or selling a home in Glendale, Peoria, Surprise, or anywhere around the Northwest Valley, I’m always happy to share what I’m seeing in your particular area.

Because the market has changed, but the best decisions still come down to understanding the property, the neighborhood, and the numbers.

Watch: Remember When Buyers Had to Beg Sellers? Well, Things Have Changed.

Remember when buyers were offering over asking price, waiving inspections, and doing almost anything to get their offers accepted?

In this video, I talk about how the Phoenix-area housing market has changed, why seller concessions are becoming more common, and what it means for buyers and sellers today.