For the past several years, real estate agents, buyers, and sellers have been trained by extremes.
First came the pandemic frenzy: homes selling immediately, bidding wars, waived inspections, and sellers expecting offers well above asking price.
Then came higher rates, longer days on market, and more cautious buyers.
Neither extreme represents normal real estate.
What we’re seeing now is a market where pricing matters again, negotiation matters again, inspections matter again, and agents actually have to manage the transaction from beginning to end. The episode’s underlying message is simple: this isn’t a distressed market—it’s a skills market.
Why This Matters
Some agents are looking at slower activity and assuming something is wrong.
That mindset could cost them the rest of 2026—and potentially put them behind before 2027 even begins.
A balanced market rewards agents who can communicate, negotiate, price listings correctly, manage seller expectations, follow up with buyers, and solve problems when transactions get messy.
That should be good news for serious professionals.
When transactions stop happening automatically, skill becomes a competitive advantage.
Key Takeaways
The market has changed, but buyers and sellers have not disappeared.
Sellers receiving offers are averaging around two offers rather than the massive bidding wars many became accustomed to. Buyers are keeping inspection contingencies more often. Contracts are still typically closing in roughly 30 days, and the data discussed in the episode showed only 6% terminating during the referenced period.
The opportunity belongs to agents who adjust their expectations and sharpen their skills.
Main Points
1. Stop Wasting the Seller’s First Shot at the Market
One of the most dangerous seller objections right now sounds perfectly reasonable:
“Let’s start high. We can always come down later.”
The problem is that the first few weeks of a listing matter.
If comparable sales indicate a home is worth $500,000 and the seller insists on $550,000, buyers shopping around $500,000 may never write an offer. They may simply purchase another property.
Then come the reductions.
$535,000.
$515,000.
Eventually $500,000.
Except now the property has accumulated significant days on market and buyers start wondering what is wrong with it.
You cannot recreate the momentum of a brand-new listing.
This is where professional listing agents separate themselves from order-takers.
Your CMA matters again.
Your market knowledge matters again.
And your willingness to tell sellers something they do not necessarily want to hear matters again.
2. You Can Take the Listing Without Lying About the Price
What happens when a seller wants to list above your recommended price—and another agent is willing to tell them exactly what they want to hear?
You do not necessarily have to walk away.
Instead, create guardrails.
Agree to test the seller’s preferred price for a limited period—perhaps two weeks or 10 showings—and then reposition the property if the market fails to respond.
That allows you to remain honest about your analysis without handing the listing to an inexperienced agent who simply “buys” the listing with an unrealistic price.
The key is setting the expectation before the listing goes active.
3. Two Offers Can Be a Successful Listing
Some sellers still expect 2021.
If seven offers do not show up by Sunday night, they assume their listing has failed.
That is the wrong benchmark.
You only need one buyer to sell a property.
And if two legitimate buyers are competing, you already have leverage.
More importantly, agents have to stop emotionally rejecting offers.
A home listed at $500,000 receiving a $475,000 offer does not automatically mean the buyer is insulting the seller.
Counter it.
Work the offer.
Maybe the parties settle at $490,000. Maybe the seller gets closer to asking price while offering closing costs. Maybe possession, inspections, earnest money, or another term creates the bridge.
The coaching principle from the episode is worth remembering:
Never let the deal die in your court.
4. Every Showing Matters Again
When homes were receiving massive traffic, agents could become careless.
That luxury is gone.
In a slower market, every buyer who schedules a showing deserves attention.
Get feedback.
Attempt to generate a second showing.
Ask the buyer’s agent what would move their client closer to an offer.
And prepare the seller before the listing launches so they understand what normal traffic looks like.
If the seller expects 20 showings and gets four, the problem is not always the marketing.
The problem may be that the listing agent failed to set expectations.
5. Buyers Can Negotiate Again
Buyers who stepped away from real estate during the frenzy may still believe purchasing a home requires giving up every protection they have.
That picture is outdated.
The episode cites data showing only 16% of buyers waived their inspection contingency, meaning 84% did not.
That opens conversations around:
Inspections.
Repairs.
Closing costs.
Price.
Possession.
Contingencies.
Other terms.
It does not mean sellers have to give buyers everything they request.
It means negotiating is normal again.
And capable buyer and listing agents need to know how to navigate it.
6. Stop Panicking Every Time a Deal Hits a Problem
Inspection problem?
Appraisal issue?
Underwriting asking for another document?
Nervous buyer?
Frustrated seller?
Welcome to real estate.
The episode cites NAR data indicating the typical contract was still closing in about 30 days and only 6% terminated during the previous three months—meaning 94% did not terminate.
Transactions have problems.
Your job is not to join your client in the panic.
Your job is to identify the actual problem, explain the available options, negotiate where necessary, and keep everyone moving toward closing.
7. Seller Communication Can Save Your Listing
One of the biggest risks in a slower market is not simply failing to sell the house.
It is losing the seller before the house sells.
If your entire communication strategy is putting the home on the MLS, disappearing for two or three weeks, and then calling to demand a price reduction, sellers will eventually question why they hired you.
They need proactive communication.
Market feedback.
Pricing updates.
Showing information.
Education.
Strategy.
Solutions.
The listing may eventually sell regardless.
The question is whether you will still be the listing agent when it does.
8. This Is a Skills Market
Only 2% of the sales referenced in the episode were distressed, while 26% of buyers were paying cash and 29% were first-time buyers.
Those numbers do not describe a market where nobody is buying.
They describe a market where transactions require work.
Sellers need help pricing.
Buyers need help identifying leverage.
Offers need negotiating.
Inspections need managing.
Appraisal problems need solving.
Nervous clients need leadership.
That is exactly why highly skilled agents become more valuable when the market gets harder.
And it is exactly why serious agents need systems, scripts, accountability, and coaching instead of hoping the market does the work for them.
This is the kind of environment where Premier Coaching—and the training, collaboration, and career opportunity surrounding Libertas at eXp Realty—can become a meaningful advantage for agents who want to build an actual business.
Bottom Line
Stop comparing the 2026 market to 2021.
That was not normal.
Today’s market requires agents to price correctly, negotiate professionally, communicate consistently, generate listings, manage expectations, and solve problems.
That is not something serious real estate agents should fear.
That is opportunity.
And remember: the conversations, prospecting, listings, and relationships you create in the second half of this year are already laying the groundwork for your 2027 production.
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⚠️ Opinions are my own and not the views of eXp Realty.
