There Are Nearly 500,000 More Home Sellers Than Buyers: What Today’s Buyer’s Market Means for Buyers, Sellers and Realtors

The real estate market has officially changed seats.

For years, sellers held the steering wheel while buyers sat in the passenger seat clutching a preapproval letter and hoping nobody offered $50,000 more before they reached the driveway. Today, buyers increasingly control the direction—and many still do not realize how much leverage they have.

According to new Redfin research, the number of active homebuyers in the United States fell to a record low of approximately 967,000 in July 2026. At the same time, there were roughly 1,463,000 sellers in the market.

That means sellers outnumber buyers by approximately 496,000.

Nearly 80% of the major metropolitan areas analyzed by Redfin are now considered buyer’s markets. Only six qualify as seller’s markets. Miami currently has the largest imbalance, with 154% more sellers than buyers, followed by Nashville and several major Texas markets. Read the complete Redfin market analysis.

This does not mean every house is suddenly a bargain or that sellers must accept the first offer arriving by carrier pigeon. It means buyers have more choices, homes are generally taking longer to sell and sellers must compete for attention.

In other words, the market is no longer saying, “Take it or leave it.”

The market is saying, “What else are you including?”

What a Buyer’s Market Means for Buyers

For qualified buyers, this may be one of the best windows of opportunity we have seen in several years.

More inventory means buyers can compare properties, conduct proper due diligence and make thoughtful decisions without feeling like they must write an offer from the driveway. In many cases, they may also have room to negotiate.

Potential opportunities can include:

• A lower purchase price
• Seller-paid closing costs
• Interest-rate buy-downs
• Repair allowances
• Longer inspection periods
• Flexible closing dates
• Personal property or furnishings
• More favorable contract terms

The important word is “potential.” A buyer’s market creates leverage, but it does not eliminate the need for a smart strategy.

The best homes—especially those with premium locations, exceptional design, acreage, water views or limited competition—can still attract multiple buyers. A buyer who assumes every seller is desperate may lose the right property while attempting to win a negotiation contest nobody else agreed to enter.

Buyers should be confident, prepared and reasonable. The goal is not simply to “win” the contract. The goal is to purchase the right property at terms that make financial and personal sense.

Redfin’s economist described the period leading into Labor Day as a potential sweet spot because motivated sellers may be willing to negotiate before more buyers return during the early-fall market. That creates an important opportunity for buyers who have been waiting for a better time.

The better time may already be here.

What a Buyer’s Market Means for Sellers

Sellers can still achieve excellent results, but the strategy that worked during the frenzy of the pandemic-era market may no longer work today.

Putting a sign in the yard, uploading cell-phone photographs and waiting for 14 offers is not a marketing plan. It is nostalgia.

Today’s buyers have options. If a property is overpriced, poorly presented or inadequately marketed, they can simply move on to the next listing. That means sellers must compete in four critical areas: price, condition, presentation and exposure.

Price for the Market You Have

A seller’s desired net amount does not determine market value. Buyers compare a home with other available properties and recent comparable sales. They do not know what the seller paid, how much was invested or what number would make the move financially comfortable.

Buyers also do not pay for memories. Those are valuable—but unfortunately, they do not appraise.

Overpricing usually creates fewer showings, longer market time and eventual price reductions. By the time the home reaches the correct price, buyers may already be wondering what is wrong with it.

Correct pricing does not mean giving the property away. It means placing the home where buyers recognize its value and feel enough urgency to act.

Presentation Is No Longer Optional

A home must look exceptional online before a buyer will make time to see it in person.

That requires thoughtful preparation, professional staging guidance, landscaping, cleaning, repairs, architectural photography, twilight imagery, drone photography, cinematic video and compelling property descriptions.

Luxury buyers are not only purchasing bedrooms and bathrooms. They are purchasing privacy, architecture, land, views, design, convenience and lifestyle. Marketing must communicate how the property feels—not simply list what it contains.

Exposure Must Be Strategic

More exposure is not automatically better exposure. The goal is to place the property in front of the right buyers through the right platforms with a message that gives them a reason to care.

That can include:

• Custom property websites
• Professional photography and video
• Targeted social media advertising
• YouTube property tours
• Luxury real estate publications
• Public relations and editorial opportunities
• Direct outreach to qualified buyers and leading agents
• National and international referral networks
• Database and wealth-targeted campaigns
• Consistent follow-up and measurable feedback

A buyer’s market does not make marketing less important. It makes exceptional marketing essential.

Why I Double Down When the Market Slows

Throughout my 31-year real estate career, I have always believed that difficult markets are when sellers need their Realtor the most.

When buyer demand slows, I do not reduce marketing. I double down.

More competition requires better photography, stronger video, broader distribution, more direct outreach, additional advertising and a more compelling story. Sellers deserve every reasonable opportunity to have their property seen by the buyers who are still actively searching.

Anyone can look successful when homes sell in hours. A challenging market reveals who has a strategy, who has invested in a platform and who is willing to do the work after the listing agreement is signed.

This is not the market for passive real estate.

This is not the market for “let’s put it online and see what happens.”

Hope is wonderful. It is just not a marketing department.

What This Market Means for Realtors

Realtors must also adjust.

In a seller’s market, an agent can occasionally make mistakes and still get a home sold. In a buyer’s market, weak pricing, poor communication and average marketing become painfully visible.

A professional Realtor must be willing to have honest conversations about price, preparation and market conditions. Telling sellers exactly what they want to hear may win a listing appointment, but it rarely produces the result they ultimately want.

Realtors should be prepared to:

• Study current inventory and recent closed sales
• Explain the difference between replacement cost and market value
• Track buyer feedback and digital engagement
• Recommend price adjustments based on evidence
• Communicate consistently with sellers
• Invest personally in professional marketing
• Follow up with agents who have qualified buyers
• Adjust the campaign when the market is not responding

The Realtor’s responsibility is not to control the client. It is to provide honest information, experienced advice and a clear strategy.

Sometimes the most valuable thing a Realtor can say is, “I understand why you want that price, but the current market does not support it.”

The Agency Oklahoma Advantage

The Agency Oklahoma combines local market expertise with the resources, technology and reach of an international luxury real estate brand.

Our Oklahoma agents understand the unique differences between Oklahoma City, Edmond, Arcadia, Nichols Hills, Gaillardia, Oak Tree, Rose Creek, Tulsa, Grand Lake, Monkey Island, Carlton Landing and the state’s acreage and ranch markets. Luxury real estate in Oklahoma is not one market, and every property requires its own positioning strategy.

The Agency expands that local knowledge through a collaborative global network, sophisticated technology, international referrals, public relations, editorial opportunities and connections to luxury agents and qualified buyers in key markets.

For an Oklahoma seller, that means personal local representation supported by a recognizable international brand.

For a buyer relocating to Oklahoma, it means working with professionals who understand luxury property, privacy, land, construction quality and the communities that may never appear in a basic online search.

In a buyer’s market, that combination matters.

Is Oklahoma Currently a Buyer’s Market?

Real estate is always local. National statistics provide important context, but conditions can vary dramatically by city, neighborhood and price range.

A well-priced home in a sought-after Edmond neighborhood may perform very differently from an overpriced luxury property on acreage. Entry-level homes may attract strong demand while homes above $2.5 million experience a much smaller buyer pool.

The higher the price, the more important accurate pricing and specialized marketing become.

That is why buyers and sellers should not make decisions based only on national headlines. They need current local inventory, comparable sales, days on market and competition within the property’s specific price range.

The Bottom Line

For buyers, this market may offer more choice, better terms and greater negotiating power than we have seen in years.

For sellers, success requires accurate pricing, exceptional presentation and aggressive, strategic marketing.

For Realtors, this is the moment to demonstrate value rather than simply describe it.

There may be nearly half a million more sellers than buyers nationally, but homes will continue to sell. The properties that are positioned correctly, presented beautifully and marketed relentlessly will have the strongest opportunity to stand out.

A buyer’s market is not the end of the real estate market.

It is simply a market that requires better real estate.

About Wyatt Poindexter

Wyatt Poindexter is the Managing Partner of The Agency Oklahoma and has more than 31 years of Oklahoma real estate experience. His career residential sales exceed $1 billion, with a record annual production of $155 million.

Wyatt is ranked within the Top 1% of The Agency’s agents globally, has more than 125,000 followers across social media and was voted Best Realtor by The Gazette for 2026. He is the #1 Realtor in Oklahoma for 2026 sales volume and has represented many of the state’s most significant luxury properties, including three of Oklahoma’s highest-priced residential sales during a recent 12-month period.

Wyatt specializes in luxury homes, estates, ranches, waterfront properties and acreage throughout Oklahoma City, Edmond, Arcadia, Nichols Hills, Gaillardia, Oak Tree, Rose Creek, Tulsa, Grand Lake and Monkey Island.

Wyatt Poindexter
Oklahoma Luxury Real Estate
The Agency Oklahoma
405-417-5466
[email protected]
www.OKLuxuryHomes.com