8 Ways the Fall Housing Market Could Work in Your Favor

The busiest buying season is behind us, and that's actually good news if you're still shopping. According to Zillow's fall market breakdown, buyers heading into the next few months will likely face less competition and have more room to negotiate than they did over the summer. "2026 is another year when there's a lot of uncertainty, and some buyers are just waiting to see what happens," says Zillow Senior Economist Kara Ng. "The right time for you depends on more than just the market."

There's more to choose from, and more time to choose it

Inventory has grown for 32 straight months, with 1.41 million homes on the market in July, up 1.5% from a year ago. Homes are also sitting longer: a typical listing took 25 days to find a buyer in July, five days longer than June, and the typical active listing had been up for 60 days. That extra breathing room matters. "If you're a buyer, you're likely to have more time to decide on your options," Ng says.

Prices have actually flattened

The typical US home was worth $371,757 in July, up just 1.1% from a year earlier, and Zillow economists expect values to finish the year down 0.2% from where they started. Home values rose in 28 of the 50 largest metros and fell in 21, so the picture is mixed depending on where you look, but the double-digit price jumps of a few years ago aren't the story right now.

Sellers are still cutting prices, and some are sweetening the deal

Nationally, 27.1% of listings had a price cut in July. Some sellers are also offering to cover closing costs or buy down your mortgage rate for the first year or two. None of that is guaranteed everywhere, so it's worth asking your agent whether concessions are common in the specific neighborhood you're shopping.

Nationally, no one has the clear upper hand

The seller's advantage that held for the past few years has mostly faded into a market that favors buyers and sellers about equally. That said, it's not the same story everywhere. Cincinnati, Miami, New Orleans, Jacksonville, and Louisville leaned toward buyers in July, while San Francisco, Hartford, Buffalo, Providence, and San Jose still favored sellers. Fall also tends to bring fewer bidding wars than spring, since a lot of buyers step back for the holidays or wait for the next shopping season.

What this means if you're shopping right now

Mortgage rates have hovered in the mid-6% range and climbed to an 11-month high over the summer, with Zillow forecasting only a gradual easing to around 6.5% by year-end, and that's not guaranteed either. Trying to time rates perfectly is a gamble. If a home fits your budget and your life today, it can make sense to move on it; you can always refinance later if rates drop. The national numbers are a starting point, not the whole answer. If you want to know whether fall is actually working in your favor in our market, reach out and let's look at your specific situation.