Price cuts hit a 4-year high: how agents should follow up with sellers and buyers
More sellers are cutting their asking price than at any point in four years, and fewer buyers are signing contracts. That changes the conversations you need to have this month. Here's what the latest data says, and four follow-up moves that help you keep listings moving and buyers engaged.
What the data says
From Realtor.com’s September 2026 Monthly Housing Trends report:
- 20.8% of listings had a price cut in September, up 0.9 points from a year ago. That's the highest share in a single month since October 2022, and the highest September reading since 2018.
- All four regions and 36 of the 50 largest metros are running above their year-ago price-cut share. Cuts were most common in Salt Lake City, Denver and Portland, and least common in New York, Hartford and Buffalo.
- Active listings topped 1.16 million, up 5.4% year over year and the closest to pre-pandemic levels yet (9.1% below).
- The median home spent 61 days on the market, and the median list price was $419,250, down 1.4% from a year ago.
- Only about 5.6% of listings were delisted, in line with last year. Sellers are adjusting, not giving up.
The newer Realtor.com weekly update (week ending Oct. 24) shows the trend continuing. Inventory was up 8.0% year over year, the fastest weekly growth since late January. Median days on market hit 64, one day slower than a year ago, and the median list price was $414,000.
On the buyer side, the National Association of REALTORS® says pending home sales fell 7.3% in September from August and 11.3% from a year ago, with declines in all four regions. Haver Analytics notes the index fell to 66.0, the lowest level on record. NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun put it simply: “Buyers and sellers may simply be holding back until mortgage rates move favorably.”
What this means for agents
Homes are starting to sit a little longer, and more sellers are hearing the words "price reduction." Meanwhile, a lot of buyers are waiting on the sidelines. Neither group is gone. They just need more conversations, at the right time, to get to a deal. That's a follow-up problem, and follow-up is something you control.
4 follow-up moves for a price-cut market
1. Set the price check-in before you list
Don't wait for a seller to ask why nobody is calling. At the listing appointment, agree on a date to review showings, feedback and online views together, and put it on the calendar. With price cuts this common, a planned check-in feels like a strategy instead of bad news. Bring the local numbers: days on market, competing listings and recent reductions nearby.
2. Turn every reduction into buyer follow-up
A price cut is news. Text every buyer who toured, saved or asked about that home in the last few months. A short "the price just changed" message gets more replies than a generic market update, and it gives sidelined buyers a concrete reason to take another look.
3. Stay close to withdrawn and "wait till spring" sellers
Delistings are steady, but some owners will pull their homes or decide to wait. Don't let them drift. Set a check-in for each one, share what similar homes did over the winter and offer a fresh pricing review early in the new year. The agent who stayed in touch is usually the one who gets the relist.
4. Keep sidelined buyers warm, not pressured
If buyers are holding back, as Yun says, your job is to be the first call when they're ready. Check in monthly with something useful: new price cuts in their target area, a reminder to keep their pre-approval current, or a note when more homes come on the market. Short, useful and regular wins.
Talk about it today
Copy, tweak and send. Each one sticks to the facts above.
Make the follow-up automatic
In a slower market, the deals go to the agents who keep showing up, and keeping track of who to call is where most follow-up falls apart. That's what TouchTempo does. It's a simple real estate CRM in Google Sheets: each buyer, seller and past client gets a follow-up cadence, ready-to-send texts and emails, and a spot on your Today list when they're due. Log a touch and the next date sets itself.
Want help with the writing too? The optional AI follow-up assistant writes your follow-ups each morning. You review them and click send, and nothing goes out without your OK.
See it in action
Watch the narrated demo (about 8 minutes, no sign-up) to see how TouchTempo keeps every buyer, seller and past client on a follow-up schedule.
Watch the demo See pricingQuestions? Book a call with Bradley (5–8 PM ET).