How to Avoid Delisting Your Home and Canceled Home Purchase Agreements

Home sellers are feeling the heat as buyers pull back or expect near perfection because of soaring prices. Those actions have led to more delisted homes, as frustrated sellers wonder whether moving is worthwhile and pull their homes off the market. Delistings jumped 57% year-over-year in July 2025, according to realtor.com.

Buyers are backing out, too. In September alone, more than 53,000 home purchase agreements were canceled nationwide — 15% of homes under contract, Redfin reports.

How a Delisting Develops

“There’s been a ton of canceled listings because of sellers” who think they can still command COVID-era prices, says Rebecca Hidalgo, owner and designated broker at Integrity All Stars Realty in Chandler, Ariz. “They saw their neighbor get X amount and think their house is worth more. They dip their toe in, get no showings, don’t want to drop the price, and so they pull it off the market.”

You can avoid that frustration if you prepare and working with an agent to price your home right, say real estate professionals.

The Costs of Delisting and Canceled Sales

Think about the possible fallout before you decide to delist your home or resist negotiating with a buyer or reducing your price, you end up being ghosted by the buyer or having a canceled home purchase agreement. Other consequences may include:

• Financial impact: Holding costs — mortgage, taxes, and utilities — add up when sales drag on. If you’ve already purchased another home, your finances can be stretched further.
• Market perception: Price cuts and relistings can make buyers wonder what’s wrong with the property and even invite lower offers if they sense desperation.
• Timing disruption: A canceled deal can delay your next move or complicate plans for your next purchase.
• Emotional stress: Remarketing a home or keeping it show-ready can be exhausting.

Listen to Your Agent’s Advice

A skilled real estate agent can help with these steps:

Prepare the Home

Nearly half of buyers say they’re less willing to compromise on a home’s condition. Top agent-recommended updates include painting, roof repairs, and kitchen refreshes, according to the 2025 Remodeling Impact Report, produced by the National Association of REALTORS® and National Association of the Remodeling Industry.

Hidalgo shares her own example from a few years ago: “I literally moved out of my home and hired a contractor to paint my walls and install new carpeting, and I had a pro come in and decorate. To this day, nobody has beaten the price I got for my house.”

Even small details matter — clean air filters, tidy entryways, fresh baseboards. “If a buyer sees a dirty air filter, they’ll immediately think, ‘What else is wrong?’”

Price It Right — from the Start

Overpricing is the biggest culprit behind delistings. Many sellers are not being realistic and want to overprice, says Kourtney Pulitzer, a real estate pro with Sotheby’s International Realty in Palm Beach, Fla. “Your home is worth what someone else is willing to pay.”

Pending sales can be a better pricing guide than closed sales, says Ryan Melvin, a real estate pro with Huntington & Ellis, A Real Estate Agency, in Las Vegas. “[They] show what homes actually went under contract recently,” helping to gauge what buyers are willing to pay right now. He also watches other homes’ price history and days on the market. “Pricing between 3% and 5% less than the absolute most recent sale or recent pending sales can be the difference between zero showings and multiple showings,” he says.

Be Transparent About Known Issues

Buyers stay committed when they trust the seller. Disclose problems like an aging roof or minor leaks upfront. Some sellers even order prelisting inspections to identify and fix issues before listing their home. Agents say this can build buyer confidence and prevent inspection-day surprises and canceled sales.

Monitor Market Conditions Closely

“National data is useful, but local data matters,” Pulitzer says. “Your community may have 18 months of inventory, so the timing for a price reduction would be very different.” If a home starts to linger with few showings, Melvin urges his clients to act. Strategic price reductions of 2% to 5% can boost showings and generate offers, he says.

Be Ready to Negotiate

Give and take between buyers and sellers isn’t always about price. Buyers may be open to options like closing cost assistance or repair credits. But sellers should also be prepared because buyers do have more wiggle room to negotiate in today’s market, Hidalgo says.

With the right agent, strategy, and presentation, sellers can protect their profit and their peace of mind while avoiding delistings and canceled contracts. “You can still sell fast if you’re priced right” and in tune with current market conditions, says Kati Spaniak, a real estate pro with eXp Realty in Chicago and host of the YouTube channel “Sell Your Home With Kati Spaniak.” That may be the key to keeping your deal — and your listing — on track all the way to closing.

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