Five Signs Austin's Market Is Shifting in Buyers' Favor

After three years of bidding wars, Austin's housing market is cooling into something closer to balanced. Inventory across our nine covered markets is up 18% year over year, and the median days-on-market has stretched from 14 to 31.

That shift doesn't mean prices are falling across the board, but it does mean buyers finally have room to negotiate again. Here are the five signals we're watching most closely heading into next quarter.

First, price reductions are becoming more common: nearly a third of active listings in Austin proper have cut their asking price at least once since June. Second, appraisal gaps have narrowed, meaning fewer buyers need to bring extra cash to close over the appraised value.

"Sellers who priced aggressively in the spring are adjusting now. Buyers who waited out the frenzy are finally getting a seat at the table." — Verlyn Market Research Team

Third, concession requests, things like seller-paid closing costs or repair credits, are back in nearly 40% of accepted offers. If you've been priced out over the last two years, this is the most buyer-friendly the market has looked since 2019.