The House Has Been Sitting on the Market… Should You Make an Offer?
You’ve been scrolling through homes when you notice one that catches your eye.
It checks a lot of your boxes. The location works. The photos look great. Maybe you’ve even gone back to the listing a few times.
Then you notice the days on market.
It’s been sitting.
And suddenly you start wondering: What’s wrong with it?
It’s an understandable question, but a home spending longer on the market doesn’t automatically mean there’s something wrong with the house. In fact, depending on the circumstances, it may be a home worth taking a closer look at.
For a little context, according to the June 2026 Northwest Multiple Listing Service market report for Pierce County, residential homes have averaged 40 days on market year to date, up from 35 days during the same period last year. While every home and neighborhood is different, these numbers are a good reminder that buyers generally have a bit more time to evaluate their options than they did during the highly competitive market of just a few years ago.
First: Why Hasn't It Sold?
There are plenty of reasons a home can accumulate days on market, and not all of them have to do with the condition of the property.
Maybe it started out overpriced. Maybe it hit the market during a slower week. Maybe the photos or marketing didn’t showcase it particularly well. It could have an unusual layout, a location that appeals to a smaller pool of buyers, or simply be competing with several similar homes.
And yes, sometimes there is something about the property that buyers have been reacting to.
That’s why I don’t think buyers should automatically dismiss a home because of its days on market, but I also wouldn’t ignore them.
The better question is: Why is this particular home still available?
Longer Market Time Can Create Opportunity
When a home first hits the market, sellers may be more confident about their asking price and less interested in negotiating.
A few weeks later, the conversation can look different.
Depending on the property and the seller’s circumstances, a longer time on market may create opportunities to negotiate things like:
💰 Purchase price
🏡 Seller-paid closing costs
🔧 Repairs or credits
📉 Funds toward an interest-rate buydown
📅 Closing dates or other contract terms
That doesn’t mean every seller with a longer-market-time home is desperate to make a deal. It does mean there may be more room for a conversation than there was when the listing was brand new.
What If Other Buyers Passed on It?
They may have… but that doesn’t necessarily tell us whether the home is right for you.
Every buyer has different priorities, budgets, timelines, and tolerance for projects. Something that was a dealbreaker for one buyer might be completely irrelevant to another.
At the same time, if a property has been on the market significantly longer than comparable homes nearby, I want to understand why.
This is where your own due diligence matters, too. A longer market time isn't a substitute for inspections, reviewing disclosures, researching the property, and understanding exactly what you're buying.
Opportunity and caution can exist at the same time.
Do a Little Digging Before You Decide
If a home has been sitting on the market longer than expected, one of the most valuable things you can do is gather more information before deciding what that market time means.
There can be a lot more to a listing than what you see on the major home search websites. Your agent can look into the property and its listing history to help you build a more complete picture of what has happened since it came on the market.
That might include looking at previous price changes, whether the home has gone pending and returned to the market, how long similar homes nearby are taking to sell, and how the asking price compares with recent sales. Depending on what information is available, there may also be seller disclosures, previous inspection information, permit history, public records, or other property details worth reviewing.
It can also be helpful for your agent to talk with the listing agent. While there are limits to what they may be able to share, we can ask questions about the home's history on the market, whether there has been previous buyer interest, and if there are particular terms or timing that matter to the seller.
None of these things necessarily tell the whole story on their own. A price reduction doesn't automatically mean a seller is desperate, and a previous contract falling through doesn't necessarily mean there is something wrong with the house.
The goal is to gather as much useful information as we reasonably can so you can make an educated decision about the property- and, if you do want to pursue it, determine an offer strategy that makes sense for you.
How Should You Approach an Offer?
This is where strategy matters.
Before deciding what to offer, I want to know more.
Has the price already been reduced? How does it compare with similar homes that have recently sold? Has it gone pending before and returned to the market? Are there obvious condition issues? What does the listing history tell us? And, when possible, what can we learn about the seller’s priorities?
Sometimes the opportunity is in the price.
Other times, the better negotiation may be in the terms.
For a buyer, getting help with closing costs or a rate buydown could potentially be more valuable than negotiating the same amount off the purchase price. Every situation is different, which is why I prefer to look at the bigger picture before deciding how to structure an offer.
Have You Been Watching a Home That Hasn't Sold?
If there’s a home in Pierce County or the South Sound that you keep coming back to, don’t assume its days on market mean you should cross it off your list.
I can help you dig into the listing history, comparable sales, pricing, and other available information so we can get a better picture of what may be happening, and whether there could be an opportunity for you.
You don’t have to know whether you want to make an offer yet. Sometimes it starts with simply asking, “Why hasn’t this one sold?”
Not Sure Where to Start? Let's Talk Over Coffee.
You don't need to have the perfect house picked out, or even be ready to make an offer, to start the conversation.
If you're thinking about buying a home in Pierce County or the South Sound, I'd love to meet you at a local coffee shop and hear about what's important to you. We can talk about what you're looking for in a home, your timeline, your questions about the current market, and anything else that is on your mind as you consider buying.
There is no pressure and no expectation that you need to be ready to buy right away. It's simply a chance to get to know each other, talk through what you're hoping for, and help you get a better idea of what the buying process could look like for you.
Whether you're ready to make a move now or you're simply gathering information for the future, I'm always happy to be a resource. And when the time comes, I'd be honored to help you navigate your next chapter with clarity, strategy, and heart. VISIT MY INQUIRE PAGE HERE ♥
-Andrea Hamre
Realtor®, Broker, CNE (Certified Negotiation Expert)
