If you’ve been following the housing market, you may be aware that buyer demand is cooling. And there’s a reason for that.
Elevated mortgage rates, persistent inflation and general economic uncertainty have left many buyers hesitant to enter the market. Add the fact that home sellers outnumber buyers, and it’s no wonder sellers are growing increasingly motivated to move their homes off the market. And when sellers get antsy, it can open the door to compromise.
In May, 46.2% of home sales included seller concessions, according to Redfin. By the report’s definition, a concession is anything that helps reduce the total cost of buying a home, whether it’s money toward repairs or a mortgage rate buydown. Price reductions, however, are not considered concessions.
If you’re in the market for a new home, you may have a prime opportunity to negotiate a better deal with your seller. Here are some of the ways you can take advantage of reduced demand.
[Read: Best Mortgage Lenders]
1. Ask for a Mortgage Rate Buydown
Today’s mortgage rates are painful for buyers, and they don’t seem to be falling anytime soon. Brett Johnson, a Colorado real estate agent and founder of New Era Home Buyers, says a mortgage rate buydown is worth negotiating because it can directly result in smaller monthly payments.
“My go-to ask lately has been a mortgage rate buydown, where the seller kicks in money to temporarily or permanently lower the buyer’s interest rate instead of touching the purchase price,” Johnson says. “It keeps the comps looking strong for everyone else on the block, and it quietly saves the buyer real money every month, which matters a lot more than people expect once they see the difference on paper.”
2. Request Credits Toward Repairs Instead of Repairs Themselves
If problems are uncovered during a home inspection, it’s common for sellers to address them prior to closing. Johnson suggests going a different route and negotiating generous repair credits instead, which sellers may be more willing to offer to seal the deal.
“In my experience, a seller who’s already stressed and just wants out tends to hire whoever’s cheapest and fastest, and that rarely ends well for the buyer down the line,” Johnson explains.
By negotiating a generous credit, you’ll be able to vet different contractors and choose the one most likely to perform quality work. And if there’s money left over for you to keep, even better.
[See: Best Mortgage Lenders for First-Time Homebuyers]
3. Negotiate a Multiyear Home Warranty
When you buy a home, it’s fairly common for a seller to include a one-year home warranty. That warranty can help cover the cost of repairing or replacing major systems and appliances.
But Devyn Kern, a New York City real estate advisor at Serhant, says that in today’s market, you may be able to ask for extended coverage.
“Home warranties can be more attractive to buyers with older homes because they can cover costly repairs for items such as HVAC systems, and they can provide the buyer with peace of mind regarding home repairs for a longer period of time,” Kern says.
Kern also explains that a home warranty typically only covers systems and major components inside a home, and that things like pool and spa equipment and roof repairs are typically excluded. In today’s market, though, you may be able to negotiate a separate repair credit for higher-cost items like these.
4. Request Seller-Funded Insurance Premiums
Homeowners insurance is a requirement if you’re getting a mortgage. Kern says you may be able to persuade a seller to pay those premiums for a period of time, such as your first year of homeownership.
“This can save the buyer a great deal of money,” Kern says, “especially in areas of the country that are often hit by natural disasters and have seen large increases in insurance rates in recent years.”
5. Ask for High-Value Personal Property
Buying a home often means needing to purchase furniture, equipment and other items to make life comfortable. Kern says that in her experience, sellers are now more willing to include personal property to sweeten the pot.
“Examples include golf carts, detached kitchen appliances, smart home technologies like surround sound speakers and security systems, playground equipment, generators, tools, lawn equipment and such,” Kern says. She also notes that this arrangement could work out well for both parties.
“From the homebuyer’s perspective, acquiring these types of property can be of extreme value,” she explains. “From the home seller’s perspective, they are relieved of having to move these types of items to their new home.”
6. Ask to Assume Your Seller’s Mortgage
Today’s mortgage rates are a huge barrier to affordable homeownership, and even buyers with outstanding credit face painfully high costs. Nychole Baxter, Realtor at Bachman Realty Group, says one of the most valuable things a seller can do is help you assume their mortgage.
An assumable mortgage lets you take over a seller’s existing home loan, including its interest rate and remaining balance.
“Ask if the seller’s loan is assumable,” Baxter insists. “VA, FHA and USDA loans can be. If they bought in 2020 or 2021, you might be able to take over a rate in the (2% range). Good luck finding a price cut that beats that.”
Granted, the original loan contract and the mortgage lender or government loan agency dictate whether a mortgage is assumable, not your seller. But you still need the seller’s agreement to assume the loan. If they’re willing to go through the process, it could result in major savings.
7. Ask the Seller to Cover Your Buyer’s Agent Commission if You’re Using a VA Loan
Until recently, homebuyers using VA loans generally couldn’t pay their own buyer agent commission. Instead, that fee was typically expected to be paid by the seller.
But that restriction put some VA borrowers at a disadvantage. If a seller refused to cover the commission, buyers had fewer options for structuring the transaction.
In April 2026, that restriction was permanently lifted. Now, VA borrowers can pay their buyer agent commission directly if necessary, negotiate for a seller to cover it as a concession, or structure the transaction in other ways, depending on the lender and terms of the deal.
As a military spouse, Baxter is deeply entrenched in the world of VA loans. And she says the rule change gives VA borrowers a lot more flexibility.
“The VA finally lets a veteran actually pay a reasonable buyer’s agent fee if the seller won’t, which used to be a hard no,” she explains. “I still try to get the seller to cover it as a concession first so the vet hangs onto their zero down and their cash.”
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7 Seller Concessions Every Mortgage Borrower Should Negotiate originally appeared on usnews.com
