Negotiating Power Shift: Why Realistic Pricing is the Key to Closing in the Central Arkansas Market
Negotiating Power Shift: Why Realistic Pricing is the Key to Closing in the Central Arkansas Market By Walter Washington, MPA, ABR® | Your Real Estate Advocate Central Arkansas buyers are stepping into 2026 with significantly more negotiating leverage. As the winter and spring markets have shown sluggish periods, buyers are zeroing in closely on list prices and increasingly finding discounts. Across the nation, about 18% of existing-home listings featured a discount by late 2025, and nearly 11% of active listings carried at least three price cuts, according to an analysis by realtor.com®. The new-home market is also seeing heavy concessions as builders compete for contracts. In February, 36% of builders reported cutting prices, with the average price reduction hitting 6%. Furthermore, 65% of builders offered incentives like design upgrades or mortgage rate buydowns, putting pressure on existing-home sellers to stay competitive ( Source Material: National Association of REALTORS®, Melis...