45 Percent of U.S. Buyers Got Seller Concessions. In Las Vegas It Was Two Out of Three

by Ryan Rose

What Happened

On September 18, 2026, Redfin published a report titled "Nearly Half of Homebuyers Get Concessions From Sellers as Most Markets Tip in Buyers' Favor." The report looked at home sales across the country in the three months ending August 31, 2026. It found that sellers gave concessions in 44.7% of U.S. home sales. A year earlier, that share was 42.6%.

That 44.7% is the highest share for an August since at least 2020, which is as far back as Redfin's concession data goes. Redfin compares August to past Augusts because this data moves with the seasons. The numbers come from reports submitted by Redfin buyers' agents across the country.

Then Redfin broke the data down by metro. It had enough data to rank 29 major metro areas. Las Vegas came in at 66.7%, fourth highest in the country. Only Atlanta (72.8%), Charlotte (67.9%), and Phoenix (67.4%) were higher. Raleigh, North Carolina, was right behind Las Vegas at 66.3%.

The Las Vegas share also jumped 6.0 percentage points from a year earlier. That means concessions were already common here in 2025, and they became even more common in 2026. Nationally, the share rose by just 2.1 points over the same stretch. So Las Vegas is not only higher than the country. It is climbing faster, too.

Redfin also pointed out that eight of the 10 metros with the most concessions are in the Sun Belt. On the other end of the list, concessions were rare in places where homes are still in high demand. San Jose was lowest at 4.2%. New York was at 5.7%, San Francisco at 18.6%, Chicago at 21.9%, and Philadelphia at 25.5%.

Think about that range for a second. A buyer in San Jose gets seller help about 4 times out of 100. A buyer in Las Vegas gets it about 67 times out of 100. Both of those buyers could read the same national headline and walk away with the same idea. Only one of them would be right about their own market.

There was one more number worth knowing. Nationwide, 15.8% of homes that sold in August had both a price drop and a concession. Redfin called that the highest August share in its records. In other words, about 1 in 7 buyers across the country got a double discount: a lower price and seller help at closing.

Redfin column chart showing the national share of home sales with a seller concession rising to 44.7 percent in August 2026

Why It Matters to Las Vegas Residents

Here is the plain version. If two out of three Las Vegas sellers are giving concessions, then asking for one is normal. It is not rude. It is not a long shot. It is what most deals in this valley look like right now.

Redfin explained why. It said Las Vegas is among the five strongest buyer's markets in the nation, with more than twice as many sellers as buyers. When there are more homes for sale than people shopping for them, sellers have to compete. One of the easiest ways for a seller to stand out is to offer help with a buyer's costs instead of cutting the list price.

This hits home because of where mortgage rates are. Freddie Mac reported the average 30-year fixed rate at 7.03% on September 24, 2026. That is the first reading above 7% since January 2025. For many Las Vegas buyers, the monthly payment is the number that decides whether a home works or not. A seller-paid rate buydown or closing-cost credit can go straight at that problem.

Let's put real local numbers on it. FOX5 reported the August median price for an existing single-family home in Las Vegas at $475,000. On that price, with 20% down, principal and interest comes to about $2,536 a month at 7.03%. At last year's 6.30% rate, the same loan would have been about $2,352. That is roughly $184 more each month, before taxes, insurance, and HOA dues.

Now look at what a concession can do. Just as an example, 3% of a $475,000 price is $14,250. Depending on your loan and your lender, money like that could cover a big chunk of closing costs or go toward buying down your rate. Either way, it is cash that stays in your pocket instead of leaving at the closing table.

It helps to know the three main kinds of concessions, because each one solves a different problem. Closing-cost help lowers the cash you need to bring on closing day, which is often the biggest hurdle for first-time buyers. A repair credit covers something the inspection turned up, so you are not paying for a new water heater or roof fix out of pocket in your first month. A rate buydown uses seller money to lower your interest rate, which lowers your monthly payment. Which one makes sense depends on whether your tight spot is cash up front or the monthly bill.

This matters for sellers, too. If you own a home in Summerlin, Spring Valley, or Green Valley and plan to sell this fall, the buyer on the other side of the table probably knows these numbers. Pricing your home and planning your net proceeds around the idea that you might offer a concession is just being realistic about the current Las Vegas market.

Background and History

To understand why Las Vegas looks so different from the national average, it helps to know what kind of market each number describes. The 44.7% national figure is a blend of very different places. It mixes tight markets like San Francisco and New York with loose markets like Atlanta and Las Vegas. The average lands in the middle, but almost no real buyer lives in "the average."

Redfin said August 2026 was the strongest buyer's market in its records going back to 2013. That means more homes for sale and fewer buyers competing for them across the country. Concessions tend to rise when that happens, because sellers need extra ways to get deals to the finish line.

Redfin also noted that many of the metros with high concession rates were hot spots during the pandemic buying boom. Low mortgage rates and remote work pushed a lot of people to move, and much of the Sun Belt built homes quickly to keep up. Since then, those markets have cooled, and buyers have more choices. Las Vegas fits that pattern closely.

New construction adds to the picture here. The Review-Journal, citing Home Builders Research, reported 502 net new-home sales in Southern Nevada in August, down 31% from a year earlier. When builders sell fewer homes, they often lean on incentives to bring buyers in. That puts more pressure on resale sellers, who are competing with those builder deals for the same shoppers.

Our neighbor to the southeast tells a similar story. Phoenix, which ranked third at 67.4%, saw the biggest jump of any metro in Redfin's table, up 15.3 points from a year earlier. Phoenix and Las Vegas share a lot: fast growth during the boom years, lots of new construction, and a big wave of buyers who have since pulled back. When two desert metros that grew the same way land within one point of each other, it is a good sign the Las Vegas number is not a fluke.

Compare that to the markets at the bottom of the list. Redfin said San Francisco is one of just five seller's markets in the country, with more buyers than sellers. San Jose, New York, and Chicago were described as balanced. In places like those, buyers have little leverage, so sellers rarely offer extras. That is the other half of the national average, and it is the half that has almost nothing to do with a buyer shopping in Henderson or North Las Vegas.

Aerial view of a sprawling city grid in daylight, the kind of view that shows how many homes are competing for buyers in a buyer's market

It is also worth being clear about what the Redfin number does not include. A concession in this report means the seller paid for something that lowered the buyer's total cost, such as repairs, closing costs, or a rate buydown. It does not count a lower list price or a price the buyer negotiated down. So the 66.7% is on top of whatever discounts buyers got on price. Some buyers got both.

What Happens Next

Redfin updates this kind of data on a rolling basis, so the next reading will show whether Las Vegas stays near the top of the list. The things to watch are pretty simple. If mortgage rates stay above 7%, buyers will keep pushing for help with costs. If the number of homes for sale stays high compared to the number of buyers, sellers will keep saying yes.

The calendar matters, too. Realtor.com named October 4 to 10 as the best week to buy in the Las Vegas metro this year. For that week, it projected 15.0% more active listings than average, 43.2% fewer views per property, and listing prices 4.3% below the seasonal peak. More homes and less competition usually means more room to negotiate, and concessions are part of that negotiation.

On the other hand, markets do change. Redfin showed that concessions fell in nine of the 29 metros it tracked, including Seattle, San Jose, and San Diego, where demand picked up. If Las Vegas buyers flood back in, sellers will have less reason to offer extras. Nothing in the current data says that is happening here yet, but it is worth watching month to month instead of assuming today's market will last forever.

For now, the direction in Las Vegas is clear. The share of local sales with a concession is higher than a year ago, higher than the national average, and higher than all but three of the 29 metros Redfin tracked.

Ryan's Take

This is one of those reports I want every Las Vegas buyer to see, because the national headline undersells what is happening here. "Nearly half" sounds like maybe. "Two out of three" sounds like the expectation. That is the difference between a buyer who asks for help and a buyer who leaves money on the table because they thought it was not an option.

I also want sellers to hear this without panicking. A concession is not a loss. It is a tool. Sometimes a seller-paid rate buydown does more to get a home sold than a bigger price cut would, and it can save the seller money compared to dropping the price. The right move depends on the home, the neighborhood, and the buyer's loan. A home in Skye Canyon and a condo near the Strip will not play by the same rules. But the old idea that you never offer anything until the buyer begs for it just does not match what the numbers show in Las Vegas right now.

Stack of silver and gold coins representing the closing-cost money Las Vegas buyers can save through seller concessions

What You Can Do

If you are buying, start with your lender. Ask how seller concessions work with your loan type and down payment, because every loan program sets its own limit on how much a seller can contribute. Then ask your lender to run the numbers two ways: a lower price, and the same price with a seller-paid rate buydown. Compare the monthly payments side by side. The answer is not always what you expect.

Next, look at how long a home has been on the market and whether it has had price drops. A home that has been sitting is often a good place to ask for help with closing costs or repairs. Use your inspection report wisely, too. A repair credit for a real problem, like an aging AC unit in a Las Vegas summer, is a fair and common request.

If you are selling, talk through concessions before you list, not after the first offer comes in. Know what you are willing to offer and how it changes your bottom line. In a market where two out of three sales include a concession, having a plan ready can help you move faster and with less stress. Look at what nearby homes that sold recently actually netted, not just their sale prices, so you know what buyers in your part of the valley have been getting. That one step can keep you from being surprised when the first offer asks for help at closing.

And whatever side you are on, remember the lesson here. National real estate news is a starting point, not the answer. Always check the local number before you make a decision about your home.

Have questions about how this affects your home or neighborhood? Reach out to Ryan Rose or text/call 702-747-5921 anytime.