Most Home Sales Close – Here’s How To Keep Yours on Track

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Few things are as rattling as the thought of your home sale falling through at the last minute, right before closing. All that waiting, all that progress, out the window.

But if you’re getting ready to sell, here’s what you should know. Even in today’s market, it rarely comes to that. Buyerswho are moving at today’s rates and prices are generally moving because of some big life change. That means they’re motivated, and eager to get all the way to the closing table.

According to the latest data from Redfin, only about 1 in 7 pending sales are falling through. Meaning the vast majority make it all the way to closing.

And the single biggest thing that puts a deal at risk is the one you have the most power to prevent. It just takes a little smart planning before your house hits the market.

Why Some Deals Fall Apart Before Closing

A Redfin survey sheds light on the most common things that trip up a sale (see visual below):

Here’s a bit more information on each one.

• Inspection or repair issues. This is the big one. When a buyer’s inspector finds a problem, whether with the roof, the plumbing, the foundation, or elsewhere, the buyer can push back, ask you to make repairs, request a credit so they can do it themselves, or see if you’ll lower your price. If they don’t get what they want, they may walk away from the deal altogether.

• The buyer’s financing fell through. Their mortgage loan has to be fully approved in time for closing day. If the loan doesn’t come together, the sale can’t move forward. 

• The buyer’s current house didn’t sell. Some buyers need to sell their own home before they can close on yours. If that takes longer than expected, you may run into some issues with your timeline or even see them give up on their move.

• There was a change in buyer’s financial situation. A new job, a big purchase, or new debt can change what a buyer qualifies for on their mortgage loan, even after they were pre-approved.

Where Your Agent Makes the Difference

Some of those reasons are outside your control, like whether a buyer’s loan clears or whether they sell their own home in time. But according to Zillow, there are a few proactive things you can do to help make sure your sale goes as smoothly as possible:

• Save yourself the headache and get a pre-listing inspection. That’s when you get your own inspection before a buyer gets theirs. It lets you find the big issues before a buyer’s inspector does, so you can fix them or disclose them on your terms, instead of scrambling once you're under contract. In this situation, your agent will help you decide what's worth addressing and what to just disclose. Handle it now, and the biggest risk to your sale is behind you before a buyer ever brings it up.

• Look at more than just the offer price. Your agent will help you weigh the whole offer, including the buyer’s timeline and any contingencies attached. When a buyer’s offer depends on selling their own home first, the success of your sale rides on a second deal you can’t see. Sometimes, a slightly lower offer with fewer strings is the safer one. Your agent will help you weigh your options and make a plan that works well for you. 

One of those is something you can’t do until you have offers in hand, but the other is something you can get ahead of right now. The pre-listing inspection.

That relatively small cost upfront can save you the much bigger hassle of a deal falling apart later. And while getting your own inspection before listing may not make sense in every market, your agent can tell you whether it’s worth it based on your market, your house, and what buyers are prioritizing in your area.

Sometimes the smartest move is staying one step ahead.

Bottom Line

Most home sales still close, and the biggest thing that could get in the way of yours is the one thing you can actually do something about.

With the right prep, your sale has every reason to make it to the finish. So, let’s connect and get your house sold. 

The Kind of House Buyers Are Willing To Pay More For

 

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That spare room on the main floor. The finished basement with a kitchenette and its own entrance. The bonus room you've been using for storage. 

To you, it's extra space. But to a growing pool of buyers, it's the reason they'd pick your house. Here’s why. Multi-generational homebuying is on the rise.

Millions of Families Are Living Multi-Generationally

The number of multi-generational households is climbing. That’s when 3 or more generations live under one roof. And data shows those households grew from 3.2 million to almost 4 million between 2014 and 2024, according to Realtor.com.

And each year, more people are shopping for a larger home that fits their combined needs.

While the appetite for this type of house is rising across the board, data from USAFacts shows multi-generational living is more common in some states than others. The darker the state in the map below, the more common it is in that area (see map below):

Where does your state fall? Depending on where you are, the pool of buyers looking for a house like yours could be even bigger than you’d think. But the overall bottom line is this.

There’s a real market out there for larger homes with room for multiple generations under one roof, especially since affordability is still so tight. And if you own a house like that, it’s in demand.

Multi-Generational Houses Sell at a Premium

And that extra room carries real value with the right buyer. According to Realtor.com, in 2025 the median asking price for a multi-generational house was $709,000 – roughly 65% higher than the $429,900 median for a standard house.

Some of that is simply size. But compare multi-generational homes to regular homes with the same amount of square footage, and they still come out on top – $262 per square foot versus $215.

That’s a 22% premium you could command for special features like in-law suites, second kitchens, and separate entries (see graph below):

When you sell, this could help you walk away with more money in your pocket, especially when your agent highlights your home’s multi-generational-friendly features in your listing.

And Buyers Aren’t Getting Sticker Shock

And even with slightly higher price tags, buyers aren't flinching. Multi-generational houses drew 13.5% more online views than standard ones, and they still sold just as fast – in about 59 days – per the same Realtor.com report.

Hannah Jones, Senior Economic Research Analyst at Realtor.com, explains:

"The strong demand and steep premiums we are seeing in inventory-constrained markets point to a real mismatch between what buyers are looking for and what is actually available. For sellers in these markets, this type of home can be a significant asset."

Basically, when buyers want something that's very specific, the house that checks the box tends to stand out.

Bottom Line

Your multi-generational-friendly, or simply larger-than-average, house might meet criteria a lot of buyers can't find in a standard one. That's what gets attention. And offers. So, let’s chat about what it could get you in our market right now.