Homes Now Selling at 93.5% of List Price in Jacksonville, Marking End of Seller’s Market

Written by:

Steve Marcinuk

Date:

09 Dec 2025

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Jacksonville’s real estate market has shifted decisively away from the frenzied conditions of the pandemic years, with homes now selling at an average of 93.5 percent of list price—down sharply from the 100 to 105 percent seen just 18 months ago. According to Terry Sadowski, a Realtor with RE/MAX Specialists and a Jacksonville-area agent since 1986, this change signals a clear end to the era of automatic bidding wars and seller leverage.

“Definitely a definite cooling trend,” Sadowski says. “A few years back, it was the seller’s market, and homes were selling at 100% or 105% of the first list price. Today, looking up the numbers, it’s like 93.5% from the list price to the final sales price.”

This drop in the sale-to-list price ratio is more than a statistic—it reflects a shift in negotiating power and the entire transaction process. Sellers can no longer expect immediate, over-asking offers, while buyers have regained the ability to negotiate, compare options, and proceed at a more deliberate pace.

The End of Panic Buying

The most noticeable change is the disappearance of the urgent, high-pressure environment that defined Jacksonville’s market during the pandemic. Buyers who once felt forced to make offers within hours, competing against multiple other bids, now have time to weigh their options.

“Buyers can negotiate now. Before, when there were three or four other bids, it was tough for them to negotiate. Now, they’ve got a little breathing room where they can see several homes and decide which one they like best,” Sadowski says.

He notes that buyers are no longer in a panic to submit offers immediately for fear of missing out. Instead, they can conduct due diligence, compare properties more thoroughly, and submit offers that reflect their true preferences and priorities. This shift allows for more thorough inspections, negotiation of repairs, and inclusion of contingencies—practices that were often sidelined during the height of competition.

A Return to Balance

Sadowski describes the current Jacksonville market as “a little bit more of a balanced market today than it was, for sure.” In practical terms, this means sellers must set realistic prices and cannot count on quick, above-asking sales. Properties that are overpriced or poorly presented now linger on the market rather than selling by default.

Buyers, meanwhile, have more leverage to negotiate on price, request repairs, and secure terms that protect their interests. This has slowed the pace of sales, increasing the average days on market and expanding the pool of available homes at any given time.

While Sadowski notes that inventory levels remain “relatively healthy,” the increase in days on market gives buyers more options and reduces the sense of scarcity that drove bidding wars in previous years.

Implications for Agents and the Broader Market

For real estate professionals, this rebalancing demands new strategies. Agents representing sellers must set realistic price expectations and advise clients that the days of automatic over-asking offers are over. Those working with buyers can take a more measured approach, encouraging clients to evaluate homes carefully and negotiate terms that meet their needs.

Sadowski’s experience suggests that other markets that experienced pandemic-era price surges may face similar adjustments as demand cools and inventory builds. The drop from 105 percent to 93.5 percent of list price in Jacksonville could serve as a preview for other cities where home values spiked during the last several years.

Whether this new environment represents a lasting equilibrium or a temporary phase remains unclear. Sadowski, drawing on nearly 40 years in the business, views the current market as more sustainable and less volatile than the recent past. He emphasizes that this is not a distressed market, but rather a return to conditions where both buyers and sellers must adapt to a more balanced playing field.

The key question now is whether other markets will see similar changes—and if their transitions will be as gradual as Jacksonville’s has been. For now, the days of panic buying and routine bidding wars in Jacksonville appear to be over, replaced by a more deliberate, negotiable, and sustainable market.