The return of buyer protections in real estate transactions is revealing a growing disconnect between seller expectations and current market realities, according to Christina Wilger, a licensed real estate salesperson with RE/MAX Benchmark Realty Group in New Windsor, New York.
Wilger says the primary reason deals fall apart today is inspection disputes. “Sellers are still stuck in the market from three years ago, when you could sell anything for top dollar, and everything moved quickly. Now buyers are pushing back,” she explains.
As a result, Wilger finds that sellers are now more likely than buyers to terminate deals. “When they do inspections, I find that sellers are less negotiable, and they usually are the ones blowing up the deal,” she says.
This marks a reversal from the pandemic-era market, when buyers routinely waived inspections and appraisals to compete. Wilger notes that buyers are “doing inspections again. They’re not waiving appraisals as they once were.” At the height of the seller’s market, cash offers dominated, and contingencies were often waived to win a home. Now that the market has stabilized, standard protections have returned.
Wilger attributes this shift to increased inventory and longer time on market. “A few years ago, people really weren’t doing inspections. They would take the house as-is and handle any issues themselves. Now there’s more pushback,” she says.
Buyers in Wilger’s Hudson Valley market now have choices they lacked in 2021 and 2022. With more homes available and more extended marketing periods, buyers can walk away if inspection findings reveal issues and sellers refuse to negotiate. The leverage has shifted: buyers no longer feel compelled to accept a property “as-is” to secure a deal.
Wilger links the inspection issue to a broader pricing challenge. “You could list a property for just about anything a few years ago, and it was still going to sell,” she says. “Now there’s a lot of focus on making sure each listing is really priced appropriately for its location and how it compares with similar homes. If you list it $20,000 higher to see what happens, it’s not going to move.”
This need for accurate pricing has split the market. Well-maintained, correctly priced homes are still selling quickly. “Homes that are well-maintained and priced well are still moving very quickly,” Wilger says. Even higher-end listings above $700,000 — which typically linger longer in her market — can sell within a week or two if they are in good condition and offer desirable amenities.
In contrast, overpriced properties or those in need of significant repairs stay on the market much longer. The difference between a quick sale and a stagnant listing now depends on condition and pricing accuracy, not simply availability.
For agents, Wilger says the main challenge has shifted from handling multiple offers to managing seller expectations. Many sellers who experienced the pandemic boom are still anchored to those conditions, expecting high prices and minimal effort to prepare their homes.
“Everybody thinks we’re still in this insane market where you can just list your home and get 2021 or 2022 prices,” Wilger says. The problem isn’t limited to pricing. Sellers are also less likely to invest in preparing their homes for sale. “You didn’t have to prepare your home as much for sale a couple of years ago. Now you really have to get your home prepped, priced right, and have all your ducks in a row.”
This disconnect leads to failed transactions when sellers refuse to address inspection findings or adjust their expectations based on buyer feedback. Yet Wilger notes that well-priced homes continue to attract offers even when initial deals fall through. “I’ve had a few where deals fell apart, but we continued to get offers. If priced correctly, they are still selling,” she says.
Wilger’s experience suggests the market is developing its own correction for the expectation gap. Sellers who refuse to negotiate on inspection items or hold out for unrealistic prices face more extended listing periods and eventual price reductions. Meanwhile, sellers who accept current market conditions, including the return of buyer protections and the need for accurate pricing, can still close deals successfully.
Whether this adjustment period is temporary or signals a permanent change in transaction dynamics depends on how quickly sellers adapt to the new environment. For now, Wilger says, inspection reports have regained their role as crucial negotiating tools. Sellers who treat inspections as optional are finding that buyers have alternatives and are willing to walk away.
The renewed focus on inspections and accurate pricing reflects a more balanced and transparent market. Buyers are no longer pressured to overlook property issues to secure a home, while sellers can no longer assume every listing will sell at peak pandemic prices.
For agents, the priority is clear: setting realistic expectations with sellers and preparing them for negotiation. The ability to navigate these conversations will determine which transactions succeed and which fall apart. Sellers who adjust quickly to these realities will see the strongest results, while those clinging to outdated expectations may wait much longer for a sale.
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