Key Takeaways
- Nationally, buyers paid 99% of asking price in April 2026, but several metros tracked in the REMAX National Housing Report came in well below that figure.
- Miami, FL posted the lowest close-to-list ratio at 93.9%, giving buyers significant room below the asking price.
- Markets with 3.5 or more months of inventory, including San Antonio, New Orleans, and Tampa, gave buyers the most breathing room in April.
- Homes in San Antonio averaged 84 days on market in April 2026, the longest of any metro surveyed.
- Negotiating room exists, but correctly priced homes still move. Local knowledge is essential.
Not Every Market Is a Bidding War
Ask most people what buying a home in 2026 looks like, and they will probably describe waived contingencies, offers over asking, and decisions made in 48 hours. That picture is accurate in plenty of cities. But it is not universal. The REMAX April 2026 National Housing Report, which tracks 51 metro areas across the country, tells a more layered story.
In several cities, buyers paid meaningfully below asking price in April. Homes sat on the market for weeks longer than the national average. Inventory piled up faster than sales could absorb it. Those are the conditions where negotiating is not just possible — it is expected. Here is where buyers had the most room to work with in April 2026.
Miami, FL
Miami had the lowest close-to-list price ratio of any metro in the April 2026 report at 93.9%. On a home priced at Miami’s April median of $516,000, that gap works out to roughly $31,000 below asking on average. It is a meaningful number. The rest of the data aligns. Miami carried 5.4 months of supply in April, the highest inventory level of all 51 surveyed markets. Homes averaged 78 days on market, compared to the national average of 45.
Year-over-year sales fell 3.8%, signaling that buyer demand has softened even as the city remains one of the most prominent real estate destinations in the country. For buyers who have been priced out of Miami in previous years or who wrote it off as too competitive, the April numbers suggest a different kind of market than what defined the city just a few years ago.
San Antonio, TX
San Antonio had the longest average days on market in the entire report at 84 days. Months’ supply came in at 4.6, and year-over-year sales dropped 7.7%, one of the steeper annual declines tracked in April. The median sales price was $310,000, making it one of the more accessible large metros in the survey.
The close-to-list ratio of 98% is close to the national figure, but when homes are sitting for nearly three months on average, list prices tend to soften in practice. Sellers who have been on the market for six or eight weeks are generally more open to conversation than those who listed last Thursday. For buyers who want time on their side and a lower-than-average price point, San Antonio stands out.
New Orleans, LA
New Orleans carried 4.7 months of inventory in April, the second highest in the report, and homes averaged 63 days on market. The close-to-list ratio came in at 97%, and year-over-year inventory grew 30.3%, which is one of the largest supply increases tracked in the report. Sales did pick up 11.0% from March to April, which reflects genuine spring activity.
The key distinction is that the available supply grew fast enough that buyers are not competing over a shrinking pool of options. More homes, steady demand, and a seller base that has been waiting longer to close — that combination may give buyers an opening.
Tampa, FL
Tampa’s close-to-list ratio of 96.6% and average of 69 days on market put it firmly in negotiating territory. Months’ supply sat at 3.5 in April, and new listings fell 12.0% year over year, which might suggest tightening. But buyer demand softened alongside supply, keeping conditions balanced.
Year-over-year sales were flat at 0.0%, and the median price held at $390,000. Sellers who came to market expecting a quick, over-asking close are adjusting. For buyers, that adjustment creates opportunity, particularly on homes that have been listed for several weeks without an offer.
Houston, TX
Houston had a close-to-list ratio of 96.9% in April and averaged 50 days on market, above the national average. Months’ supply came in at 4.0, and the median price of $333,000 reflects one of the largest and most affordable major metros in the survey.
Prices dipped 2.0% year over year, one of the more notable annual declines in the report. New listings fell 6.1%, but the existing supply remained healthy enough to keep conditions in balance. For buyers looking at a large metro with a track record of economic stability and below-asking purchase prices, Houston has a straightforward case to make.
How to Use This Data When Buying
Knowing a market tilts toward buyers or sellers is useful context. Knowing how to act on it is a different skill. Days on market and price reduction history are two of the most practical signals at the property level. A home that has been listed for 60 or more days in a city where the average is 50 tells you something specific about how the seller is positioned. A listing that has already had one or two price reductions tells you something more. Neither guarantees a successful negotiation, but both give a buyer and their agent a starting point.
Ricky Cantore, a sales associate with REMAX Advantage Realty in Columbia, Maryland, described the current landscape this way: “It’s more balanced than it’s been in recent years, but buyers still need to be well-prepared and ready to act quickly.”
That applies even in the cities above. A well-priced home in Miami or Houston still draws serious attention. The difference is that buyers in these markets may have more time, more options, and more standing to make an offer that reflects what the data actually supports. A local REMAX agent with MLS access can pull the specific numbers for any neighborhood — not just the metro average — and help buyers understand exactly how much room exists on a given property before making an offer.
