What is a buyer's market?
A buyer's market is when there are more homes for sale than buyers to take them, so homes sit longer and sellers cut prices or offer concessions. On Real Estate Intel, a county with a market score of 40 or under counts as a buyer's market, meaning homes go under contract slower than in most US counties.
Updated November 2026. A plain-language definition, not legal advice.
How it works
Signs include more months of supply, longer days on market, more listings with price cuts and sale prices further below asking.
Real Estate Intel's market score ranks each county's homes under contract divided by homes for sale against every US county. 40 or under is a buyer's market.
Market score in the markets we track
Pending sales against homes for sale, ranked against about 3,000 US counties. 40 or under leans to buyers; 60 or over leans to sellers.
| County | Cities | Market score |
|---|---|---|
| Clark County, Nevada | Las Vegas, Henderson | 27, buyer's marketOct 2026 |
| Washoe County, Nevada | Reno | 76, seller's marketOct 2026 |
| Washington County, Utah | St. George | 29, buyer's marketOct 2026 |
| Salt Lake County, Utah | Salt Lake City | 45, balanced marketOct 2026 |
| Dallas County, Texas | Dallas | 35, buyer's marketOct 2026 |
| Collin County, Texas | Plano, Frisco | 58, balanced marketOct 2026 |
| Tarrant County, Texas | Fort Worth | 57, balanced marketOct 2026 |
| Harris County, Texas | Houston | 35, buyer's marketOct 2026 |
| Travis County, Texas | Austin | 32, buyer's marketOct 2026 |
| Bexar County, Texas | San Antonio | 48, balanced marketOct 2026 |
Realtor.com® Economic Research County-level figures.
What to watch
A county can lean to buyers overall while one home type or price range still moves fast.
Watch whether the score is rising or falling. Direction matters as much as the label.
Questions people ask
What is a buyer's market?
A buyer's market is when there are more homes for sale than buyers to take them, so homes sit longer and sellers cut prices or offer concessions. On Real Estate Intel, a county with a market score of 40 or under counts as a buyer's market, meaning homes go under contract slower than in most US counties.
How do I know if my county is a buyer's market?
Check your county on the Real Estate Intel market page. A score of 40 or under is a buyer's market, under 60 is balanced and 60 and up is a seller's market, from monthly Realtor.com data.
Related terms
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