What does pending sale mean in real estate?
A pending sale is a home with an accepted offer that has not closed yet. The buyer and seller have signed a contract, but inspections, appraisal, financing or other conditions may still need to clear. Counting pending sales against homes for sale shows how fast a market is moving, before closings show up in sold data.
Updated November 2026. A plain-language definition, not legal advice.
How it works
Listings usually move from active to pending once the contract is signed, though some markets use a contingent status first.
Pending counts lead closed sales by a month or two, which is why Real Estate Intel's market score uses them.
Pending sales in the markets we track
Homes under contract against homes listed for sale in the month, from Realtor.com.
| County | Cities | Pending sales |
|---|---|---|
| Clark County, Nevada | Las Vegas, Henderson | 2,249 of 11,447 listedOct 2026 |
| Washoe County, Nevada | Reno | 525 of 1,294 listedOct 2026 |
| Washington County, Utah | St. George | 430 of 2,146 listedOct 2026 |
| Salt Lake County, Utah | Salt Lake City | 939 of 3,608 listedOct 2026 |
| Dallas County, Texas | Dallas | 1,685 of 7,491 listedOct 2026 |
| Collin County, Texas | Plano, Frisco | 1,432 of 4,620 listedOct 2026 |
| Tarrant County, Texas | Fort Worth | 1,827 of 5,992 listedOct 2026 |
| Harris County, Texas | Houston | 4,238 of 18,836 listedOct 2026 |
| Travis County, Texas | Austin | 1,265 of 5,888 listedOct 2026 |
| Bexar County, Texas | San Antonio | 2,403 of 8,916 listedOct 2026 |
Realtor.com® Economic Research County-level figures.
What to watch
Some pending deals fall through and return to active. A home back on the market isn't always a problem home; ask why.
Compare pending sales with the same month a year ago to take out the seasons.
Questions people ask
What does pending sale mean in real estate?
A pending sale is a home with an accepted offer that has not closed yet. The buyer and seller have signed a contract, but inspections, appraisal, financing or other conditions may still need to clear. Counting pending sales against homes for sale shows how fast a market is moving, before closings show up in sold data.
Can you make an offer on a pending home?
You can submit a backup offer. If the first deal falls through, the seller can move to yours.
Related terms
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