Home sellers in the US gave near record levels of concessions to buyers in Q1 2025 according to a new report from Redfin.

Chaley McVay, a Redfin Premier real estate agent in Portland, OR, said: “Buyers used to ask for concessions to cover little things like repairs. Now they’re negotiating concessions so they can afford to buy a home. I recently had one seller cover seven months of HOA (Homeowners Association) fees for the buyer.”

“Sellers are feeling nervous because a lot of them bought at the top of the market in 2021 and 2022, and will now be re-buying at a higher mortgage rate. That’s why I recommend my buyers ask for concessions instead of a lower sale price—it can be a win-win because then the buyer is catching a break and the seller doesn’t have to go below the price they had in their head.”

Concessions rose the most in Seattle, with sellers giving concessions to buyers in 71.3% of home-sale transactions during Q1, the highest share among the 24 major US metropolitan areas Redfin analysed. Almost double the 36.4% recoded a year earlier, representing the largest increase.

Concessions included money toward repairs, closing costs and/or mortgage-rate buydowns.