Is Now a Good Time to Sell a House in Austin? A 29-Year Broker Answers

By Clay Byrne | Founder & Principal Broker, Byrne Real Estate Group | Updated Sept. 28, 2026

Every week a homeowner asks me some version of the same question. So we sat down and put it to me interview style, the way you’d ask it at the kitchen table. I’m Clay Byrne, Founder and Principal Broker of Byrne Real Estate Group. I’ve sold homes in Austin for 29 years and I still go on listing appointments every week, so these answers come from what I’m seeing in the field this month, backed by the latest market data.

The Austin Market at a Glance

Metric	Latest	What It Means
Metro median sale price (Aug. 2026)	$412,000	Down 6.4% from a year ago
Months of inventory	5.1	About 6 months is balanced
Pending sales vs. Aug. 2025	+1.5%	Up, even with fewer homes sold
Average 30-year fixed rate (week of Sept. 24)	7.03%	Up from 6.71% on Sept. 3

Sources: Unlock MLS August 2026 Central Texas Housing Report (Austin–Round Rock–San Marcos MSA); Freddie Mac PMMS.

Is Now a Good Time to Sell a House in Austin?

That’s a great question right now. We’re seeing more buyer activity than we have in the last two years. Buyers want to work with sellers who are realistic about today’s market.

Being realistic doesn’t mean you have to give it away.

Everybody has a pretty good idea of fair market value because of all the information online. Buyers look at features and benefits for the price. The newer part of the equation, and it’s been around a couple of years now, is financing. Rising rates affect sellers as much as buyers, maybe more, because sellers have to learn how to help a buyer get the deal done. Selling a house in this market is a true partnership.

What Are Austin Buyers Actually Doing Right Now?

They’re asking a lot more questions. Rates climbed quickly over the last six weeks or so, and that slowed buyers down even more. They’re comparing mortgage products and figuring out which sellers are willing to help bridge the gap, whether that’s paying for discount points to buy down the rate or contributing to closing costs.

But the buyers are out there. I listed a home in Lost Creek this month and had nine showings in the first week. Some homes don’t get nine showings in a month. Areas with higher-ranked schools have the least inventory, and buyers show up for them.

At Byrne Real Estate Group we also advertise that we’ll help buyers who purchase our sellers’ homes, and calls into our mortgage company, Buyer’s Rate Mortgage, have picked up because of it. Budget always matters, and right now buyers are operating with a lot of discernment.

Should I Cut My Price or Help With the Buyer’s Rate and Closing Costs?

It depends on what matters most to the buyer. Cutting the price is the easiest thing to do, so sellers keep cutting and cutting. It’s also usually the most expensive option for the seller, and it isn’t always what helps the buyer most.

Say your house is listed at $500,000. You’re getting some activity, but not enough to create an offer. You have two choices.

Price Cut vs. Rate Buydown on a $500,000 Listing	A: Cut the Price $25,000	B: Cut $5,000, Give $15,000 Toward Points
Sale price	$475,000	$495,000
Total cost to seller	$25,000	$20,000
Buyer’s 10% down payment	$47,500	$49,500
Loan amount	$427,500	$445,500
Interest rate	7.00%	≈ 6.16%
Monthly principal & interest	$2,844	$2,716

Illustration only. Assumes a 30-year conventional loan and roughly a 0.25% rate reduction per discount point (about 3.4 points). Point pricing changes daily; ask a loan officer for current numbers.

In option B the seller keeps $5,000 more and the buyer’s payment still drops by about $128 a month. The buyer is better off and the seller is better off.

Every buyer is sensitive to something different. Some care most about price. Some care about cash out of pocket at closing. Some care about the monthly payment. When you take the time to understand the person who wants to buy your house, you know which lever to pull, and everybody wins. Work with someone who knows how to run those numbers and have those conversations.

What’s the Biggest Pricing Mistake Austin Sellers Make?

Getting stuck on a number. The more important question is why you’re selling. Is it medical bills? A move to be near the grandkids? Is the house too big, too small, or the commute killing you? You have to understand the reason behind the sale, not just the price.

If price were the only thing that mattered, every house in America would have sold in 2022.

Don’t Wait 189 Days to Drop the Price

Realtor.com’s research on listing histories shows price cuts peak around the fourth week on market, then spike again around six months (about week 27, or 189 days) and again near the one-year mark, when sellers hit deadlines they set for themselves. Their June 2026 report found homes that sell around week four close about 1.8% better relative to asking price than average, while homes sitting 18 weeks close about 1.3% worse.

By week 27, every active buyer has seen your house and decided it isn’t worth the price. Meanwhile your competition has already been through three or four reductions. So when you price, look ahead. If three or four similar homes have been sitting at the same price for a while, expect them to cut soon, and get ahead of it with a sharp price and incentives buyers can see, like paid closing costs or an allowance for floors or a roof. Advertise those incentives. When our listings advertise incentives and the competition doesn’t, buyer interest picks up every single time.

What’s Happening	What It Usually Means
Showings, but no offers	It’s the price. Buyers came, compared, and chose something else.
Few or no showings	Revisit your motivation. Buyers care about location, condition and price. You can’t change location, so it’s condition, price, or incentives.

Which Parts of Austin Are Selling Best Right Now?

Austin isn’t one market. Here’s how it breaks down from what Byrne Real Estate Group is seeing this fall.

The “Fields on the Horizon” Test

If you drive into a neighborhood and see open fields on the horizon, those fields usually mean more houses are coming. You could be competing with new construction for 10 to 15 years. That’s true even in good neighborhoods like Santa Rita Ranch and much of the Georgetown and Liberty Hill area.

Builders have gotten smart. They keep money moving, so they throw incentives at buyers. I’ve seen design incentives of $60,000 to $80,000 and advertised rates under 5% on some homes. Published guides put typical builder packages closer to $10,000 to $30,000, and many of those low rates are temporary buydowns that reset after a year or two. Either way, a resale seller in those areas has to be very thoughtful about price and incentives.

The big picture is still good. Austin is a destination city. Major employers keep committing here, including NXP, xAI and Renesas, and the office market has posted four straight quarters of positive absorption, its best stretch since 2022. Families want to be near their kids and grandkids, and entrepreneurs want to be here for the connections.

Who Should Not Sell Right Now?

People tell me, “I have a 3% rate. Why would I move?” You don’t move because of an interest rate. You move because life changes: a job or transfer, a divorce, a death in the family, medical reasons, the property becoming too much to manage, schools, a commute, or needing to upsize or downsize.

If you don’t need to move and don’t want to, don’t. And if the only reason is “let’s see if I get my number,” that isn’t a winning strategy in this market. My job is never to talk anyone into selling. Sometimes an objection is really fear of the unknown, and what the person needs is someone to explain what’s going on. But if your reason is a real life event that can’t wait two, three or five years, then let’s figure out the right strategy to get it done.

How Should I Prepare My House and Handle the First 30 Days?

How you bring a property to market is one of the most critical moments in the whole process, right next to negotiating the final terms.

Once you decide to sell, it’s no longer your home. It’s an asset, and now it’s a project.

For every prep decision, ask one question: will this make it easier for a buyer to picture their life here? A new jetted tub, no. A serviced AC, clean filters and matching lightbulbs, yes.

1. Before you list. Declutter, declutter, declutter. Paint, clean or replace carpet, and clear the floors. Fix the known problems. Power wash the exterior, clean out the garage and patio, and get the yard right. For big-ticket repairs you won’t do, get bids so you negotiate with real numbers.
2. Weeks one and two. Launch with a sharp price and your incentives already advertised. Your photos are the first showing. The curb is the second. Give the listing a week or two to reach buyers’ inboxes, feeds and the portals.
3. Weeks two and three. Read the feedback. If it’s quiet, make a change to condition, price or incentives, then hold an open house. That combination gets people off the couch and into your house. Open houses matter more now, because a lot of buyers want to look without being pressured, and we’ve sold several homes this year through them.
4. Week four. This is when the market gives its verdict. You have offers, or you have real feedback telling you what to change.

Should I Sell This Fall or Wait Until Spring 2027?

I like the fall market. We usually see an extra push of contracts from the end of September to about Thanksgiving, and another small push in December. Competition drops because many sellers give up and decide to wait for spring. The “best time to get a deal” headlines actually help sellers, because they send out buyers who are ready to write offers.

The problem with spring is that everybody waits too long. They list in April, which leaves April, May and June to get a deal done, right when everyone else lists. Austin’s active listings have averaged around 12,000 over the past two years and climbed past 16,000 by late April this year, roughly a third more competition.

If you’re aiming for spring, list by mid-February and no later than March 1. Buyers start looking on January 1, and you beat the crowd before the price cuts start and buyers smell blood in the water. January and August tend to be the slowest months.

Can I Buy My Next Home Before I Sell This One?

Yes, and right now we’re having good success getting contingent offers accepted, meaning the purchase depends on the buyer selling their current home. Sellers are more open to terms than they would have been a few years ago.

It works when all the agents and parties learn about each other’s properties. When you make a contingent offer, your plan to sell your own house is part of the offer. Show the seller your pricing, your home’s condition and your plan to get it sold, because they’re entering a business relationship with you too. There are a lot of variables to juggle, but we’re doing it often, mostly for families upsizing, moving to a different neighborhood, or needing more bedrooms.

Should I Wait Until Mortgage Rates Come Down to Sell?

It comes down to what’s best for you. But think about what happens if rates do drop. A lot of sellers are waiting for that moment, and they’ll race to list. More sellers will jump in than buyers. The speculative buying of 2022 is long gone; today’s buyers are people who need to buy, and if rates drop they’ll wait to see how much inventory hits the market. That could push prices a little lower before they go back up.

Nobody knows when rates will come down, and it could be years. Putting your life on pause for something you don’t control misunderstands the risk. We only get so much time on earth. Do you want to stay somewhere that doesn’t fit your life anymore?

What we do is lay out two numbers side by side. One is a quick-close option and what you’d likely put in your pocket, which is usually a lot lower. The other is a full market launch: the house prepared, the incentives buyers need right now, and a realistic net. Then we ask: can you live with it, and will it let you do what’s next? If you want to wait five years, wait five years. That’s your call to make with good information.

Is Austin a Buyer’s Market or a Seller’s Market Right Now?

More of a buyer’s market. The simple test is to look at which side has to come up with the solutions, and right now it’s sellers. Those solutions come as condition changes, price changes, incentives, and very good agent-to-agent communication to get a deal done.

There are exceptions. Better schools, better locations, beautiful properties, and larger lots with pools are all in high demand. Some design choices from the last ten years are starting to fade, so stay away from gray. In many neighborhoods it’s a mix, and you can’t slap a price on a house and ignore the feedback. No showings, or showings with no offers, is feedback.

What’s Different About Working With Byrne Real Estate Group?

Our values are simple: make it easy, treat people special, everyone is our customer, do great work, and do epic stuff. When I looked at the landscape, I asked how we could make this easier. So we put our brokerage and our mortgage company, Buyer’s Rate Mortgage, under one roof. One Team. One Plan.

For sellers, that means we see in real time what buyers are struggling with in financing and which solutions are working today, and we tell you every step of the way. It helps us match buyers and sellers. We also have one person whose whole job is to quarterback logistics between agents, clients, vendors, the lender, insurance and inspectors, so nothing gets lost in translation. After 29 years, we have a thick book of solutions that have worked in all kinds of markets.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is now a good time to sell a house in Austin?

Yes, if you have a real reason to move and you’re realistic on price, says Clay Byrne of Byrne Real Estate Group. Buyer activity is the strongest in two years, and pending sales are up slightly from last year even with rates near 7%. Sellers who price right from day one and offer financing help are getting homes sold.

Why isn’t my house selling?

If you’re getting showings but no offers, it’s almost always price. If you’re getting few showings, look at condition, price and incentives, since location can’t change. Check in with your agent at least weekly, review the feedback, and don’t wait months to adjust.

How long does it take to sell a house in Austin?

It depends heavily on the neighborhood, price and condition. Realtor.com’s research shows the best outcomes come around the first four weeks. If you have no offers by then, the market is telling you something needs to change.

How much can a seller contribute to a buyer’s closing costs or rate buydown?

It depends on the loan. Conventional loans generally allow 3% of the price with less than 10% down, 6% with 10% to 25% down, and 9% with more than 25% down. FHA allows up to 6%. A loan officer can confirm the limit for a specific buyer.

Is it better to cut my price or offer a rate buydown?

A buydown can lower a buyer’s monthly payment more than a bigger price cut, and cost the seller less. It depends on whether the buyer is most sensitive to price, cash at closing or monthly payment, so run the numbers both ways.

Should I sell in the fall or wait for spring?

Fall has less competition and motivated buyers trying to close before year-end. If you choose spring, list by mid-February and no later than March 1, before inventory swells.

Should I sell to a cash buyer?

It can make sense if speed and certainty matter more than top dollar, or the house needs work you don’t want to do. Cash offers come in below full market value. The Byrne Real Estate Group Guaranteed Cash Offer gives you a written cash offer within 72 hours, good for 14 days, so you can compare it side by side with a full market launch.

Can I buy a new home before selling my current one?

Often, yes. Sellers are accepting contingent offers more often in this market, especially when the buyer shows a clear pricing and marketing plan for the home they need to sell.

About Clay Byrne. Clay is a lifetime Austin Realtor with 29 years in the market and more than $1 billion in career sales. He’s the Founder and Principal Broker of Byrne Real Estate Group and owner of Buyer’s Rate Mortgage, a real estate coach, a youth sports coach, and host of the podcast Real Estate All Day with Clay. He lives in Rollingwood with his family.

Sources

1. Unlock MLS, August 2026 Central Texas Housing Report
2. Freddie Mac, Primary Mortgage Market Survey
3. Realtor.com, “By Week Four, Your Listing Is Either Getting Offers or Price Cuts” (June 2026)
4. Avison Young, Austin Office Market Report, Q2 2026

Loan example is for illustration only and is not a commitment to lend. Buyer’s Rate Mortgage NMLS #2565699. Equal Housing Lender.