"Is today's market a buyer's market or a seller's market?" The realtors answer the listeners' question with a caveat that changes everything: it depends on the region and the type of property. And where buyers have more leverage, price isn't the only thing on the table.

Houses sell fast; condos, not so much

In the areas where they work, none of the realtors say, on the recording, that they're seeing a market clearly favoring buyers. Inventory is still thin. But one of the realtors points to a difference by property type:

"There's one type of property I'm noticing is more of a buyer's market, and that's condos and apartments. You can buy those with more of a discount today." — the realtor, on the episode

Single-family homes priced right, she says, hit the market and sell in about two weeks. Condos and apartments take longer — which opens room to negotiate and, in the realtors' view, makes this type of property a good entry point for first-time buyers with moderate income.

The metric used to measure this is time on market, covered in more detail in another article in this paper. The realtors themselves note that the benchmark shifts from one region to another.

Farther out, more room to negotiate

One of the realtors recalls a principle that holds true anywhere in the world: the farther you get from major hubs, the lower the demand. Buyers willing to drive a bit further find properties with less competition — and those areas can genuinely be called a buyer's market. In hot areas, not yet.

Negotiating closing costs

One of the realtors explains the first tool: beyond the price, the buyer pays closing costs — lender fees, appraisal, title insurance, escrow, recording fees, and prepaid taxes and insurance. She cites a range of 3.5% to 4% of the home's value; as a general benchmark, a California buyer's closing costs typically run between 2% and 5%, depending on financing and city.

In a buyer-favorable market, it's possible to ask the seller to cover part of those costs, in the form of a credit at closing (a seller credit or seller concession). Technically it's a price discount, he notes, but it means less cash out of the buyer's pocket on closing day — which helps anyone with limited reserves.

And a practical point highlighted on the episode: you can rarely get both. Generally, the buyer chooses between asking for a lower price or a credit toward closing costs.

Buying points to lower the rate

The second tool, brought up by one of the realtors, is less familiar to people coming from Brazil: using a seller credit to buy discount points and lower the mortgage rate. Each point typically costs 1% of the loan amount and lowers the rate by an amount the lender sets. There's also a temporary buydown, which lowers the payment for the first few years.

When rates are high, this kind of concession can be worth more to the buyer than an equivalent price discount, because it lowers the monthly payment. The math, though, depends on how long the buyer plans to keep the loan: if they refinance soon, part of the benefit of the points is lost.

The limits on seller credits

How much the seller can contribute is capped by the financing rules:

• Conventional (primary residence): up to 3% of the price with a down payment under 10%; up to 6% with a down payment of 10% to 25%; up to 9% with a down payment above 25%.
• FHA: up to 6% of the price or the appraised value, whichever is lower.

The credit can cover closing costs, prepaids, and points, but it can't be used as a down payment or exceed actual costs.

Why the realtor matters here

The realtors argue that knowing which tool to use in which situation — buyer's market, seller's market, or neutral — is a core part of the job. In a competitive market, asking for a credit can weaken an offer against other bidders; in a slow market, not asking leaves money on the table.

Negotiation checklist

• Ask your lender for a comparison of a price discount versus a closing-cost credit versus buying points.
• Check how long the property has been on the market and whether the price has already been reduced.
• Confirm the contribution limit for your type of financing.
• Put everything in the contract: the credit amount and what it's for.
• Remember the appraisal: the price still has to hold up in the bank's report, credit or no credit.

This text is for informational purposes only and doesn't constitute financial advice. Contribution limits and terms vary by program and lender.

Sources and verification

• Fannie Mae Selling Guide — interested-party contribution limits (3%, 6%, and 9% depending on down payment, for a primary residence).
• HUD Handbook 4000.1 — 6% cap on seller concessions for FHA loans.
• Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — discount points and closing costs on the Loan Estimate and Closing Disclosure.
• Transcript and chapters from episode 11 of the Cadê Moradia podcast (recorded April 2026), with the show's realtors.

Watch this part of the episode:

Negotiation Strategies and the Realtor's Role — starting at 11:31 · CADÊ BRAZIL