Several years ago I worked with Karen M. and her family on their move to Nashville from Ohio. They were very excited about their move and came prepared for “house hunting” with a targeted budget that made complete sense in Ohio but did not stretch nearly as far in Franklin and Brentwood. After viewing just three homes, what had begun for them as exciting quickly turned stressful, and my primary job became educating them on the realities of that real estate market without talking them out of the move. Karen called it sobering, and later wrote that I “gently helped us realize we were not in Ohio anymore.”
“Paula and her team are exceptional! Our family relocated to Nashville from Ohio. From our first conversation it was clear that Paula was a great realtor and that she would be a pleasure to work with. And, she did not disappoint! She helped us understand the Franklin/Brentwood real estate market, narrow down our search to specific neighborhoods, and understand what our money would buy us in the crazy hot Nashville market (it was sobering but Paula gently helped us realize we were not in Ohio anymore!). We wound up purchasing a market home and Paula was instrumental in helping us secure it quickly. She has great contacts and a wonderful reputation so people take her seriously. She went above and beyond for us in many ways and we are truly grateful to her. She was wonderful during the home buying process and beyond.”
— Karen
During that time, the market they were purchasing into was no fun for buyers. Homes sold in days, and buyers were almost forced to waive things like inspection and appraisal contingencies just to stay in the running. Negotiating wasn’t a conversation. But since giving up wasn’t an option, I rolled up my sleeves, fired up my laptop and cell phone, and got to it. And it worked. It took hours of calling in favors and using every connection I had, but Karen and her family got their dream home.
Today’s buyer is walking into an entirely different market.
For the first time in nearly ten years, buyers in Nashville have a real opening. Buyers can purchase a home without competing against six other offers. They don’t have to give up doing inspections or waive financing contingencies to look serious. Today’s buyers have the leverage they need to not only offer less than list price without being dismissed, but to actually purchase a home under its appraised value and close with equity. If you have been watching Nashville from another state and waiting for your moment, this is what the moment looks like.
The Nashville Market in 2026
Redfin’s June data ranked Nashville the second-strongest buyer’s market in the country, behind only Miami. There are roughly 129% more sellers than buyers here, against a national gap of 48.5%. New listings rose 9.4% while the national figure was essentially flat at 0.1%.
The typical Nashville home now takes 78 days to sell, versus the national average of 49 days. That means a seller is waiting anxiously for almost three months for an acceptable offer, and that anxious wait is exactly what gives you, the buyer, the edge and the time: time to review the comps, time to tour a home twice, time to walk the neighborhood on a Saturday morning, time to drive the commute, and most importantly, time to make the right decision for you.
Why the Nashville Market Shifted
“Buyer’s market” can read like a warning to people who are thinking about investing in a city they don’t live in, so I want to be precise about what this is and what it is not.
This is not a market crashing, and it is not a bubble bursting. What is currently happening is a leveling out after years of enormous buyer demand driven by historically low interest rates, Nashville’s significant corporate growth, and the pandemic-era migration into Middle Tennessee. Three forces pushed demand far past what supply could meet. Supply has finally caught up.
Make no mistake, Nashville is not a market in decline. June stats show a 2.8% increase year over year. Rather, Nashville is a market that has run crazy hot for almost a decade and is now settling into something more balanced, with prices still rising, just more modestly for the moment.
The Leverage Buyers Have Right Now
Redfin reported one Nashville buyer going under contract at $60,000 below list price on a home that, a couple of years earlier, would have drawn competing offers and left that buyer almost no room to negotiate. In another case, first-time buyers closed $15,000 below the appraised value, had 100% of their closing costs paid by the seller, and negotiated repairs before closing. Roughly 17.7% of Nashville listings carried a price reduction in June, and sellers who cut their price cut it by an average of 3.4%.
None of that was available to a buyer in Nashville three years ago. Today, buyers have houses to pick from and leverage to wield when it comes to making an offer.
For buyers who have been watching places like Brentwood, Franklin, College Grove, and Arrington from the sidelines, make no mistake: this is the strongest opening I have seen in years. Those communities have been out of reach for a lot of people for a long time. Listings were few and far between, and homes disappeared quickly, sometimes before they even hit the market. If a buyer was lucky enough to get under contract, it was often because they waived contingencies or paid over list. But today, and for this moment, all of that is in the rear-view mirror, and buyers are the ones sitting in the driver’s seat.
What I Negotiate for Buyers in This Market
Leverage only turns into value if someone knows what to ask for.
I want my buyers to have every benefit this market can afford them, so negotiation is the word of the day: reductions in purchase price, seller credits toward closing costs, seller-funded rate buydowns that lower the monthly payment, home sale contingencies that let a buyer make an offer before their current home has sold, and extended closing dates that give a relocating buyer time to finish a school year, wrap up a job, or coordinate a move across the country.
Two years ago, asking for any one of those would have ended the conversation. Today they are all on the table, and most sellers expect the discussion.
New construction is also competing for the same buyers, which works in your favor. Many builders are offering fixed rates below 5% and closing-cost assistance just to move standing inventory, and those advantageous terms put pressure on resale sellers to sharpen their terms as well. Buyers are the ones benefiting from all of this healthy competition!
Buying a Home in a City You Have Not Lived In Yet
Leverage is worth the least to the person who cannot tell what a house is actually worth, and for buyers coming to a new city, working with an agent who knows the area well is the key to a successful purchase. The internet is an incredible resource, but successful negotiation requires understanding the nuances of each home and each area so you can determine what a property is likely worth, and more importantly, how much competition it genuinely faces. That is local knowledge, and it is not something you get online.
It is also the thing that can keep you from getting caught in a tough situation. Case in point: my client Liyuan L. came to me already attached to two houses early in the search. On paper they looked great, but because of some of the components of the properties, they weren’t going to ultimately give Liyuan and his family what they were looking for in their new life. After educating them on some of the nuances of the homes and locations they had originally liked, we moved on, and two weeks later we made an offer on a home they never would have looked at online but was actually their perfect fit.
“On the buying side, Paula and Jennifer identified issues with some of the houses we were initially interested in, and helped us avoid potential issues down the road. Paula helped us put together a strong and reasonable offer that came on top in a multiple offer situation.”
— Liyuan
I have some personal perspective on all of this. In my “pre-real estate” corporate life, my husband and I moved 16 times in 20 years for his career, which means I have been on the client side of this table far more often than most agents ever will. During some of those moves we worked with excellent agents and had fabulous experiences, and during others we worked with agents who were not skilled or experienced, and the outcomes were dramatically different. Because of that experience, when I decided to retire from the corporate world and pursue my love of real estate, I knew exactly what kind of agent I wanted to be. I have been living in Franklin and selling homes in Middle Tennessee since 2010, and have personally closed more than $691 million in residential real estate. I hold the Relocation Specialist, Accredited Buyer Representative, and Luxury Home designations, and after 16 years in the industry, there is no question in my mind that who you work with matters.
Who You Work With on Your Purchase
Buyers often discover this one too late, so I will say it as simply as I can.
Often buyers choose a real estate group because they recognize the name and face from magazines or social media, and there is nothing wrong with that. Many great agents have great marketing, and that’s a good thing. However, what can sometimes turn out to be problematic is when a buyer doesn’t understand that hiring a “team” doesn’t necessarily mean working with the experienced agent whose name is on the door. Often “teams” have a group of buyer’s agents the experienced agent passes clients to, and a client can go through the entire home buying process without ever meeting the “name” they hired.
Now, many of those buyer’s agents are great at what they do, and the transaction never misses a beat: the home closes and the buyers move in. That model works well for some agents; it’s just not how I choose to operate. I like what I do, and I love working with my clients, so when you hire me, you work with me. I put together your visit, I choose the houses we are going to see, I am the one who takes all of your calls and crazy texts, I set up the tours through the neighborhoods and take you to the showings, and I write the offer and negotiate it. None of that is left to my team. What my team does is support: they handle the coordination and scheduling of all of the “stuff,” including inspections, paperwork, vendors, and timelines, and they are genuinely excellent at that part. Valerie A., who has bought and sold with me twice, put it this way:
“Paula is incredibly knowledgeable about the market and her experience is second to none. She has great intuition and insight and was always available to answer any questions we had. Her team is also phenomenal – they are incredibly organized and made the entire closing process seamless.”
You can read more of those client experiences here.
How Long This Buyer’s Market Is Likely to Last
Being candid, I do not think this buyer’s market will last.
Companies are still relocating headquarters and operations to Middle Tennessee. Our cost of living remains a huge draw for people looking for a less expensive, tax-friendly state, and our public schools are strong. The quality of life our area offers is hard to match. It is precisely for these reasons that our real estate market is largely insulated from the long-term softening and sustained price declines that other parts of the country are working through. Housing demand in Middle Tennessee has real structural support behind it, and the movement to Nashville continues.
Because of that, I think it’s important to understand what we are seeing in today’s market. This is not a price bubble waiting to burst, and it does not mean we are heading toward a permanent shift from Nashville’s decade-long seller’s market. Rather, what we are seeing today is a snapshot in time: a small window for buyers who are ready to take advantage of it.
So if you have been thinking about a move to Middle Tennessee, my honest advice is to stop thinking and start packing. If you are serious about a move but have been “waiting for a better market than this,” please understand: this is the better market. I would hate to see you miss the opportunity.
If you know you are ready, let’s talk about the details, your timing, and what your move will look like. If you are still at the “getting ready to start thinking about it” stage, you can start with my relocation services, or if you just have questions, reach out and we will begin with a conversation.
I work with buyers throughout Williamson County, including Brentwood, Franklin, Nolensville, and College Grove, Arrington, and Thompson Station, as well as Greater Nashville areas like Green Hills, Oak Hill, Forest Hills, and Belle Meade, and I would love to show you around.
And if you need to sell a home before you buy, check out what this same market means for sellers, because the answer is a little different, and it is important to understand both before you plan your move.
Market data: Redfin, July 27, 2026, reflecting June 2026 figures.
