What are you waiting for? Rates, prices, activity?

by Scott Cooper

Waiting for rates or prices to drop? You might be missing the bigger picture

If you’ve been thinking about buying or selling a home this year, there’s a good chance you’ve said—or heard—some version of this:

“I’m just going to wait and see what happens with rates.”

On the surface, that sounds reasonable. Nobody wants to make a big financial decision at the wrong time.

But here’s what’s actually happening right now—and why waiting might not be the safe move people think it is.

The market isn’t frozen. It’s shifting.

A lot of people assume the market is “slow” right now.

It’s not.

What we’re seeing instead is a shift in balance.

Inventory is increasing. More homes are coming to market. At the same time, sales activity is improving slightly—but not at the same pace. That creates a gap between supply and demand.

And when that gap widens, it starts to show up in pricing.

We’re already seeing that in real numbers—average and median prices have softened, even as more homes are being listed.

That’s not a crash. It’s a rebalancing.

Why waiting feels safe—but often isn’t

Here’s the part most people miss.

When interest rates eventually come down—and they will—it doesn’t just make homes more affordable.

It brings buyers back into the market.

More buyers means more competition.

More competition means less negotiating power.

And often… higher prices.

So the idea of “waiting for better conditions” can actually create the opposite result: you end up competing harder and paying more.

Right now is a different kind of opportunity

Today’s market isn’t perfect—but it offers something we haven’t seen in a while.

More choice
Less urgency
Greater ability to negotiate
Sellers who are open to working with serious buyers

For buyers, that creates a window.

For sellers, it creates a need for strategy.

Sellers: the market doesn’t care what you need

One of the toughest conversations happening right now is around pricing.

Many sellers are holding on to numbers based on:

what they need from the sale
what a neighbour got months ago
what they hoped the spring market would bring

But homes don’t sell based on expectations.

They sell based on what a buyer is willing to pay today.

And with more competition hitting the market every week, pricing correctly from the start is becoming more important—not less.

Buyers and sellers are in the same market

There’s a common idea that people should try to “sell high and buy low.”

In reality, most people are buying and selling in the same market conditions.

If prices are softer, you may sell for less—but you’re also buying into a softer market.

If prices rise, you may sell higher—but you’re also paying more on the purchase.

Trying to perfectly time both sides is rarely realistic.

Making a well-informed, strategic move is.

The biggest risk right now isn’t action—it’s inaction

What I’m seeing more than anything right now is hesitation.

Not bad decisions—no decisions.

People are waiting for clarity. Waiting for headlines to improve. Waiting for the “right time.”

But the market tends to reward people who:

understand what’s happening
get good advice
make measured, confident decisions

There are absolutely ways to move forward right now that are smart, controlled, and aligned with your goals.

But staying frozen while the market shifts around you?

That’s the move people usually look back on and wish they handled differently.

Final thought

You don’t need perfect conditions to make a good decision.

You just need the right information—and a clear strategy.

If you’ve been watching and trying to figure out your next move, this might be the time to take a closer look rather than sit on the sidelines.