Why Now’s a Great Time To Negotiate Perks as a Buyer

If you’re eyeing the San Francisco or Redding real estate market, you’ll want to know this: buyers today are in a stronger position to negotiate than they’ve been in years.

With housing inventory steadily increasing—particularly in new construction—both sellers and builders are offering incentives to attract serious buyers. These aren’t just nice-to-haves; they’re strategic offers that can lower your upfront costs and boost your return on investment.

What Are Concessions, and Why Do They Matter?

Concessions and incentives are essentially benefits thrown in to help make a deal happen.

• Concessions are compromises—like a seller covering your closing costs or agreeing to make repairs.

• Incentives are perks builders advertise to make their properties more appealing—think interest rate buy-downs, appliance upgrades, or price reductions.

Whether you’re investing in a luxury home in Nob Hill or buying your first duplex in Redding, these added benefits can improve your cash flow or reduce your short-term expenses.

Builders Are Negotiating More Than Ever

New construction is booming in parts of Northern California, but builders aren’t waiting around for buyers to come to them.

According to recent data, over half of newly built homes and nearly three-quarters of quick move-in homes are offering some kind of incentive. Many builders are also adjusting their pricing—about 30% dropped their prices in each of the first few months of the year.

Why? They’re sitting on inventory, and they’re motivated to move it—fast. That means if you’re considering a brand-new home, especially one that’s move-in ready, there’s a good chance you can negotiate valuable extras that improve your ROI.

Resale Sellers Are Also Getting Creative

Increased inventory isn’t just in the new-home space—existing homeowners are listing too, which means more options and more competition. In fact, over 44% of sellers offered concessions in March alone.

This trend is especially visible in neighborhoods where demand is balancing out, such as parts of the East Bay and Redding’s west side. While home values are still strong—up over 57% in the last 5 years—sellers are now more open to paying for repairs, throwing in appliances, or covering some of your closing costs to seal the deal.

What This Means for You as a Buyer or Investor

If you’ve been waiting for the right time to buy—whether it’s a custom build in the hills or a multi-family fixer-upper—now’s the moment to explore your leverage. Concessions can ease your upfront costs, and they’re a smart way to increase your property’s value without overextending your budget.

From a construction management perspective, negotiating upgrades during the build phase can also help you avoid post-purchase remodeling costs, ultimately protecting your bottom line.

Let’s Talk Strategy

If you’re curious about what kinds of incentives are realistic in our local market, let’s have that conversation. I’ll help you evaluate where the deals are, what sellers or builders might be willing to offer, and how to structure a purchase that supports your long-term investment goals.

Ready to start looking—or negotiating? Let’s build your real estate success together.