Buyers drive hard bargains in Puget Sound area real-estate market

Buyers drive hard bargains in Puget Sound area real-estate market

With home sales soft, agents like Windermere’s Mark Corcoran say most sellers must make concessions to be competitive.

Corcoran, whose main territory is North Seattle, recently represented the seller of a $700,000 home that quickly attracted two offers. Both were at least 10 percent below asking price, and his client declined them.

But with the real-estate market in the doldrums — April sales and prices were down from last year, according to Northwest Multiple Listing Service figures released Monday — buyers are driving hard bargains. Turning down an offer could leave sellers waiting a long time for another.

After about a month, with no buyers in sight, Corcoran’s seller agreed to drop the price 5 percent. That brought a buyer who wanted the house fumigated and the hardwood floors refinished. Again the seller declined.