“We’re just going to wait for prices to come down.”
It’s an objection many real estate agents are hearing right now. On the surface, it’s actually a logical way to think. The real problem is that most consumers are being conditioned by national headlines, social media commentary, and market narratives that have nothing to do with their local reality.
With the framework I’m sharing here, you’ll know how to lead these conversations in a calm, responsible way, without arguing or coming across as pushy.
Consumers are relying on information they believe is factual. They’re not interested in debating you or listening to you counter headlines with your opinions. Unless they’d rather put homebuying on hold indefinitely, they’re likely one clear fact away from making a move.
Here’s how to give them the clarity they need to act on facts rather than fear.
Why National Headlines Are Warping Local Decisions
A lot of the hesitation starts long before you ever sit down with a buyer or seller. Consumers are being fed a steady stream of national headlines and social media hot takes that paint housing as one giant market moving in one direction.
That’s not how real estate works.
Yes, there are parts of the country where prices are softening. You see it in certain Sun Belt markets, parts of Florida, parts of Texas, and other high-inventory areas. But when your client references “the market,” they’re usually talking about something they saw online, not what’s happening on their street.
This is where agents get into trouble. Quoting a headline or throwing out a forecast doesn’t build trust. It often does the opposite. Clients don’t need more noise. They need context.
Your job is to help them understand how their local market actually works.
Why Forecasts Alone Don’t Change Behavior
I see agents lean on forecasts all the time. “Realtor.com says prices are going up X percent next year.”
But forecasts are just that. Forecasts. You can’t expect someone to make a six or seven figure decision because an economist threw out a projection and told them to move fast.
What works far better is walking people through where we are, how we got here, and what actually drives prices. That starts by zooming out before you zoom back in. If you zoom out and look at the long-term history of home prices, the story gets a lot clearer and a lot calmer.
Since the early 1940s, nominal home prices have declined by 1% or more in only one period of time. That was from 2007 to 2011, four consecutive years out of more than eight decades.
That period was not a normal housing cycle. It was a once-in-a-generation mortgage crisis. Outside of that anomaly, meaningful price declines are incredibly rare.
To be clear, though, this isn’t a stat you jam down someone’s throat. It’s something you walk them through. When I have this conversation, I’ll often say something like—
“Can I just zoom you out for a minute and show you a trend we’ve seen over a long period of time, then bring it back to what we’re seeing locally?”
That framing lowers defenses and opens the door to understanding.
The One Thing That Actually Drives Prices
Prices fall because of supply.
Not headlines. Not the doomers on social media. They fall when the supply of homes for sale exceeds the number of buyers shopping for them.
Real estate is an interest rate sensitive business, but at its core, it’s a supply and demand business. When supply rises faster than demand, prices come under pressure. When supply is constrained, prices tend to hold or rise.
The simplest way to explain this to consumers is months of inventory.
Months of inventory shows how long it would take for the current supply of homes to sell at the current pace, assuming no new listings came on the market. Historically, about four to six months of inventory signals a balanced market. That’s equilibrium.
Below that range, sellers tend to have leverage. Above it, buyers do.
In many markets right now, inventory is still well below that equilibrium range. Even with some seasonal softening, supply remains historically low. That’s why prices haven’t collapsed, despite what the headlines might suggest.
Once buyers and sellers understand this, the conversation changes. You’re not there to debate whose opinion is right. With this approach, you show them how the market works.
And by doing so, you arm them with the clarity they need to act in their own best interests. Whatever they decide in the short-term, they’re now better able to make informed decisions.
Turning This Framework Into Confident Conversations
This framework works in buyer consults, listing appointments, and follow-up calls because it replaces pressure with understanding. Instead of reacting to objections, you’re guiding people through how the market actually functions.
From there, they learn to take headlines with a grain of salt. And if you’ve helped them understand better once, they’re more likely to turn to you when they have questions.
Having said that, even the best frameworks only work if you use them consistently. That’s where repetition, accountability, and real-world practice make the difference.
Starting January 12, we’re kicking off the BAMx 2026 Call Challenge, a four-week challenge designed to help you turn conversations like this into daily habits.
During the challenge, you’ll get:
- Tom Toole trainings focused on real conversations agents are having right now
- Weekly role play masterminds with Tom, Lisa, and me
- Weekly accountability check-ins inside the community
- An updated script book and objection cheat sheets built for today’s market
There will be one weekly winner each week and one overall challenge winner at the end.
If you want to stop losing deals at the “we’ll wait” objection, this is how you fix it.
Not a BAMx member yet? Sign up today for a 7-day free trial and access the Q1 Call Challenge classroom.
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