Markets shift quietly before sellers notice.

One signal agents are starting to see more often: deals that don’t make it to the closing table.

Today’s B.I.T.S. looks at a new data point that helps explain why some listings are taking longer to sell and why crystal clear communication matters more than ever:

🏆 [B]est in Class: $700K over the Zestimate

💡 [I]deas That Work: The death of the hobbyist agent

📈 [T]raffic & Attention: A church, a Pope, and Zillow Gone Wild

🔔 [S]eller Signals: 40,000 deals fell apart last month

Here’s today’s email 👇

A quiet but important shift is showing up in the numbers: more deals are falling apart before closing.

Roughly 40,000 home purchase agreements were canceled in December, representing 16.3% of homes that went under contract.

That is the highest December cancellation rate since Redfin began tracking the data a decade ago.

The reason is straightforward: buyers have options again.

Inventory has been rising in many markets, and in some of the highest-cancellation metros, sellers now outnumber buyers by more than 80%.

When that happens, buyers become more selective and more willing to walk away if something feels off.

For sellers, the emotional shift can be surprising. Getting under contract used to feel like the finish line.

In today’s environment, it’s often just the midpoint of the process. Inspections, financing, competing listings, and price perception can all reopen the conversation.

The homes that make it to closing tend to have three things working in their favor:

• Clear positioning against competing homes
• Strong marketing that attracts serious buyers
• Consistent communication that keeps sellers confident through the bumps

That third factor is where many deals are quietly won or lost.

When sellers can see the activity, marketing reach, and market context week by week, they’re far more likely to stay patient and aligned with the strategy.

That’s exactly the gap Beacon (you can use that link for a 7-day free trial) was designed to solve, turning the work agents are already doing into clear, visual updates that help sellers understand what’s happening and why.

With 1 in 6 deals now falling apart nationally, the agents who keep sellers informed throughout the process don’t just protect the relationship; they dramatically improve the chances the deal actually makes it to the closing table.

We recommend being the agent who spreads the word about this in your content.

Emails, videos, text messages to past clients, and direct mail can all reinforce that strategy matters more than ever if you don’t want to list your home twice.

Thursday ✅

We hope you liked this week’s bite-sized B.I.T.S.

If you missed any of the advice, you can click here to see the other messages we sent this week.

Monday = [B]est in Class: $700K over the Zestimate

Tuesday = [I]deas That Work: The death of the hobbyist agent

Wednesday = [T]raffic & Attention: A church, a Pope, and a viral listing

Today = [S]eller Signals: 40,000 deals fell apart last month

BONUS: If you want to learn how to market your listings so that a seller never backs out, do not miss our upcoming class:

The Ultimate 90 Day Listing Marketing Plan

Most agents have only a week-long plan.

We have one that runs until the listing is sold, no matter how many days it’s on the market.

See you next week,

- Chris Smith and Jimmy Mackin