This is what happens when buyers finally realize your “dream home” doesn’t live up to the fantasy price.

Sellers Are Getting Ghosted: 15% of Homebuying Contracts Were Canceled in September

Housing costs are frightful and economic jitters are in the air, leading some buyers to leave sellers in the lurch.

Just over 53,000 home-purchase agreements nationwide were canceled in September, equal to 15% of homes that went under contract that month. That’s up from 13.6% a year earlier.

15% of Homebuyers Ghost Sellers Before Closing
Pending U.S. home sales that fall out of contract, as % of all pending sales

https://www.redfin.com/news/contract-cancellations-september-2025/