How Much Over Asking
How Much Over Asking Should You Offer in Houston? What Buyers Actually Paid
Updated November 4, 2026
Reviewed by:
Head of Growth at TurboHome
Agent, Texas · Texas Realtor® License #674075
The median home in Houston closed 2.1% below list price between August and October 2026, and 13.6% of the 4,440 closings in our MLS feed sold above the asking price. When buyers did pay over asking, the typical winning offer was 2.0% over list, about $5,156 on a median $300,000 home, while 65.6% of buyers paid less than asking. Whether you should offer over list in Houston depends on the neighborhood, the price tier and how long the home has been listed, and the sections below give the numbers for each.
TurboHome Market Analysis · Houston, TX · Closings August through October 2026 · Published November 2026
Key findings
- Median close: 97.9% of list (2.1% below list price), and 3.7% below original asking.
- Over, at or under: 13.6% of homes sold above list, 20.8% exactly at list and 65.6% below list.
- Size of the premium: when buyers paid over asking, the median premium was 2.0% over list ($5,156), and the 90th percentile closing was 100.9% of list.
- Neighborhoods paying the most: Acres Home (median 100.0% of list), South Acres / Crestmont Park (100.0%) and The Villages of Bear Creek (100.0%).
- Most competitive price tier: the $1M to $1.5M tier, where 25.6% of 156 closings sold above list at a median 98.3% of list.
- Price cuts: 34.8% of closings had at least one price cut before the sale, so a below-list offer is a normal opening move on a listing that has sat.
Houston offers vs asking: the numbers
Closings in Houston in our MLS feed, August through October 2026, all home types.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Closings analyzed | 4,440 |
| Median close vs list | 97.9% of list (2.1% below list price) |
| Median close vs original asking | 3.7% below original asking |
| Share sold above list | 13.6% |
| Share sold at list | 20.8% |
| Share sold below list | 65.6% |
| Median premium when sold over list | 2.0% over list ($5,156) |
| Median discount when sold under list | $14,000 under list |
| 75th percentile close vs list | 100.0% of list |
| 90th percentile close vs list | 100.9% of list |
| Median days on market | 26 |
| Share with a price cut before closing | 34.8% |
"Close vs list" compares the sale price with the asking price at the time the offer was accepted, so price cuts made earlier are already baked into the list price. The 90th percentile (100.9% of list in Houston) shows what the most competitive one in ten offers looked like. A high share of price cuts means list prices are being negotiated down before the sale; in Houston, 34.8% of closings had at least one cut.
What a winning offer looked like by price tier
| Price tier | Closings | Median close as % of list | Share sold above list |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under $500k | 3,380 | 97.9% | 13.1% |
| $500k to $750k | 485 | 97.7% | 10.9% |
| $750k to $1M | 223 | 97.8% | 9.9% |
| $1M to $1.5M | 156 | 98.3% | 25.6% |
| $1.5M to $2M | 98 | 98.4% | 24.5% |
| $2M to $3M | 61 | 98.3% | 24.6% |
| $3M and up | 37 | 96.9% | 18.9% |
The $1M to $1.5M tier was the most competitive in Houston, with 25.6% of 156 closings sold above list at a median 98.3% of list. The $750k to $1M tier was the least competitive, with 9.9% sold above list and a median closing at 97.8% of list.
Houses vs condos: where the bidding is
| Home type | Closings | Median close as % of list | Share sold above list |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single family | 3,779 | 98.2% | 14.9% |
| Condos and townhomes | 657 | 96.1% | 6.4% |
Single family homes in Houston closed at a median 98.2% of list, and 14.9% sold above asking. Condos and townhomes closed at a median 96.1% of list with 6.4% above asking, so the bidding is heaviest on single family homes.
Houston neighborhoods where buyers pay the most over asking (and the least)
Neighborhoods with at least 10 closings in our feed, August through October 2026.
| Neighborhood | Closings | Median close as % of list | Share sold above list | Median sale price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acres Home | 70 | 100.0% | 20.0% | $275,000 |
| South Acres / Crestmont Park | 64 | 100.0% | 15.6% | $252,500 |
| The Villages of Bear Creek | 21 | 100.0% | 33.3% | $241,000 |
| Woodforest | 21 | 100.0% | 19.0% | $250,000 |
| Neighborhood | Closings | Median close as % of list | Share sold above list | Median sale price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Westchase | 27 | 95.2% | 11.1% | $390,000 |
| Braeburn | 10 | 95.0% | 10.0% | $263,500 |
| Close-In Memorial | 17 | 93.3% | 0.0% | $250,000 |
Buyers paid the most over asking in Acres Home, where 70 closings went for a median 100.0% of list and 20.0% sold above asking. At the other end, Close-In Memorial closed at a median 93.3% of list, with 0.0% above asking. Neighborhood figures rest on far fewer closings than the citywide numbers, so read them as direction rather than a price quote.
Days on market changes the answer
In Houston, 33.5% of closings went under contract within 14 days, and those homes closed at a median 99.6% of list with 21.4% above asking. Homes that took more than 30 days closed at a median 97.1% of list, and 9.3% sold above asking.
| Time to go under contract | Median close as % of list | Share sold above list |
|---|---|---|
| Within 14 days | 99.6% | 21.4% |
| More than 30 days | 97.1% | 9.3% |
A home still active after 30 days in Houston is where below-list offers succeed, because the seller has watched the market pass the home by. A new listing in a hot neighborhood is where the premium is paid, because that is where the competing offers land in the first two weeks.
Is Houston getting more or less competitive?
Month by month in our feed, Oct 2025 to Oct 2026.
| Month | Share sold above list | Median close as % of list |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 12% | 97.5% |
| Nov 2025 | 13% | 97.8% |
| Dec 2025 | 10% | 97.6% |
| Jan 2026 | 10% | 97.4% |
| Feb 2026 | 12% | 97.6% |
| Mar 2026 | 15% | 98.2% |
| Apr 2026 | 16% | 98.3% |
| May 2026 | 16% | 98.2% |
| Jun 2026 | 15% | 98.3% |
| Jul 2026 | 14% | 98.2% |
| Aug 2026 | 14% | 98.1% |
| Sep 2026 | 14% | 97.8% |
| Oct 2026 | 13% | 97.5% |
| Metric | Year ago (Aug to Oct 2025) | Now (Aug to Oct 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Median close as % of list | 97.7% | 97.9% |
| Share sold above list | 12.3% | 13.6% |
| Median days on market | 27 | 26 |
| Median dollars over list (sales above list) | $5,100 | $5,156 |
| 90th percentile close as % of list | 100.6% | 100.9% |
| Share with a price cut before closing | 36.6% | 34.8% |
The share of homes sold over asking was 12% in October 2025 (median close 97.5% of list) and 13% in October 2026 (median close 97.5% of list), with a 13-month peak of 16% in April 2026. By the share of homes selling over asking, Houston is about as competitive as a year ago, with 13.6% of closings above list from August through October 2026 against 12.3% from August through October 2025.
Why Houston buyers can offer under asking
Houston is a buyer's negotiating market with a few pockets of competition. The median closing was 2.1% below list and 3.7% below original asking, 65.6% of homes closed under list, and 34.8% of sellers cut the price before the sale. Where homes do sell over asking it is at the entry level: Acres Home (70 closings at a $275,000 median), South Acres and Crestmont Park, Woodforest and The Villages of Bear Creek all closed at list with 15.6% to 33.3% above asking. Westchase and Braeburn closed 4.8% and 5.0% below list, and Close-In Memorial 6.7% below with none above asking. The surprise is the top of the market: $1,000,000 to $3,000,000 homes closed 1.6% to 1.7% below list but 24.5% to 25.6% of them sold over asking, a higher share than any tier under $1,000,000. Single family homes closed 1.8% below list with 14.9% above asking; condos and townhomes closed 3.9% below with 6.4% above.
The national picture
Nationally, Redfin's housing market update published October 29, 2026 (four weeks ending October 25, 2026) reported that 23.2% of U.S. homes sold above list price, the average sale-to-list ratio was 98.3%, 21.5% of listings had a price drop, pending sales were at the lowest level in Redfin's records and the median sale price fell 0.1% year over year, the first decline in more than three years.
In Houston, 13.6% of homes sold above list and the median closing was 2.1% below list price, so Houston is softer than the national market.
How to decide what to offer in Houston
- Start from the neighborhood table, not the citywide median. The median Houston home closed at 97.9% of list, but neighborhoods ranged from a median 100.0% of list in Acres Home to 93.3% in Close-In Memorial.
- Check the days on market and the price-cut history of the listing. 34.8% of Houston closings had a price cut before the sale, and a cut signals room below list. Homes that took more than 30 days closed at a median 97.1% of list.
- Size the offer to the home. On a hot listing, the 75th percentile (100.0% of list) and the 90th percentile (100.9%) show what a competitive offer looked like. On a stale one, the median discount on below-list sales ($14,000 under list) is a sensible place to open.
- Ask the listing agent how many offers are in and whether there is an offer date. An offer date means the seller is planning for competing bids, so your first offer should be your best one.
- Have your agent pull the last five closings on the same street before you name a number. Recent sales next door beat any citywide figure, including the ones on this page.
Methodology
We looked at closings of single family homes, condos and townhouses in Houston from our MLS feed, closed August through October 2026, with the same months of 2025 for the year-over-year comparison. "Close vs list" is the closing price divided by the list price in effect when the offer was accepted; "close vs original asking" uses the first list price. "Sold above list" means the closing price exceeded the list price by any amount. Neighborhood tables require at least 10 closings. Sales under $50,000 are excluded. Figures are medians unless stated. Published November 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How much over asking do you need to offer in Houston?
The median Houston home closed 2.1% below list price (97.9% of list) between August and October 2026. When buyers paid over asking, the median premium was 2.0% over list, or $5,156. A quarter of homes closed at 100.0% of list or higher, and the most competitive one in ten closed at 100.9% of list or higher.
Do homes in Houston sell over asking price?
Fewer than a third do. 13.6% of Houston homes in our feed sold above list between August and October 2026, 20.8% sold exactly at list and 65.6% sold below. A year earlier, 12.3% sold above list.
Which Houston neighborhoods get the most offers over asking?
No Houston neighborhood closed above list at the median in our feed. The firmest were Acres Home (median 100.0% of list, 20.0% sold above asking), South Acres / Crestmont Park (median 100.0% of list, 15.6% sold above asking) and The Villages of Bear Creek (median 100.0% of list, 33.3% sold above asking). Buyers paid the least relative to asking in Close-In Memorial, at a median 93.3% of list.
Can you offer under asking in Houston?
Yes, often. 65.6% of Houston homes sold below list, at a median $14,000 under list, and 34.8% of closings had at least one price cut before the sale. Homes that took more than 30 days to go under contract closed at a median 97.1% of list, with 9.3% selling above asking.
Is Houston more competitive than last year?
About the same. 12.3% of Houston homes sold above list from August through October 2025, against 13.6% from August through October 2026, and the median closing moved from 97.7% to 97.9% of list.
Related TurboHome guides
- How much over asking to offer, by city
- Greater Houston home buying guides
- New construction vs resale homes in Houston
- Best time to buy a house in Houston
- Down payment on a house in Houston
- How long it takes to close in Houston
- HOA fees in Houston
- Best Houston neighborhoods for first-time buyers
- Income needed to buy a home in Houston
- Texas home buying guides
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About the Author
Vinura Abeysundara
Vinura Abeysundara is a real estate and growth professional with experience scaling homebuying platforms across Canada and the United States. Formerly Head of Growth at Zown, he now works with TurboHome and writes about homebuyer savings, flat-fee real estate, commissions, and technology in real estate.
View Vinura on LinkedInAbout Jake Shuler
Agent, Texas
Jake Shuler is a Texas REALTOR® with more than 10 years of real estate experience and over 200 successful transactions. As an agent at TurboHome, he helps buyers navigate the Texas housing market and writes about homebuying, negotiations, local market trends, and ways buyers can save throughout the process.
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