- Splits and Caps
- Posts
- Builder Bargains
Builder Bargains
Why builders are slashing prices while buyers stay stuck on the sidelines

Splits and Caps Daily: Action for Agents
November 19, 2025
đ Market Move:
Drywall Discounts
Homebuilders are basically running Black Friday early this year â and not because they want to.
41% of builders cut prices in November, the highest in five years. Average cut? 6%. And two-thirds of builders are tossing in incentives like rate buydowns just to get deals across the finish line. Translation: builders are hustling.
Builder confidence is still in the basement at 38 (anything under 50 = âitâs rough out hereâ). Even with mortgage rates easing, buyers are spooked â shutdown drama, job worries, inflation⌠itâs like everyoneâs waiting for someone else to make the first move.
The weird part? The private sector is throwing mixed messages.
The Mortgage Bankers Association says new-home sales surged to their strongest pace in over a year thanks to lower rates + builder concessions.
Meanwhile, Home Depot is like âhousing is slowing down, our sales are flat, and weâre cutting profit forecasts.â
So which is it?
This is what a transition market looks like. Data is delayed, buyers are jittery, and builders are playing offense with discounts. But every cycle like this creates openings.
For agents, there's one takeaway:
When builders start sharpening their pencils, your buyers get leverage. Go find the ones offering incentives, negotiate hard, and position yourself as the guide who knows where the real deals are hiding.
đQuote of the Day:
âHe who has a why to live can bear almost any how.â â Friedrich Nietzsche
⥠Quick Win:
Neighborhood Post: Snap a photo of a local park, coffee shop, or event. Caption:
"One of my favorite spots in [City]! Whatâs yours?"
Local engagement = relationship building.
đ Fun Fact of the Day:
Living Large: đ A billionaire in Mumbai built a 27-story house for his family of six. They have more floors than family members. Thatâs not a home â thatâs a personal skyscraper.
đ Book Recommendation:
âFlow: The Psychology of Optimal Experienceâ by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi â If youâve ever been deep in a deal, on a marathon listing day, or just crushing your to-do list and felt that weird sense of âtime doesnât exist,â youâve hit flow. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi breaks down exactly what that isâand why it matters.
Flow isnât just some feel-good buzzword. Itâs the state where your skills perfectly match the challenge in front of you, and suddenly youâre unstoppable. For agents, itâs when negotiations feel like a dance, calls turn into conversations that close, and the grind becomes almost⌠enjoyable.
The takeaway: figure out how to engineer flow in your day, and you stop working harderâyou start working smarter. Bonus: itâs scientifically proven to boost happiness too, which, letâs be honest, makes every Friday feel like a win.
Perfect for anyone who wants to turn the chaos of real estate into a rhythm you can actually ride.
Momentum is invisible until it hits â keep pushing.



Reply