If you recently experienced your home sale falling through, you're probably wondering what went wrong. Or maybe you're preparing to list your San Francisco property and want to do everything possible to ensure a smooth closing.
While SF home sellers enjoy one of the lowest deal fall-through rates in the country at just 5%, according to this recent article by the SF Chronicle, that still means 1 in 20 transactions don't make it to closing. When you're the seller in that situation, statistics offer little comfort.
The good news is that many of the factors that cause deals to collapse are within your control as a seller. Let's talk about what you can do to protect your sale from falling apart.
One of the smartest moves that top San Francisco listing agents (including us!) recommend is getting a general inspection before your home hits the market. When you conduct inspections upfront, you can make necessary repairs before buyers ever walk through your door. You can also disclose issues transparently from day one.
Buyers who receive complete information at the outset have fewer reasons to panic during escrow when their own inspector shows up. Surprises kill deals. Transparency protects them.
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Something else to keep in mind when selling your home in San Francisco: the biggest number on paper isn't necessarily your best bet for actually closing. It’s not uncommon to see high offers from buyers who turned out to be overextended, under-qualified, or simply unprepared for the realities of buying a home in San Francisco.
This is where your agent’s experience, training, and connections really show.
As a seller, your listing agent should help you evaluate buyer qualifications, loan pre-approvals, contingencies, and closing timelines. A cash offer might come in lower but close with far fewer complications. A buyer waiving contingencies shows serious commitment. Someone who needs to sell another property first brings added risk.
These factors can matter just as much as the price.
Let's be honest about something. Most top real estate agents in San Francisco will show you similar marketing plans with professional photography, open houses, and online listings. What actually separates successful sales from failed ones often comes down to what happens after you accept an offer.
This is where your agent’s experience, training, and connections really show. Deals get tested during escrow. Buyers get cold feet. Inspection reports raise questions. Financing timelines shift. Your agent's ability to navigate these moments calmly, communicate effectively, and negotiate solutions determines whether your sale survives these pressure points.
We serve as your consultant, negotiator, and project manager.
The ability to read people, manage emotions, and maintain professional relationships with other agents creates better outcomes. San Francisco benefits from a collaborative community of professional realtors. When your listing agent has strong relationships with other top SF realtors, problems get solved faster and more cooperatively.
Recent data shows our market is remarkably stable compared to the rest of the country, where 15% of sales fell through in October 2025 versus just 5% in San Francisco. Our low inventory of active listings puts pressure on buyers to follow through once they commit. Still, certain factors can derail even SF transactions.
Job losses have impacted some tech workers, particularly down in the South Bay. Insurance issues occasionally surface after an offer is accepted. First-time buyers sometimes discover maintenance or insurance costs they hadn't budgeted for.
While you can't control macroeconomic forces, you can control how well you've vetted your buyer and how prepared you are to handle obstacles when they arise.
With nearly 1,000 successful transactions across San Francisco’s diverse neighborhoods since 2002, we've learned that what looks similar on paper varies dramatically in execution when it comes to a real estate deal. Anyone can create a checklist, but how your agent executes that plan and adapts when challenges emerge is what determines your outcome.
As a boutique team of SF real estate specialists from top to bottom, our approach focuses on strategic negotiation, transparent communication, and keeping your sale and your goals on track, even when turbulence arises. We serve as your consultant, negotiator, and project manager to get you an offer you want, at a price you want, with terms you want.
To learn more, check out our SF Real Estate Case Studies to see how we've helped local sellers navigate complex situations to successful closings. Also, subscribe to our newsletter for ongoing insights and updates about the San Francisco real estate market. No spam or games.
If you’re ready to explore your options, we’d love to learn more about your personal situation and see if we’re a good fit to help. Contact us today. We look forward to hearing from you!
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Looking for a trusted team to help you buy and/or sell a home in San Francisco? Reach out to us today. We'd love to help.
