If you are thinking about buying or selling a home in Ahwatukee, Chandler, Gilbert, Phoenix, or another East Valley community, you may be wondering who has the advantage right now.

Is it buyers?

Is it sellers?

My answer may surprise you: it can be both.

Today's East Valley housing market is much more complicated than simply calling it a buyer's market or a seller's market. I am seeing conditions that can give sellers an advantage in one situation while giving buyers negotiating opportunities in another.

That's because there isn't just one number that determines what is happening with a home. Inventory matters, but so do the property's price range, location, condition, competition, days on market, and how accurately it was priced when it was listed.

For buyers and sellers, understanding those differences can be far more useful than relying on a national housing headline.

More Homes for Sale Can Give Buyers More Choices

One of the biggest changes in parts of our local market is that buyers have more choices than they did when inventory was extremely limited.

That does not necessarily mean there is an oversupply of homes. In fact, overall inventory remains relatively tight in several East Valley communities.

But having more homes to compare can change buyer behavior.

When buyers have choices, they can compare price, condition, location, upgrades, and value before deciding which property deserves their attention.

That means sellers are competing for buyers in a way they may not have needed to during the extremely competitive markets of previous years.

Days on Market Can Change the Conversation

Another number I pay close attention to is days on market, which simply means how long a home has been listed for sale.

A home that was listed yesterday may create a completely different negotiating situation than a similar home that has been available for 60 or 90 days.

If a well-priced property receives immediate attention, a buyer may have less room to negotiate.

But when a home has been sitting on the market, the seller may be more willing to have a conversation about price, repairs, closing costs, or other terms.

That does not mean there is something wrong with a home just because it has been listed longer. It may have started at the wrong price, been marketed poorly, competed against several similar properties, or simply missed the right buyer when it first came to market.

For buyers, those homes are worth another look.

Price Range Can Completely Change the Market

This may be one of the most important differences in today's market.

A community can appear competitive overall while a particular price range within that same community gives buyers substantially more negotiating power.

Current Ahwatukee data provides a great example. Overall inventory remains relatively tight, but conditions vary considerably when you look at individual price ranges.

That means someone purchasing an entry-level home may experience a completely different market from someone shopping for a higher-priced property just a few miles away.

The same principle applies to sellers.

Your competition is not every home for sale in Phoenix or even every home in your ZIP code. Your real competition is the group of properties a qualified buyer is likely to consider instead of yours.

Correct Pricing Matters More When Buyers Have Choices

When inventory was extremely limited, buyers sometimes had very few alternatives. That could give sellers more flexibility with pricing.

Today's buyers can be more selective in many situations.

If two similar homes are available and one appears significantly overpriced, buyers can simply focus their attention on the other property.

That is why I believe the first few weeks on the market are so important.

Pricing a home correctly does not mean giving it away. It means understanding what buyers are currently willing to pay and positioning the property so it competes effectively against the alternatives.

When a home is priced and presented correctly from the beginning, sellers put themselves in a much stronger position.

Condition and Presentation Are Playing a Bigger Role

Buyers are also paying closer attention to condition.

When several homes meet their basic needs, things such as maintenance, updates, cleanliness, photography, presentation, and overall first impression can influence which property they choose to see.

This does not mean every seller needs to remodel before listing.

Sometimes relatively simple improvements can make a meaningful difference. The key is determining which improvements are worthwhile for the particular home and which ones are unlikely to provide enough benefit to justify the expense.

Negotiating Power Can Be Property-Specific

This is where I think today's market gets particularly interesting.

A buyer may have significant negotiating power on one home and very little on another.

Imagine two homes in Chandler.

The first was just listed, is beautifully presented, priced appropriately, and already has considerable showing activity.

The second has been available for 70 days, had a price reduction, and the seller is preparing to purchase another property.

Those homes may be in the same city and even the same general price range, but I would not recommend approaching them with the same offer strategy.

Understanding the circumstances surrounding the individual property can matter just as much as understanding the overall market.

Sellers Can Still Have an Advantage

More negotiating opportunities for buyers do not automatically mean sellers have lost their advantage.

Inventory remains relatively tight in portions of the East Valley, and desirable homes can still attract strong buyer interest.

If your property is in a sought-after neighborhood, falls within a price range where inventory is limited, and is positioned correctly, you may be competing against relatively few alternatives.

That can create a very different selling environment from what the national headlines might suggest.

What Does This Mean if You Are Buying?

If you are buying, I would not assume you need to pay the asking price, and I would not assume every seller is willing to negotiate either.

Before deciding how to structure an offer, I want to understand the individual property.

How long has it been listed? Has the price changed? What have comparable homes actually sold for? How many similar homes are available? Is there significant buyer activity? Is the home positioned correctly for the neighborhood?

Those answers help us determine where you may have negotiating opportunities and where you may need to put your strongest foot forward.

What Does This Mean if You Are Selling?

If you are selling, I believe preparation matters more today than simply putting a home in the MLS and waiting for buyers to arrive.

We need to understand your competition, determine an appropriate pricing strategy, present the home effectively, and make sure buyers and their agents can easily discover the property.

I also believe in reviewing the MLS information carefully before a property goes live. AI Audits can be completed to help ensure the listing information supports strong MLS Matchability™ and accurately communicates the home's important features.

The goal is to give your property the strongest opportunity to compete from the day it enters the market.

There Isn't One East Valley Housing Market

That may be the most important takeaway.

Ahwatukee is not necessarily experiencing exactly what Gilbert is experiencing. One Chandler neighborhood may behave differently from another. A condominium can have very different supply and demand than a single-family home. And a $450,000 property can face completely different competition from a $1 million property.

That is why I believe local knowledge matters so much right now.

If you are thinking about buying or selling, I would rather show you what is actually happening with homes like yours—or homes like the one you want to buy—than base an important decision on a national headline.

Your strategy should be built around your market, your property, and your goals.

If you are considering a move in Ahwatukee, Chandler, Gilbert, Phoenix, or another East Valley community, I would be happy to help you understand what the current market means for you.

Contact me here and let's start the conversation.

Kip Wilkins is a licensed REALTOR® with Equities Real Estate, LLC. REALTOR® is a registered trademark of the National Association of REALTORS®. Equal Housing Opportunity. Market conditions vary by community, neighborhood, property type, and price range. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed and should be independently verified.