Most real estate deals fall through because buyers lose confidence during the tight inspection window, especially when repair coordination is slow, scattered, or unclear. Agents who bring speed, consolidation, and clarity to repairs protect client trust and keep transactions moving. The right workflow isn’t just a time-saver—it’s now essential for closing deals in a market defined by buyer choice.
In August 2025, 15.1% of pending home sales fell through. That’s nearly 1 in 7 deals lost before closing, up sharply from the 11.4% rate during the 2021 housing boom. According to Redfin, it was the highest cancellation rate for that month since tracking began.
In real terms? Over 57,000 transactions failed in a single month.
Agents and sellers aren’t dealing with isolated headaches. The landscape has shifted. Buyers have options. They leave the table anytime risk outweighs reward.
So why are deals really falling apart in 2025? And how do the best agents keep sales together through the roughest part of the process?
When Redfin polled over 440 agents, the top killer wasn’t financing, timing, or cold feet. It was inspection and repair uncertainty.
Breakdown from the field:
Inspection or repair issues: 70%
Financing fell through: 28%
Buyer's home didn't sell: 21%
Change in finances: 15%
Buyer found another home: 13%
Economic concerns: 12%
Seller backed out: 11%
Clearly, inspection and repair issues are the real problem here. Why?
A single inspection report can run 70 pages or more, flagging hundreds of repairs and upgrades. For buyers, the line between “normal wear and tear” and “hidden money pit” blurs fast. The home they loved becomes a question mark.
Most inspection contingencies offer 7–10 days to get everything sorted—inspection, review, contractor quotes, negotiations, and the final “are we in or out” call. But finding good contractors, waiting for estimates, and explaining each repair’s cost and consequence becomes a race against the clock.
If agents can’t deliver answers, or if the answers are vague, late, or scattered, buyers get spooked. It's easier for them to start find a home they have more faith in than risk putting their money into something they view as risky.
With time short and choices plentiful, most buyers just keep moving.
One of the main reasons repairs are so stressful is the outdated process. Most repairs involve multiple skilled trades, which means reaching out to what can be a half-dozen contractors. Plumber, electrician, HVAC, roofer, carpenter, mason, pest control., etc. Are they available? How quickly can they come out? How fast will they return a quote? Will the price be fair? Will the work be quality? Who will even perform the work, the person who comes out or a sub-contractor?
If the agent won't make those calls, then it can create a bad client experience. But if the agent makes those calls, manages all the vendors, sorts through the estimates...that takes time. Hours. And then they still have to find bandwidth to walk their client through everything and make sure the client agrees with and feels good about what happens next.
When agents handle every part of repair management, no one’s steering the deal’s bigger picture. And when it's left to the client, it might not get done at all.
The agents protecting most of their pipeline in 2025 have a strong repair system. Here’s what makes the biggest difference:
Rapid repair estimates Is your process built to deliver all costs, for every trade, within 24–48 hours?
Consolidation Can you give your buyer or seller one estimate, one plan, one clear answer?
Clarity Show line-by-line costs and priorities. Separate high-impact fixes from cosmetic issues.
Workflow Use partners, systems, or tools that automate the stuff any agent shouldn’t be spending hours on—repair scope, vendor coordination, communications.
Communication Buyers don’t panic when they have a plan. Sellers don’t drag their feet when the outcome is predictable.
Compass agent Piers Bocock had both kinds of stress at once: a buyer under the gun with a 70+ page inspection report and a seller needing must-have updates to get a listing back on market. He used Bluetape for both projects. For his buyers, we provided a comprehensive, multi-trade estimate inside a day.. For his sellers, we transformed a hallway closet into a laundry space, including the necessary ventilation and plumbing. No lost buyers. No delayed listing. Both deals closed.
Want the details? Read the full case study.
Most deals crumble after inspection because buyers don’t get the clarity they need, fast enough. Agents who tighten their coordination, pool repair estimates, and protect their own time keep deals moving—and their pipeline healthy.
Looking for a step-by-step workflow? Download Bluetape's Guide to Real Estate Repair Workflows