Nashville listings study finds 38% left market without a sale

An analysis of 15,829 Nashville-area listings found that 38% of homes that exited the market over the last year never recorded a sale at the address. The study also found that as-is homes sold faster than the broader market but closed at steeper discounts.

Why it matters: - The data shows how often Nashville-area listings fail to turn into sales, even after months on market. - The findings also quantify the tradeoff for sellers who market a home as-is: faster closings, but lower sale prices. - For homeowners weighing repairs versus a quick exit, the gap between a listing and a sale can mean real money and time lost.

What happened: - Sell My House Fast TN analyzed 15,829 residential listings in Davidson County and adjacent Middle Tennessee counties using RealTracs MLS data. - The dataset covered listings dated Aug. 1, 2025 through Aug. 3, 2026. - Of the 9,692 listings that left the market, 4,901 closed and 4,791 were cancelled or expired. - After checking cancelled and expired listings against other entries at the same street address, 1,105 were relisted and eventually sold. - The remaining 3,686 listings had no recorded sale at that address, equal to 38% of all market exits.

The details: - The share of unsold exits varied by submarket. - Madison had the highest share of market exits with no recorded sale at 48.8%. - Hermitage followed at 45.2%. - Antioch came in at 39.4%. - Old Hickory posted 38.7%. - Nashville proper posted 37.4%. - Brentwood posted 35.0%. - Goodlettsville had the lowest share in the group at 29.6%. - 716 listings, or 4.5% of the total, used condition language such as as is, needs work, handyman, investor special, cash only or TLC. - Closed as-is listings had a median 8 days on market, compared with 14 days for the rest of the market. - As-is closings finished at a median 94.7% of original asking price, versus 98.1% for other listings. - The median as-is closing was $20,000 below original ask, compared with $9,900 below ask for the rest of the market. - Among sellers who cut price at least once, as-is listings gave up a median $38,750, while other listings gave up a median $24,900. - As-is listings were less likely to fail outright, with 25.3% leaving the market with no recorded sale, compared with 38.7% for the rest. - Homes built from 1960 to 1979 were the most likely to sell below original ask, at 66.3%. - Those older homes took a median 13 days to do it. - Homes built in 2020 or later were least likely to cut price, at 54.5%. - Newer homes were most likely to leave the market unsold, at 53.2%. - The company website includes market-specific guidance for how to sell your house fast in Nashville, Knoxville, Chattanooga and Gatlinburg, plus a plain-English breakdown of what it costs to sell a house as is in Tennessee.

Between the lines: - The analysis shows association, not causation. - As-is listings typically started from a lower price point, with a median original ask of $345,500 versus $499,900 for the rest of the market. - Condition language in MLS remarks is a seller and agent choice, not a property inspection. - That means the study measures homes marketed as needing work, not a verified count of every home that actually needs repairs. - The pattern in newer homes suggests some builders may be withdrawing and relisting inventory instead of discounting it. - Tasha DeRegis, owner of Sell My House Fast TN, said the key takeaway is the 38% share of listings that paid for photos, stayed showable for months and still never sold.

What's next: - Sellers comparing repair costs, pricing and timing can use the study as a reference point for what the Nashville market has been doing over the past year. - Homeowners can also use the company’s site to review local selling options and as-is cost guidance. - The methodology notes that days on market can reset when a listing is withdrawn and relisted, which can affect how some listings appear in the data.

The bottom line: - In Nashville-area data, one in three listings that left the market never recorded a sale, and homes marketed as-is moved faster only by giving up more price.