Key takeaways
A real estate listing that’s “pending” means the seller has accepted an offer on their property, but the transaction has not yet closed.
“Contingent” also means an offer has been accepted, hypothetically — but it won’t be closed until the contingencies are met.
It is still possible to make an offer on pending and contingent homes, but the chances of an existing deal falling through are usually slim.
“Contingent” and “pending” both signal the status of a listed home — specifically, how close it is to being sold. Like distance markers on an expressway, these terms can help indicate how far along a listing is on the road to closing. Both typically suggest that the property is close to changing hands, but the deal has yet to be finalized. It’s important for house hunters to understand the deeper meaning behind these statuses, so they can make an offer (or not!) with confidence.
Contingent definition
When a home is listed as contingent, that means that the sellers have accepted an offer. But depending on the circumstances, they might still entertain other offers, because there are still contractual requirements that have not yet been met. If these are not met within an agreed-upon timeframe, the sale may fall through. So essentially, the term means that an offer is hypothetically accepted, as long as these requirements are successfully met.
In some cases, the purchase agreement will include what’s called a kick-out clause — this is written into the contract to set specific deadlines for different parts of the sale-finalization process. If those deadlines are missed, the buyer or seller can potentially pull out of the agreement.
Contingent listings can be either “continue to show” or “no show,” which indicates whether they are remaining on the market in the meantime or not. As the names imply, “continue to show” allows the seller to continue showing it until the agreed-to conditions are met. During this time, the seller may even accept other offers from different buyers. A “no show” is the opposite — it means the seller agrees to stop showing the home as the buyer goes about fulfilling the contingencies. This provides additional security for the buyer, and shows that the seller feels confident that the buyer will come through.
Types of contingencies
There are a number of different contingencies that can be agreed to between buyer and seller. Some of the most common contingency clauses include:
Inspection: An inspection contingency means that the sale of the home is contingent upon the results of a home inspection. Depending on how the contingency is written, certain problems or conditions may give the buyer the right to back out.
Appraisal: An appraisal contingency means the sale depends on the determination of an appraiser’s report. If the home appraises for less than the agreed-upon sale price, it could jeopardize the buyer’s financing.
Financing: Speaking of financing, these contingencies mean that the sale proceeds only if the buyer can secure a mortgage loan. If they can’t, they’re not on the hook to buy the home.
Buyer’s home sale: When a buyer is purchasing a new house, they likely also need to sell their current property. This clause makes the purchase of the new home contingent upon the sale of the old. If the buyer of the new property cannot find a buyer for their previous home, then the transaction can potentially be canceled.
Pending definition
Officially, the term pending is used to identify a listing for which all contingencies have been met, the contracts and paperwork are all in and the transaction is just about ready to close. This does not mean that the sale is completely final, though — while a sale may be in the process of finalizing, there are still potential last-minute obstacles that could cause it to fall through.
Types of pending statuses
Taking backups: Some sellers will still accept backup offers until the sale officially closes. The idea is that the seller has these backup offers in hand, and could accept one if the existing deal falls through for any reason.
Short sale: This status signifies that the home is being sold for less than the amount still owed on the mortgage, with the lender’s permission, and that the transaction is close to being finalized.
No show: A no show pending status means the listing will stop showing up on listing sites. This indicates that the sale is very close and both the seller and buyer feel confident that the transaction will go through.
More than four months: If a home has been listed as pending for longer than a four-month period, its status will change to indicate the delay. Things may be taking longer than expected, or it’s possible the real estate agent simply forgot to change the status to “sold.”
Making offers on pending vs. contingent properties
It’s up to you, and your real estate agent, whether you think a pending or contingent listing is worth looking at as you house-hunt. Contingent and pending statuses both signify that the sale transaction is not yet final. For that reason, homebuyers may still be able to make an offer on a home listed as contingent/continue to show, or pending/taking backups. But whether you want to invest your time and effort in making an offer on a home that someone else already has dibs on — and potentially get your hopes up only to have them dashed — is a different story.
Home sales don’t often fall through once they reach the contingent or pending status. But it does happen: According to the National Association of Realtors’ most recent Realtors Confidence Index Survey, 6 percent of contracts were terminated between March and May 2025. If the home you have your heart set on falls into that small-but-real subset of homes whose deals fell through, you could be in luck.
FAQs
Can you still put an offer on a house that is contingent?
It is still possible to submit an offer on a home that is currently listed as contingent, especially if it’s categorized as “continue to show,” meaning the seller still intends to show it to other buyers. There’s no guarantee a contingent deal is going to close — but just because you can submit an offer doesn’t mean the seller will give it serious consideration.
Can contingent offers fall through?
Yes. Contingent deals can fall through if the conditions on which they are contingent are not met. For example, if an accepted offer has a financing contingency in place, and the buyer fails to secure a mortgage loan within the agreed-upon timeframe, the deal could fall through.
Can a seller accept another offer after accepting a contingent offer?
It depends on the specifics of the contract. For example, if the contract contains a “kick-out” clause that lays out specific deadlines for contingencies to be met, and these deadlines are missed, the seller might choose to walk away from the deal and accept another offer instead.
