Contingent vs. pending: What's the difference?

Say you’re looking for your dream home. You scour listings and tour open houses. Then … you find it. The One. But there’s a sign outside that says “Contingent.” What does that mean? Should you move on? Another potential winner has a sign that says “Pending.” What about that one? When looking at homes, knowing these meanings will help you decide what to do as you come across different listings that might catch your eye.

What does it mean when a house is contingent?

A property listed as contingent means the seller has accepted an offer, but they’ve chosen to keep the listing active. That’s because certain contingencies need to be met by the buyer.

While that’s happening, the seller continues to show the home and is willing to accept backup offers if the original offer falls through.

What are the common contingencies?

Some of the most common contingencies in real estate include:

• Mortgage contingency: A mortgage contingency allows the buyer time to secure a home loan. If they can’t, they can withdraw from the purchase.
• Inspection contingency: This contingency allows the buyer to hire a home inspector to carefully look over the home to determine its condition. Buyers and sellers may negotiate factors like agreed-upon repairs or seller credits if the report raises some concerns. Or, the buyer may back out of the purchase. Not all buyers put this contingency in their purchase offers. In fact, 18% of buyers in 2025 waived the inspection contingency, according to the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) August 2025 Confidence Index Survey.
• Appraisal contingency: This common contingency lets the buyer have the home appraised to meet the conditions for financing. 24% of buyers in NAR’s survey waived the appraisal contingency. Those who don’t may not get lender approval if the appraised price comes in lower than expected.  
• Title contingency: The title contingency puts the closing on hold until a title search confirms there aren’t any ownership disputes or liens.
• Home sale contingency: Buyers can include this type of contingency so that they have to sell their home before closing on their new one.

5 common contingent statuses in real estate

With contingency statuses, there are several subcategories, each with slightly different definitions.

1. Contingent: Continue to show (CCS)

A CCS status means that the home is still being shown, while multiple contingencies need to be met. The seller may accept a better offer from another buyer during this time.

2. Contingent: No show

Here, the seller has decided to no longer show the property or accept new offers even if contingencies haven’t been met yet. This status most likely means the seller is confident that existing contingencies will be met.

3. Contingent: With or without a kick-out clause

A kick-out clause means that the buyer has a deadline to fulfill certain contingencies placed in the purchase contract. If there isn’t a kick-out clause, there is no set deadline in place.

4. Contingent: Short sale

A short sale is when a homeowner is willing to accept less money for the home than what’s owed on the mortgage. Reasons could be the homeowner is struggling financially and is trying not to go into foreclosure. With this status, it means that an offer has been accepted, but the process for the short sale is still ongoing.

5. Contingent: Probate

What does it mean when a house is pending?

3 common pending statuses in real estate

Like contingencies, pending statuses also have subcategories with different meanings.

1. Pending: Taking backups

Even though the buyer is confident about the home closing, this status means that backup offers are still being accepted. The offers will only be relevant if the initial home sale doesn’t happen.

2. Pending: Short sale

Similar to the contingent subcategory, a pending short-sale status means the property is almost finalized with the short sale with the lender. In most cases, this status means that the seller isn’t accepting any backup offers. 

3. Pending: More than 4 months

This status happens automatically in the multiple listing service (MLS) when a home has been listed as pending for over 4 months. It may indicate delays in the transaction, like paperwork or financing taking longer than expected.

Can you make an offer on a contingent home?

You may be able to make an offer on a home listed with an active contingent status. Remember, your offer is a backup one. Meaning, the original offer takes precedence if all of the contingencies are met. But if the deal falls through, you may be ahead of other buyers.

Can you make an offer on a pending home?

A home with a pending status listed is further along in the home sale process. Still, you may be able to make an offer. Check with the listing agent to see whether the seller is considering additional offers.

How often do home sales fall through?

While not common, home sales that fall through are happening more frequently.

Redfin’s analysis of MLS data in July 2025 showed that about 58,000 home-purchase agreements were canceled, or 5.3% of homes that went under contract. This is up from 14.5% a year earlier. What this data shows is that a contingent or pending offer might not have to stop you from giving up on purchasing a home.

Making an offer on a contingent or pending home

If you’re interested in making an offer on a contingent or pending home, you’ll want to structure it so that the seller is interested when the original sale falls through.

Aside from working with your real estate agent to ensure that offers are being accepted, here are several other best practices:

• Structure an offer that you believe is more attractive than other potential bids, like waiving certain contingencies or making a cash offer.
• Get preapproved for a mortgage to show you have the financial means to purchase their home.
• Provide a higher than average earnest money deposit.
• Be ready to act quickly on your offer if the original deal falls through

The bottom line: Understanding the differences between contingent and pending

A contingent property listing is when the seller has accepted an offer but certain contingencies still need to be met. With a pending property, these contingencies have been met and the closing is moving forward.

Whether you want to put an offer on an active, contingent, or pending listing, getting preapproved shows sellers you’re serious about buying a home. Start the process with Rocket Mortgage today and find out how much home you can afford.

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