Are Johannesburg buyers negotiating more after 112 days on market?

[eli.gale]

At 112 days on the market, I would normally expect some room to negotiate, but I am not sure that assumption holds for Johannesburg new-build flats priced from ZAR 6,261,000 to ZAR 9,391,000. Some stock moves while similar-looking units remain available, and a clear insurance position appears to affect buyer interest.

I am looking for tightly matched closed sales that show how the paid amount related to earlier advertised figures. Evidence of price-cut timing, withdrawals or relistings would help too, as would differences in condition and any indication of seller motivation. Is 112 days unusual within the same development or immediate area, rather than across Johannesburg generally?

 

[way.easy]

I wouldn’t treat 112 days by itself as a signal to bid substantially lower. A unit can look stale because it was withdrawn and relisted, while another may have had a price cut only recently. Compare completed sales within the same development, then adjust for size, condition, floor and included features. Seller motivation matters more than the headline number of days.

 

[mapsAndTimber]

Which Johannesburg neighbourhoods are you grouping together? At that price level, crossing even a nearby neighbourhood boundary could produce a misleading comparison. Also, is 112 days measured from the original listing or the latest listing? Without those details, it is hard to tell whether buyers are negotiating more or whether slower stock is simply accumulating.

 

[lila.west]

I’m also unclear about the insurance point. Do you mean the building’s cover, insurance required by a buyer’s lender, or uncertainty about whether a particular issue is covered? Those are different obstacles. If insurance questions are delaying financed buyers, the eventual discount may reflect transaction risk rather than a generally weaker market.

 

[alba_questions]

Financing could explain part of the split. A seller may prefer a cleaner offer over a slightly higher one with more uncertainty, so the final price alone will not show the whole negotiation. I’d ask when any price cuts happened, whether offers fell through, and whether the developer or seller has several similar units competing at once.

 

[lila.west]

Jack’s point about boundaries is crucial, and Tariq’s questions would help separate genuine bargaining from failed transactions. I’d build a small table for the exact development or a tightly drawn nearby area: original ask, latest ask, listing dates, withdrawn periods, condition, financing status if known, and completed price. New-listing volume matters too; 112 days means something different if comparable supply is rising.

 

[AishaSlate]

Waiting for flawless completed-sale evidence could cost you the unit, but treating every reduction or withdrawal as proof of seller weakness could lead to an offer with very little foundation. Asking histories are still useful when several close comparables show the same pattern; they just cannot reveal the terms a seller finally accepted.

Start with the exact development or a very tight nearby area, check when each price changed, and separate genuine long-running listings from withdrawn or restarted ones. Then inspect the unit closely and adjust for condition. If the seller appears motivated, those patterns can support a firmer opening offer. If not, 112 days alone is unlikely to move the negotiation.