What Does BOM Mean in Real Estate? Not Always a Red Flag

We represent NYC buyers, and a BOM listing is worth a second look, not an automatic pass. Our pillar guide to negotiating in NYC covers where this fits into reading a listing before you bid.

Back on the market, and the clock never actually stopped, is the whole idea behind BOM.

Why would a house go back on the market?

A deal that looked done, until it wasn’t, is what a BOM status really represents. The listing had an accepted offer, sometimes even a signed contract, but the sale didn’t close. The seller then re-lists, often noting BOM prominently so buyers understand why it’s still available.

Do the days on market reset when a listing goes BOM

No, the days keep counting against the seller; it’s the mechanic most buyers don’t expect. Say a listing took 42 days to get an accepted offer, and that deal falls through the next day. It shows up as 43 days on market, not zero, the same cumulative-days-on-market mechanic. Our reading your local market guide covers how days on market shapes your negotiating position more broadly.

Does going BOM hurt the sale price

It can be, mostly because of what buyers assume, not what’s true, the honest answer. A long time on market, BOM status included, tends to read as reduced leverage for the seller. Buyers often expect a price cut even when nothing is actually wrong with the unit.

That perception gap can work in a buyer’s favor. It’s especially true when the real reason for the BOM status is unrelated to the property, like a buyer’s financing falling through.

Is a BOM listing a red flag for buyers

Sometimes, asking why is free and the right way to approach one. A failed inspection is worth investigating directly. A rejected co-op board application or a buyer’s cold feet says nothing about the unit itself.

Ask your agent to find out what actually happened before the last deal fell through. Many listing agents are upfront about it, especially when the cause, such as a board rejection, has nothing to do with the property.

How common is it for a deal to fall through

Less common than the internet makes it sound is the real picture. Nationally, roughly 5% of pending home sales fall through before closing, according to NAR’s own confidence survey. Rates vary by market, and NestApple doesn’t track a NYC-specific figure, but it’s nowhere near the “one in three” impression a BOM listing can sometimes give.

What we tell buyers eyeing a BOM listing

Ask what happened before you assume the worst, or the best, is the standard we hold every client to here. A BOM listing can be a genuine opportunity. Sometimes it’s a motivated seller, a unit that already cleared an appraisal, or simply bad timing for the last buyer.

As Georges puts it, “it’s all about the numbers and the execution,” and a BOM listing rewards the buyer who does the homework everyone else skips. On average, our commission rebate returns roughly $22,000 at closing. Run your full numbers on the closing cost calculators before you bid on a BOM listing.

Common questions

What does BOM mean in real estate? Back on market: a listing whose accepted offer or signed contract fell through and is available again.

Why do listings go back on market in NYC? Common causes include a failed mortgage or appraisal contingency, a co-op board rejection, a failed inspection, or a buyer getting cold feet.

Does a listing’s days on market reset when it goes BOM? No. The count continues from where it left off rather than resetting to zero.

Is a BOM listing a bad sign for buyers? Not automatically. Many BOM listings fall through for reasons unrelated to the property, such as financing issues or board rejection.

How often do real estate deals actually fall through? Roughly 5% of pending sales nationally, per NAR’s own survey data, though rates vary by market.

Written by Nicole Fishman Benoliel

Co-founder of NestApple and a lawyer admitted to the New York bar, not currently practising.