This means the seller of the home has received an offer from a potential buyer. However, there are certain contingencies that need to be met before the sale can be finalized. A purchase contract may include contingencies — such as a buyer’s contingency for a property inspection and negotiating any necessary repairs with the seller before closing. If any of these contingencies are not met, the contract will be null and void, and there may or may not be penalties assessed. Most of the time, the contingencies within a contract can be worked through without any issues. But there are times when a buyer will back out of a deal because an agreement cannot be reached. Once all the contingencies have been removed and the active contingent stage is completed, the property will show a “pending” status. If a buyer is interested in an “active contingent” home, continue to check back often to see if the status has changed. If you see that the “active contingent” status falls off and the home is not pending sale, this will open the door for the client to place an offer.