In real estate sales, “Contingent” and “Pending” are terms used to indicate the status of a property about its sale, but they have distinct meanings.

A property is marked as “Contingent” when an offer has been accepted by the seller, but certain conditions (contingencies) still need to be met before the sale can proceed. These conditions could include inspections, appraisals or the buyer securing financing. During this stage, the seller may continue to show the property and consider backup offers in case the initial offer falls through.

Property that is marked as “Pending” is when all the contingencies have been satisfied and the sale is in the final stages of completion. At this point, the deal is considered firm and the property is essentially off the market.

In summary, “Contingent” indicates that there are still conditions to be met, while “Pending” signifies that the sale is in its final stages with all contingencies satisfied. Both statuses imply that the property is under contract, but the specific stage of the sales process differs.