The difference is that contingent listings still need to meet one or more specific conditions before moving forward. With pending deals, conditions have been met, and both parties are planning to move forward to closing. As a buyer, you may be able to make a backup offer on a listing that's under contract.

When a property is pending, it means the seller accepted a buyer's offer, and both parties agreed to a contract and met their shared requirements. A pending home is in the final stages of escrow and the closing process, which involves transferring property ownership, completing the purchase and signing final documents.

If you see the word “contingent” on your listing, it means that your buyer is working through any contingencies that were a part of their offer — like a financing contingency, home inspection contingency, or buyer home sale contingency. We'll talk more about these below.

So when “contingency” appears in the listing itself, “it means the sellers have already accepted an offer on the property (at least regarding price), but there are still steps to clear before the contract goes fully pending in the system,” says Stephanie Crawford, a Realtor® in Nashville, TN.