Pricing is the most important decision in any sale. A home priced honestly, against current market data, sells faster, attracts more buyers, and frequently nets more than one that starts too high and bleeds value while it sits.
Wiz's tip
Ask for the data behind the price. A listing price without comparable sales behind it is a guess, and guesses are what cost sellers tens of thousands of dollars.
The steps, in order
01
Study the comps
Compare recently sold homes of similar size, age, and condition in your neighborhood, not asking prices.
02
Adjust for your home's condition
A fully updated home supports a different price than one that needs work. Honest adjustments matter more than wishful thinking.
03
Listen to the market data
Your agent's comparative market analysis is grounded in what buyers actually paid, the strongest evidence available.
04
Price for the first two weeks, not the last
The best offers usually come in the first two weeks a home is live. A slight underprice beats a large overprice that decays into months on market.
Why overpricing backfires
A home that sits at the top of its price range slowly becomes the neighborhood's overpriced house, and motivated buyers stop looking at it. Then it sells later at or below market, after weeks of price cuts, with a longer days-on-market history that raises every buyer's negotiation confidence.
What can you realistically expect?
Michael gives every seller an honest, market-based assessment of value before the sign goes up, the same discipline that helped a recent client receive a full asking price offer before the listing went live. You deserve the truth, even when it is not the number you hoped for.