Before You Sell: The 2 Key Facts Every Homeowner Needs

Before you put your home on the market, there’s something you should know: the sellers who succeed right now aren’t the ones sitting on the sidelines. They’re the ones who adapt early.

Plenty of homeowners this year walked away disappointed — not because the market failed them, but because their expectations didn’t match reality.

Realtor.com reports 57% more homes were pulled off the market compared to last year — meaning they listed but never sold. And the truth is, most of those situations came down to two things: price and timing.

With the right mindset around both, many of those outcomes would’ve been very different. Here are the top two lessons you can take from their experience.

1. Start With the Right Price on Day One

The biggest hurdle for most sellers is the list price. Right now, 8 out of 10 homeowners believe they’ll hit—or even beat—their asking price. But that optimism doesn’t always match what’s happening in the market.

Redfin shows that only about 1 in 4 sellers (25.3%) are actually selling above their list price.

And that gap comes from one thing: expectations stuck in the past.

A few years ago, you could put almost any number on a home and buyers would swarm. Even overpriced listings often sold above asking. But the market has shifted — and those days are gone.

Buyers now have more choices than they’ve seen in years, which means they’re pickier. If your price is even slightly off, they’ll scroll right past it.

And that’s what happened to many sellers this year — instead of making a small adjustment that could’ve changed the entire outcome, they pulled their homes off the market. It’s unfortunate, because in most cases, a modest price correction is all it takes to spark activity and get the sale moving again.

HousingWire reports that the typical price reduction today is only about 4%.

Think about that for a second. Some sellers are pricing too high and walking away instead of making a simple 4% adjustment. If they had just started 4% lower, many of them would’ve already closed. Before you list, sit down with your agent and look at what’s actually working in your neighborhood. They’ll help you land on a price that’s competitive, realistic, and still protects your bottom line.

And here’s the part most people miss: if you’ve owned your home for a while, your equity gives you the flexibility to price strategically and still walk away with a strong profit. Those sellers who pulled their listings never took that into account.

2. Don’t Rush the Process

Another mistake sellers make is assuming their home will be gone in a weekend. Many remember the days when listings vanished in hours — and expect the same now.

But that’s not how most markets are behaving anymore. Today, it typically takes around 60 days from listing to closing, which is completely normal (as the gray section in the chart shows).

Many sellers right now remember when homes sold in as little as hours – and they expect that to happen today. But in most markets, that’s not the reality anymore.

It only feels slow because everyone’s comparing today’s pace to the lightning-quick market of 2020 and 2021.

It’s like cruising at 65 mph on the highway and then dropping to 25 on a side road — it feels painfully slow, even though it’s exactly the right speed for the conditions. That’s the part many sellers struggle with, but you don’t have to. Knowing what’s normal sets you up to stay confident and ahead of the curve.

Buyers today are more deliberate. They’re comparing options, taking their time, and making thoughtful moves — and honestly, that’s creating a healthier, more balanced market.

So if you’re getting ready to sell, don’t expect it to happen overnight. And don’t panic if you don’t get an offer the first weekend. That’s completely normal right now.

If you want to speed things up, work with your agent on what will make your home stand out — whether that’s staging, strong photography, or strategic pricing. With the right prep and guidance, your home can still move quickly.

Bottom Line

If you’re thinking about selling, don’t let the current market intimidate you — let it inform your strategy. The listings that stalled this year weren’t destined to fail; they simply launched with the wrong approach and never adjusted.

You can absolutely succeed by starting with the right price, giving the process the time it naturally requires, and partnering with a local agent who understands how to position your home for maximum traction from day one.

Because in today’s market, winning isn’t about sitting back and hoping conditions shift in your favor. It’s about stepping in with clear expectations, smart preparation, and a strategy built for the reality of how buyers behave right now.

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