How to Price Your Home to Sell (Without Leaving Money on the Table)

Price your home too high and it sits, grows stale, and eventually sells for less than if you'd priced it right from the start. Price it too low and you hand equity to the buyer. Getting it right is the most important decision a seller makes.

Start with comparable sales

The foundation of any price is "comps" — recently sold homes that are similar in location, size, age, and condition. Active listings tell you about competition; sold listings tell you what buyers actually paid.

• Favor sales from the last few months — older data ages quickly.
• Adjust for real differences: an extra bedroom, a renovated kitchen, a larger lot.
• Weight nearby homes more heavily; even a few blocks can change value.

Adjust for condition and features

Two homes with identical square footage can be worth very different amounts. A defensible price accounts for updates, deferred maintenance, layout, and the features buyers in your area actually pay for.

Factor in the current market

Comps tell you what happened; market conditions tell you what's happening now. Low inventory and fast sales support a higher price; rising inventory and longer days-on-market argue for a sharper, more competitive number.

A correctly priced home creates competition. An overpriced one creates excuses for buyers to look elsewhere.

Avoid the "just test it high" trap

It's tempting to list high and "see what happens." But the most interest a listing ever gets is in its first two weeks. Burn that window with an inflated price and you're left chasing the market down with price cuts that signal weakness.

Let the data do the talking

Kai, our residential expert, can produce an instant, explained estimate from comparable sales and show how renovations or market shifts move the number — giving you a starting point you can defend to any buyer.