The $40,000 Lesson Most Sellers Learn Too Late

A seller called me this week….. Not to list his home….. Just to get a second opinion.

His house has been on the market for about three months. He listed it with a family friend from out of the area at a discounted fee. At the time, it felt like a smart move.

The home has had activity. Around 20 buyers have walked through. But nothing has happened. No offers. Along the way, the price has been reduced by roughly $40,000.

During our conversation, he said something that mattered.

He wished they hadn’t started as high as they did.

Not because he was unrealistic. But because he didn’t understand how the local market would react to that first price, or what the consequences would be once the listing sat. No one had explained that decision in context.

There wasn’t much strategy beyond, “Let’s try this number and see what happens.” When nothing happened, the adjustment was simply to lower the price and wait again.

And this isn’t just an out-of-area agent issue.

Even local agents sometimes do this. A seller asks what they could get. A number is suggested that sounds great. Everyone hopes the market agrees. When it doesn’t, the price gets adjusted later.

That isn’t strategy.

That’s reaction.

Here’s the part most sellers don’t realize.

Pricing strategy should explain the full picture:

• Where buyers are actually active right now

• What happens when a home misses that window

• How quickly leverage disappears once momentum is lost

The market doesn’t punish effort. It punishes inaccuracy.

In this case, saving on commission felt good upfront. But starting in the wrong position ended up costing far more than the discount ever saved.

Time was lost.

Leverage disappeared.

Tens of thousands were erased.

By the time the price finally made sense, the listing no longer felt new.

Are you thinking of selling this year? Before choosing a price, make sure you understand the consequences of missing the market the first time.

That decision carries more weight than most people realize.