Agents say setting realistic prices, addressing repairs and investing in presentation are essential as sellers adjust to slower sales and rising inventory
for Realtor.comPRO
Ongoing high interest rates, increasing inventory, inflation and economic instability have necessitated price cuts and concessions for anyone looking to sell their home.
The typical home spends about 62 days on the market (up a week from a year ago) and nearly 20 percent of listings saw price reductions in September. In other words, just putting a house on the market doesn’t lead to a slam-dunk sale anymore, according to the Realtor.com September 2025 Monthly Housing Market Trends Report.
“We’re in a moment where sellers can’t rely on the emotional, scarcity-driven pricing of the past few years,” said Susie Dempsey, a Corcoran real estate agent specializing in Manhattan and Hamptons luxury listings.
This new reality has been slow to set in for those looking to list. Today’s real estate agents have their work cut out when explaining the current real estate market to prospective clients.
Realistic pricing is imperative
During the COVID-19 pandemic, sellers could list their homes for elevated prices and secure multiple offers within days (sometimes hours). Now, if someone wants their home to sell, they need to price it realistically from the get-go.
“That often means listing at, or even slightly under, the most relevant comps to generate strong early interest rather than chasing the market down with later price cuts,” says Dempsey.
If a seller wants to test the market with a higher price, Dempsey adds that she’s very clear upfront that time is the cost of that strategy.
“When a property hits the MLS overpriced, it loses its initial buzz quickly,” said Melissa DeSantis, broker associate at REAL Brokerage in Monmouth, New Jersey. “You only get one chance at that ‘new listing’ momentum.”
“I’m advising sellers that this is the market of truth,” said Cara Ameer, Coldwell Banker agent licensed in both California and Florida. “We’re not in a market where we can try to sugarcoat value, because if the property is overpriced, it becomes overlooked and ignored.”
Bidding wars are not the norm
Bidding wars can still happen, but they aren’t something to count on.
“Unless the property is a rare find in an area that has very little turnover and located in a neighborhood where people comb the streets hoping to hear about someone selling, don’t expect multiple offers,” said Ameer.
Dempsey agrees that conditions must be right for a bidding war.
“I tell sellers, ‘If you price to compete, you may create the conditions for multiple offers. But if you price to win, you may end up deterring buyers before they ever walk in the door.’”
Repairs should be addressed
Buyers are willing to negotiate, but they’re also more selective — they don’t want to inherit a long project list.
“I advise sellers to handle the obvious repairs and cosmetic updates that make a home feel move-in ready,” said Dempsey. “It’s less about major renovations and more about removing friction: fresh paint, updated lighting, regrouting bathrooms, power washing, landscaping — those details change the emotional read immediately.”
The agents we spoke to also suggest pre-listing home inspections.
“This proactive step helps uncover potential issues early, so we can address them before they derail a transaction,” said DeSantis.
Presentation still matters
All three agents agree that quality staging, or serious decluttering at the very least, is important. However, they stress that good visuals are non-negotiable in today’s market.
“Every listing deserves high-quality photos, and I leverage video marketing — including listing video walk-throughs, drone footage and neighborhood highlights — to give buyers a deeper sense of the home and its lifestyle appeal,” said DeSantis.
“Ultimately, sellers who succeed in this market are the ones who approach the listing as a product launch — price, presentation and positioning all matter,” said Dempsey.
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