The Most Common Mistakes Sellers Make
I've been selling homes in Monmouth County for 28 years, and at this point I feel like I’ve seen it all. Sellers often make mistakes that cost both money and time, and almost all of them are avoidable. Here are the ones that come up the most.
1. Overpricing
I recently listed a home at $849,000 At this price I was concerned, because the house sat on a very busy road, that we wouldn't get the reaction from the market we wanted. After several weeks of no offers, we dropped the price down to $799,000. As a result we had multiple offers and will close over asking, with great terms, not far from the original price.
People don't realize the homes that sell for the most, are often the ones that started the lowest. A good price brings in buyers, buyers bring competition, and competition is what gets you over asking. Price too high and you risk scaring people off.
Here's how I think about it: the asking price is really just a marketing number. It's the bait that gets people in the door, not a promise of what the house will sell for. Pricing lower brings in more offers, some will not be contenders, but the serious buyers don't know that. All they see is a crowd. That pressure is what pushes them to come in with their highest and best offer, which is exactly where you want them. And it's not only about the final price. The competition also gets you cleaner terms, the closing date you want, and fewer contingencies, which can matter as much as the money.
2. Not bothering to prep the house
This one is huge, and it changes both how fast you sell and how much you get. Is taking this step a big pain in the ass? Sometimes. Is it worth doing? 100%! You will get WAY more than you invest if you make strategic improvements such as painting, moving furniture, accessorizing, decluttering, ect... This is where your agent’s expertise comes into play and listening to them becomes important. Don’t skip this if you want to maximize value!
Case in point…I took over a listing that had failed to sell with another agent. We re-priced, re-landscaped, painted, staged, and pulled a pool table out of a room and brought in furniture so it actually looked like a living room again. With an investment of around $25K, the house sold for $315,000 over asking, after going nowhere prior.
Most buyers do not have an imagination. They need to walk in and see something they can fall in love with. I stage every property because all homes, even the nicest ones, can use at least a little tweaking.
3. Picking an agent for the wrong reasons
This one happens before you even list, and it sets up half the others.
People interview a few agents and pick whoever promised the highest price or the lowest commission. Both are the wrong reasons. You get what you pay for, and the agent who throws out the biggest number is usually just buying the listing. Then you're right back to overpricing.
A lot of sellers also walk in with a Zillow number already stuck in their head and treat it like fact. It isn't. Zillow is an algorithm. It's never been inside your house. It doesn't know your ceiling heights, your light, or how the rooms flow. A person who has actually been in homes around you can tell you something real and concrete.
And watch the commission. If an agent is quick to cut their own fee, ask what else they don't have to offer. A good agent knows their worth and won't drop it just to win you, because they know they'll get you more in the end. If they won't hold firm on their own price, how hard will they fight for yours? Hire the best agent, not the cheapest one.
4. Not trusting your agent
This one applies to both buyers and sellers. You hired an expert for a reason. The mistake is deciding halfway through that you know better, or digging in and refusing to hear another view.
This shows up most in negotiations. People think the goal is to be as aggressive as possible. It isn't. It's about knowing when to push and when to ease off. You want a win-win, not a fight. The buyer is moving into your home and your neighborhood, and handing it to someone you can't stand leaves a bad taste. Keeping it respectful makes the whole thing go smoother.
Don't get lost in the minutia or dig in on principle over little things and lose the big picture, which is selling your home.
5. Countering instead of going to "highest and best" with multiple offers
When a seller receives multiple offers that are lower than they hoped, they often want to counter everyone at their desired price because naming a number feels safe and it locks in what they want. Most often, I'll push for highest and best instead. Almost every time, the price they would have countered at is lower than when buyers are faced with the unknown and need to come in with their best. Naming a number puts a ceiling on the price. Highest and best lets buyers stretch, and they usually stretch higher than you'd have asked for.
6. Taking it personally
This is the hard one, because it is personal and it’s human nature.
Selling is emotional. People feel like they're the ones being judged, not the house. When I suggest changes, decluttering, depersonalizing, fixing the decor, it can feel like I'm criticizing how they lived. I'm not. It's about making the space feel bigger and open enough that a stranger can picture their own life in it.
And moving is just hard. Even when you want to go, letting go of a home that meant something takes a toll. Just don't let it run the decisions in front of you.
The one thing that matters most
If I could tell a seller one thing before they list, it's this: pick an agent you trust, then listen to them. Take their advice, do what they say. Get that part right and most of the rest will take care of itself.
