Learn the best strategy for pricing listings in a slow market and the talking points agents should use with sellers to price conservatively to get homes sold.
When the market shifts, your pricing strategy must shift with it. If you’re still pricing homes like it’s 2021, you’re setting your clients—and yourself—up for failure. In a slower real estate market, pricing becomes more of a science and less of an art. And trust me, this isn’t guesswork. It’s time to roll up your sleeves, analyze the data, and lead your sellers with confidence.
VIDEO: Pricing Listings in a Slow Market
The Old Way Doesn’t Work Anymore
From 2009 through the mid-2020s, real estate agents could consistently push listing prices just above the last comp and watch homes sell like hotcakes. Appreciation rates averaged 5–10% annually. But today? That strategy falls flat.
Now, we’re in a market with increasing days on market, rising inventory levels, and skeptical buyers. If you overprice, your listing won’t just sit—it will stall. And in a slow market, a stagnant listing is a dead listing.
Why Conservative Pricing is Crucial
When you miss the mark on pricing, you don’t just lose time—you lose exposure. The first 30 days, what I call the “magic month,” is when most serious buyers see your listing. If the price is too high, those buyers will skip over it. And once that window closes, regaining attention means one thing: a significant price drop.
Let’s be clear: small reductions won’t do the trick. If you start too high and then trim by $5,000 or $10,000, you’re still invisible. To turn heads again, you’ll have to slash the price—usually to a level even lower than where you should’ve listed it in the first place.
You’re the Expert—Act Like It
Imagine a doctor saying to a patient, “What do you think I should prescribe?” Sounds ridiculous, right? Yet too many agents let sellers dictate the listing price.
Your sellers hired you for your expertise. So don’t defer to them—guide them. Show up to your listing presentation with a strong, data-backed recommendation and stick to it. Use visual market reports, absorption rates, and active inventory to paint a realistic picture.
You’re not a salesperson—you’re a trusted advisor. Sellers need you to lead, not to ask for permission.
It’s Not Just About the Listing Price
This isn’t just about hitting a number—it’s about managing expectations. A home that sits unsold becomes a source of stress for your clients. It puts their next move in jeopardy and, frankly, reflects poorly on you.
You might hear, “That agent down the street listed it too low. I could’ve gotten more!” That’s not an informed opinion—that’s denial. And if your listing doesn’t sell, your clients will view it as your fault. Why? Because you picked the price. Even if they pressured you into it, you’re still the professional.
Tap Into Motivation
Sellers aren’t just moving for fun. They want a better school district, to be closer to family, to downsize, to upsize—whatever the reason, that’s their “why.” Your job is to bring that motivation front and center in the pricing conversation.
If a seller won’t budge on price, remind them what they’re walking away from. “Are you really going to give up your dream home near the lake over $20,000? Especially when that $20,000 will be offset by the deal you get on your next home in this same slow market?”
Help them see that it all comes out in the wash. When you sell and buy in the same market, pricing is relative.
Show, Don’t Tell
Sellers may not believe your words—but they’ll believe the numbers. Bring charts that show how many homes are sitting in each price bracket. Use inventory stats and absorption rates to highlight their chances of selling.
In most markets, once you get above the median price, homes take longer to sell. Fewer buyers are looking at those price points. That’s just reality.
Use visuals. Let the data do the talking. Show them why pricing conservatively is their best chance to attract multiple offers and favorable terms.
The Magic of Multiple Offers
A conservative list price doesn’t mean your sellers are “giving money away.” In fact, it’s often the opposite. The right price brings in more buyers, which increases competition and can drive the final sales price higher.
This strategy often results in waived contingencies, quicker closings, and fewer headaches. Compare that to listing high and waiting… and waiting… and eventually reducing to a number lower than you could’ve started with.
The One Mistake You Can’t Afford
If you mess up pricing, there’s no quick fix. Sure, you can reduce the price later—but by then, most of your buyer pool has moved on. Your listing becomes stale. The home becomes a “problem property” in the eyes of buyers and agents alike.
That’s why pricing listings in a slow market is the one thing you must get right from the start. It’s not a skill you can wing—it requires preparation, knowledge, and the courage to have tough conversations.
Now, we’re in a market with increasing days on market, rising inventory levels, and skeptical buyers. If you overprice, your listing won’t just sit—it will stall. And in a slow market, a stagnant listing is a dead listing.
Brian Icenhower
Make It a Team Priority
This isn’t just a solo agent issue. Teams and brokerages must monitor their active listings as a group. Review inventory at every weekly meeting. How many are listed? How many are pending? Where do we need to adjust?
When a team member has a dozen stale listings, that’s not a brag—it’s a problem. As a coach, I often assign price reduction strategies as the number one action item on our calls. That’s how we get homes sold.
Final Thoughts
Your influence is on the line every time you price a listing. Don’t play games with your reputation—or your clients’ futures. Conservative pricing is not just a strategy—it’s the right thing to do.
Let’s lead with professionalism. Let’s stop gambling with seller equity. And let’s remember that helping people move forward in life is more important than winning a pricing war.
