Brought to you by Scott P. Rogers, Funkhouser Real Estate Group, 540-578-0102, scott@HarrisonburgHousingToday.com
Brought to you by Scott P. Rogers, Funkhouser Real Estate Group, 540-578-0102, scott@HarrisonburgHousingToday.com
Thursday, May 22, 2025
When we're getting ready to list your home for sale, you might to start wondering how quickly it will sell - and for how much. One of the most important things to keep in mind is that the strongest offer (or offers!) will likely come in the first week your home is on the market for sale.
That first week creates a unique window of opportunity - both for you as the seller and for the buyers who have been eagerly waiting for a home just like yours to hit the market.
Those eager buyers have been looking at houses for weeks (or months) and may have missed out on other houses in a multiple offer scenario. Thus, they are typically highly motivated, pre-approved for a mortgage, and ready to act quickly when the right house hits the market.
If your home is a good fit, they'll be among the first to schedule a showing - and often, the first to make an offer.
In that first week, your home is new, fresh, and drawing lots of attention from buyers. Every buyer who sees the listing knows that others are also seeing it for the first time. That creates a sense of urgency... if they love the house, they need to move fast.
This competitive mindset often results in stronger offers, and sometimes even multiple offers, especially if the home is priced right.
After a week (or two) buyer psychology can start to shift a bit.
Once your home has been on the market for a week or two, the dynamic sometimes starts to change. New buyers might wonder why it hasn't sold yet. Some could assume it's not priced competitively enough. Others may see it as an opportunity to negotiate on price or other terms.
The longer your home sits on the market, the more leverage shifts away from you and toward the buyer.
So, What's the Best Strategy?
Price your home to attract strong, early interest. That doesn't mean underpricing it - but it does mean setting a competitive price that motivates serious buyers to act quickly and put their best offer on the table.
If you overprice your home with the intention of negotiating down later, you may miss that critical first-week momentum... and ultimately end up leaving money on the table.
That first week creates a unique window of opportunity - both for you as the seller and for the buyers who have been eagerly waiting for a home just like yours to hit the market.
Those eager buyers have been looking at houses for weeks (or months) and may have missed out on other houses in a multiple offer scenario. Thus, they are typically highly motivated, pre-approved for a mortgage, and ready to act quickly when the right house hits the market.
If your home is a good fit, they'll be among the first to schedule a showing - and often, the first to make an offer.
In that first week, your home is new, fresh, and drawing lots of attention from buyers. Every buyer who sees the listing knows that others are also seeing it for the first time. That creates a sense of urgency... if they love the house, they need to move fast.
This competitive mindset often results in stronger offers, and sometimes even multiple offers, especially if the home is priced right.
After a week (or two) buyer psychology can start to shift a bit.
Once your home has been on the market for a week or two, the dynamic sometimes starts to change. New buyers might wonder why it hasn't sold yet. Some could assume it's not priced competitively enough. Others may see it as an opportunity to negotiate on price or other terms.
The longer your home sits on the market, the more leverage shifts away from you and toward the buyer.
So, What's the Best Strategy?
Price your home to attract strong, early interest. That doesn't mean underpricing it - but it does mean setting a competitive price that motivates serious buyers to act quickly and put their best offer on the table.
If you overprice your home with the intention of negotiating down later, you may miss that critical first-week momentum... and ultimately end up leaving money on the table.
