Selling
How should I price my house?
This page explains how to set a list price that produces the highest net proceeds, which is rarely the highest asking price.
The most valuable attention a listing receives arrives in its first ten to fourteen days. A price above what the evidence supports spends that attention proving the price is wrong.
- What this is
- A pricing method for sellers, based on evidence rather than aspiration.
- Who it is for
- Homeowners preparing to list, and anyone deciding whether to reduce.
- The problem
- Pricing is treated as a starting position. The market treats the first two weeks as the whole negotiation.
- What happens next
- Estimate net proceeds at several price points, then have comparable sales verified for your address.
Price from sold comparables, then check the competition
Sold comparables from the last three to six months establish what buyers have paid. Active listings establish what you are competing against right now, and pending sales show where the market is heading.
Adjust honestly for condition and updates. Buyers compare your kitchen to the renovated one down the street, not to the one you remember installing.
Understand what overpricing costs
An overpriced listing accumulates days on market, then requires reductions, and typically sells for less than a correctly priced listing would have — while taking substantially longer.
Buyers read days on market as a signal. By the time a listing has sat sixty days, the questions shift from what it is worth to what is wrong with it.
Net proceeds are the real number
Subtract the mortgage payoff, agent compensation, transfer taxes, any concessions and repair credits from the sale price. Two offers at the same price can net very differently once terms are counted.
Compare price scenarios by net proceeds and timeline together, especially if you are buying something else afterward.
Do the math
Sell vs. Keep Calculator
Net proceeds today against what the property earns if you hold it.
Open the sell vs. keep calculator →Common questions
Should I price high to leave negotiating room?
Usually no. The listings that sell closest to asking are the ones priced correctly at launch, because they attract the most activity while attention is highest.
How long should I wait before reducing the price?
If a well-marketed listing produces little showing activity in the first two weeks, the price is the issue. Waiting longer generally increases the eventual reduction.
Do online value estimates reflect what my house is worth?
They are a starting range. Automated models cannot see condition, updates or layout, and are frequently off by ten percent or more on individual homes.
Which improvements should I make before listing?
Cleaning, decluttering, paint and any obvious deferred maintenance. Major renovations before a sale rarely return their cost.
How do concessions affect my price?
A concession reduces net proceeds just as a price reduction does, but it can be more effective because it solves a buyer's cash-to-close problem directly.
What is absorption rate?
How quickly current inventory sells at the present pace. Fewer than three months of inventory favors sellers; more than six favors buyers, and pricing should reflect which market you are in.
Want this answered for one property?
Property Intelligence™ applies this to a specific address using public records, uploaded documents, comparable sales and professional review — and states plainly what is known, what is missing and what to do next.
Related reading
Part of these decisions
Last reviewed August 3, 2026. Educational information, not financial or legal advice.