The 4 Pricing Mistakes Home Sellers Keep Making

By Tania Michaels

Tania Michaels is a seasoned real estate professional with nearly two decades of experience in the field. She began her career as a top loan originator before becoming a key player in land acquisitions, closing over $215M in transactions.

Most home pricing mistakes don’t look like mistakes at first. They sound logical and feel safe, and in many cases, they even feel smart. But I see them every day, and they quietly cost sellers time, leverage, and money. In a market that’s no longer forgiving, these mistakes matter more than ever.

The “I only need one buyer” belief is a myth. Many sellers tell me they only need one buyer to sell their home, and while that sounds true, it doesn’t reflect how buyers actually behave. To get one serious offer, you usually need six to ten showings, which means six to ten different buyers coming through your home in a short period of time.

Most buyers don’t write an offer on the first home they see; they tour multiple homes to compare options and build confidence in their decision. Buyers act fast only when your home clearly stands out against others at the same price, so if your home is priced too high, fewer buyers come through, and that momentum never starts.

Using general or outdated market data is another common mistake. Sellers often say the market is up or point to a neighbor who sold for more years ago, but the problem is that those sales happened under different conditions. Interest rates were different, buyer urgency was different, inventory levels were different, and even the homes themselves were different.

Market growth isn’t equal across all neighborhoods or homes. Buyers don’t care about averages. They look at what’s available right now and ask what their money can buy today. That’s the comparison your home is measured against.

Pricing maintenance like it’s an upgrade sets false expectations. Treating maintenance like it’s an upgrade can set the wrong expectations, and that mistake, while understandable, can still be expensive. Fixing a leaking roof? That’s maintenance. Installing standard toilets or replacing a broken HVAC system? Also maintenance. These repairs are essential to protect your home’s value and prevent buyers from viewing it as a fixer-upper. But they don’t add value because buyers expect the basics to work. They’ll appreciate a well-maintained home, but they won’t pay extra for things that should already function. Simply put: upgrades boost value; maintenance preserves it.

Pricing based on what you need to make pushes buyers away. Pricing your home based on what you need to make can turn buyers away. It’s one of the most emotional and common mistakes sellers make. Maybe you’re trying to pay off a loan or fund your next move, and while those goals are completely valid, the market doesn’t work that way. Buyers aren’t paying your dream number; they’re paying what the home is worth based on recent sales and competing listings. If your price feels too high, buyers start to worry that it might not appraise, or they may feel they’ll get more value elsewhere. Instead of negotiating, most will simply move on.

The biggest pricing mistake isn’t underpricing your home but starting in the wrong place. If you want buyers to take your home seriously, pricing it based on how the market actually works is the smartest move you can make.

If you want to talk through pricing and understand where your home truly fits in today’s market, feel free to call or text me at 702-583-6555 or email me at sales@MichaelsTeam.com. I’ll help you price your home correctly so you can properly attract the right buyers.