What this step involves
Pricing is the single highest-leverage decision in your sale. Price too high and you sit on the market; price too low and you leave money behind. Data beats intuition — every time.
How to do it yourself
DIY Path
- Search Zillow, Redfin, and Realtor.com for homes that sold in the past 90 days within 0.5 miles
- Filter for comparable square footage (±15%), bedrooms, bathrooms, and condition
- Calculate price per square foot of comps and apply to your home
- Adjust for differences: extra bedroom +$, older kitchen −$, corner lot +$
- List slightly below round numbers ($497K vs $500K) — more search results, same qualified buyers
Common pitfalls
What goes wrong
- Using Zestimate as your price: Automated valuations are wrong 30–50% of the time.
- Pricing to test the market: Stale listings lose negotiating leverage fast.
- Not tracking days on market: After 30 days, price reductions look desperate.