There are several ways a real estate deal can go south. One way to kill a deal is to have it listed for too long and at the wrong price.

The right timing and pricing are extremely important in a real estate deal, according to David Howell, executive vice president and chief information officer at McNearney Associates believes.

“In the old days, if a potential buyer was interested, they might arrange a showing to go see the property,” McNearney wrote in an article in The Washington Post.

“Today, that showing is online and immediate. Based on its price, condition, and location, a home communicates value to that consumer — and if it doesn’t, they move on and look elsewhere. Bringing them back to that property means changing the value equation — which usually means changing the price,” he wrote.

Why timing and pricing are important

To illustrate the importance of listing a home at the correct time and price, Howell used an example two property listings  — home No. 1 that listed in September and home No. 2 listed in March — in the same neighborhood and listed by the same agent at very similar list prices. Both properties spiked at initial listing, but home No.1 lowered its price once the number of online views waned, lowered it a second time, and then again until it finally went to contract for 14% lower than initial asking. It also took 150 days before selling.

Contrarily, home No. 2 sold after being on the market for just seven days.

“The difference is that buyers perceived value at the initial list price, and in a week, a contract was successfully negotiated,” Howell wrote. “The sellers came on at a compelling price, rode the online traffic wave, and got their home sold at almost full list price.”

A good strategy is necessary

Howell said he isn’t suggesting that this would happen in all scenarios. However, he said there is a definite correlation between timing and price.

“…time after time, listing after listing, in good markets and bad, we see the consequences of pricing strategy,” Howell wrote. “Far more often than not, the wrong initial price means a longer time on the market, and time kills.”

Has the wrong timing and pricing affected one of your real estate deals? Share with us below!

Source: “Why time kills a good real estate deal,” WashingtonPost.com (Apr. 12, 2016)