The Truth About Price Reductions: When (and When Not) to Lower Your Price

If your home is on the market in the Valley and you’re not seeing any offers, it’s only natural to start considering a price reduction. This is often the first suggestion sellers hear. But is it the right move for you?

From my experience, a price drop can be a smart, strategic decision—but it can also backfire if done too soon or without a clear understanding of the situation. Before you decide to lower the price, let’s take a step back, assess what’s really going on, and figure out the best course of action for your goals.

Let’s break down when a price reduction makes sense—and when it doesn’t.

The First 7–10 Days Are Critical

When your home first hits the market, that’s when it garners the most attention. It shows up in saved searches and catches the eye of motivated buyers who’ve been waiting for the right opportunity. If it doesn’t gain traction during this early window, that’s usually a sign something’s off.

Sometimes the issue is pricing. But just as often, it’s about how the home is presented or how well it’s being marketed.

If the photos don’t highlight your home’s best features, if staging wasn’t optimized, or if the marketing didn’t reach the right buyers—dropping the price won’t fix the underlying problem.

That’s why we always advocate for a strategic approach, especially during those first critical days.

What the Data Is Telling Us

It’s not just us noticing an uptick in price reductions lately.

Redfin reported that 24.3% of listings had at least one price drop in March 2025—a significant increase from just a year ago. This trend reflects the more cautious buyer pool we’re seeing today. With higher interest rates and tighter budgets, buyers are doing more comparison shopping and taking their time.

But here’s the key takeaway—homes that undergo multiple price cuts tend to sell for less than those that were priced correctly from the start. Price reductions, if executed too late or too frequently, send a message: something’s wrong with this property.

That’s not the impression we want associated with your home. Accurately pricing your home with your real estate agent's professional insights isn’t just a step; it’s a critical factor for a launch that captures attention, attracts offers, and secures you the best possible price.

When a Price Reduction Makes Sense

There are definitely times when adjusting the price is the right move. Here’s when I’d recommend it:

• You’ve had consistent showings, but no offers. This often means buyers see the home as a match—but not at the current price.
• Similar homes nearby have sold—and yours hasn’t. If the comps are clear, buyers are comparing, and we’re out of alignment.
• The original list price was more aspirational than strategic. That happens, especially if you launched with hopes based on last year’s market highs.

In these situations, a well-calculated price adjustment—paired with a fresh marketing push—can help reignite interest and get your listing back in front of serious buyers.

But…

When You Should Hold the Line

Sometimes, it’s not about the price. Dropping it won’t necessarily resolve the issue.

Before we consider any adjustment, I’ll ask:

• Was your home marketed to its full potential? High-quality visuals, strong listing copy, and targeted exposure make a big difference. If those elements were lacking, we’ll fix them first.
• Were showings easy to book? If buyers couldn’t get in—or had limited availability to view the home—we may not have seen the full demand yet.
• Were early offers dismissed too quickly? I’ve seen sellers turn down strong offers just because they didn’t match the list price. But the first offer often starts the conversation, not ends it. With the right counter and data-backed negotiation, we can still reach your desired outcome.

Lowering the price quickly, without adjusting your approach, can backfire. It's not solely the price that matters; it’s how buyers perceive the value they’re getting.

What We Do Instead

Before making any move, we take a moment to audit everything:

• We review the photography and staging. Are we showcasing your home’s strongest features?
• We look at buyer feedback. What’s coming up in conversations or showing reports?
• We relaunch marketing if needed. If the first round didn’t gain traction, we go again—with fresh eyes and renewed energy.

Sometimes just repositioning the listing—without changing the price—can make all the difference. I’ve had properties sell at full asking after we updated the photos, reworded the description, or changed our strategy for promoting the home. It’s not always about the price; it’s about the presentation.

The Real Cost of Overcorrecting

If a price drop is done too steeply—or more than once—it can send the wrong signal.

In fact, a 2024 NAR report found that homes with multiple price reductions sold for 6.7% less on average than homes priced appropriately from day one. This means that repeatedly reducing the price can lead to a lower final sale price than simply pricing it right (and staying patient) from the start.

So before we touch that list price, we’ll explore all the options. Because reducing the price is usually a permanent decision.

Selling Smart in 2025

In this market, pricing is powerful—but it’s not the only tool we have. The goal isn’t just to sell; it’s to sell with confidence, clarity, and the best possible outcome for your next move.

If you’re feeling uncertain about what to do next—or wondering whether a price drop is the right step—I’m here to help you sort it out.

Let’s take a look at your home, your market, your buyer feedback, and make the decision that makes the most sense for you.

Because your home deserves a plan—not a panic reaction.