How Long Should You Wait To Reduce Your Home’s Price?

How can I tell if my home sale has stalled?

In many U.S. housing markets, “the pendulum has swung,” says Topher Kauffman, a top-performing real estate agent in Summerville, South Carolina, with 17 years of experience. “Some sellers have gotten the memo, and the ones that haven’t are still sitting on the market.”

Kauffman isn’t the only agent seeing this change. HomeLight’s report found that 41% of agents nationwide describe today’s market as buyer-friendly, but the picture isn’t the same everywhere. Buyers tend to have more leverage in the Pacific, Mountain, South Central, and South Atlantic regions, while sellers are more likely to have the upper hand in the Midwest and Northeast.

Because the market is fluid and can vary depending on location, there’s no precise timeframe in which your house should sell.

Reflecting on his two decades of experience, “There are times when I’m advising the seller to reduce the price,” Las Vegas, Nevada, top agent Rick Ruiz says, “and other times when I’m coaching the seller to have patience and not reduce the price.”

Ruiz bases each recommendation on real-time market data. Even though sellers can’t access the extensive analytics available to real estate agents, Ruiz says these three tell-tale signs are a good indication to sellers that their market potential is stalling:

Keeping an eye on your competitors’ sales and your area’s inventory can be more important than measuring your days on market (DOM) against the local average.

According to the National Association of Realtors’ report, buyers spend about 10 weeks looking for a home, but if your area has a large inventory, the DOM may be higher than if fewer homes are available.

“You should be concerned if you’ve got a lot of competitors and everyone else has been on the market for less time than you,” Ruiz says.

So, really, whether your house has been sitting on the market too long boils down to offers and engagement compared to similar properties.

Many times, the obstacle is overpricing and sub-optimal marketing. The good news is that savvy sellers may quickly see their sales potential soar once they correct these problems.

How long should I wait before reducing my house price?

Although there are regional fluctuations based on the local market, data show a seller’s greatest chance of receiving their listing price (or above) is during the first two weeks the home is on the market.

According to the NAR report, homes sold within two weeks earned a median of 100% of list price, compared with 99% after three to four weeks, 98% after five to eight weeks, 96% after nine to 16 weeks, and 94% after 17 weeks or longer. Put simply, the longer a home stayed on the market, the more likely it was to sell below the asking price.

Experienced agents like Kauffman and Ruiz temper seller expectations for high asking prices by providing data on changing interest rates and a smaller buyer pool. “Most people want to start [up] here, and I know exactly what’s happening with this ball rolling downhill, and we’re going to wind up here,” Kauffman says.

If you suspect you’ve overpriced your home, a swift price correction is better than waiting additional weeks. Statistically, the longer your house sits on the market, the lower the price you’ll fetch.

What’s the best day of the week to reduce my home price?

Because many buyers schedule weekend trips to Las Vegas specifically to view homes, Ruiz prefers to post new properties and make price reductions on Thursdays.

“I want to make sure my listings are refreshed to go live on Thursdays,” he explains, “to get max traffic going into the weekend.”

A price reduction works best when buyers actually notice it. If the change happens just before a busy house-hunting weekend, it has a better chance of catching the attention of buyers who may have skipped over your listing before. It can also prompt buyers to take another look if the new price now fits their budget.

Timing the reduction strategically can help generate fresh interest instead of making it seem like your home has been sitting unsold.

Are price reductions more common as the market shifts?

Yes, price reductions tend to become more common as the housing market shifts in favor of buyers. When there are more homes for sale and buyers have more options, overpriced listings are more likely to sit on the market without attracting offers. Sellers often respond by lowering their asking price to generate new interest and stay competitive.

In contrast, price reductions are less common in strong seller’s markets, where limited inventory and high demand can lead to faster sales.

“Every market is different,” says Ruiz. For example, as interest rates spiked a few years ago, he recalls that the Las Vegas market experienced a downturn in the seller’s market with massive price reductions, fewer transactions, and higher inventory.

That said, not every home needs a price cut. Well-priced, well-marketed homes can still sell quickly even in a slower market. The key is to pay attention to your local market conditions rather than relying on national trends alone.

How many times should I drop my home’s price?

No seller ever wants to reduce their home’s price. That’s why professionals place so much importance on making sure your home is priced correctly in its premiere listing.

However, if an adjustment is imminent, our experts suggest that making a single, well-timed, meaningful reduction is better than making a series of smaller cuts over time. Since a reduction can be the catalyst for multiple offers, you may even consider it to be another component of your sales strategy.

“If you’re on the market for 90 days and there’s a decent amount of inventory,” Ruiz says, “you’re probably going to drop the price at least one time.”

“A home can only sell for so much,” Kauffman agrees. “They can only go so high on appraisals, and honestly, you’re only going to bring in so much cash over value anyway.”

When sellers agree that a price reduction is necessary, Stephanie Termine, a top real estate agent in Cleveland, often recommends an 8% to 10% decrease. “If we’re not getting any traffic on showings those first few days, then we probably missed the mark by that much,” she says.

Ryan Lundquist, a certified residential appraiser in the Sacramento area, says there’s nothing wrong with a 5% reduction. However, dropping your price by 1% may not be worthwhile. It’s ‌not enough to attract buyers searching in a different price range, but it could grab the attention of buyers and their agents who have been tracking the market, looking for room to negotiate.

“It’s really tough when you miss the mark on price in the beginning because buyers are very savvy, and they get alerts that your price has dropped,” Termine explains. That’s when buyers ask sellers to include home warranties and closing costs.

If your home stays on the market for the full length of a traditional six-month Realtor’s contract, Ruiz says you might expect to drop the price two or three times.

How can I get help to price my home right?

Comps or recently sold nearby homes with similar characteristics to yours should be the North Star of your pricing strategy. “If you’re seeing similar properties getting into contract in your neighborhood and you’re not generating any activity, you want to start asking yourself what the problem is,” Lundquist says.

Here are a few tools to help check the comps and whether your price is in line:

Get an online home value estimate

To find out what your home might be worth, you can get a quick online estimate from an automated valuation model (AVM) tool such as HomeLight’s Home Value Estimator. Based on your answers to a few questions about your property, our tool combines your home’s last sale price with recent sales records for other properties in the same neighborhood.

Once you enter your address and fill out a short questionnaire, the platform provides a preliminary home valuation in less than two minutes. That quick estimate provides a starting point for determining your home’s value in today’s market.

Consult with a top local real estate agent

Because they are constantly engaged in local markets, top real estate agents are invaluable resources for determining price, marketing a home, and managing all aspects of a sale.

Experienced Realtors complete a comparative market analysis (CMA), which compares the price of recently sold properties in your area with similar square footage, overall condition, and the number of bedrooms and baths.

They factor in special features such as a renovated gourmet kitchen or a lake view. They also consider a mountain of other market trends, including price per square foot for similar homes in your area and the total supply of unsold homes.

HomeLight offers many resources to help you learn about everything that goes into a CMA and how it can help you adjust your asking price if needed.

Get an appraisal

With mortgage rates hovering at the lower 6% range this year, sellers are compelled to adopt more flexible and strategic pricing approaches. Otherwise, you risk having the property sit on the market for a long time or having fewer prospects.

“The best thing sellers can do is listen to their agents and listen to the market,” adds Lundquist. If the seller and their agent differ by 15% on a price point, paying for a pre-listing appraisal can mediate the discussion.

“An appraisal can be a valuable tool, providing tons of additional insight,” Lundquist says. The third-party evaluation can both determine value and predict how much a buyer’s lender will underwrite.

How can I tell if my home price might be off?

Before lowering your price, take another look at how your home is being marketed. Make sure your listing photos, description, and online exposure are doing your home justice, and be honest about its condition. If everything checks out and buyers still aren’t biting, your price may be the real issue.

“A lot of sellers are not super realistic about what they can get for their homes today,” Termine says. “When I sit down with a seller and my comps and my data don’t match what they think they can get, we have to have a very honest conversation.

Kauffman agrees. “The more honest you are when I’m sitting here in front of you, the more I will know how to take care of you,” he says. “That realistic perspective is key.”

That conversation will explore finding solutions to these common issues:

Your listing has exceeded the ‘days on market’ average for your area

Days on market refers to the time between when a house is listed and when it goes under contract with a buyer. National data show that property listings remained on the market for a median of 28 days in June 2026, up from 27 days in June 2025.

Solution: Since days on market metrics vary by area, check with your agent about how fast other nearby homes are selling compared to yours.

Your home value has been impacted by a change in the market

Mortgage rates are currently hovering in the low 6% range. While that’s lower than recent highs, many buyers still consider it expensive, since a bigger share of their monthly payment goes toward interest. As a result, they’re paying closer attention to a home’s value, condition, and features before making an offer.

On a local level, factors such as the opening or closing of a major employer or a blue ribbon school in your neighborhood also impact prices in your area.

Solution: If the comps you used to price your home are three to six months old, you may need to revisit your decision using more recent or even pending sales data. Your listing agent can also reach out to the other agents as their comparable homes enter escrow to find out the sales price before the information is available publicly.

You’ve had showings but no offers

You’ve dropped everything to clean up your home and accommodate a showing request more times than you can count. But each tour ends up being fruitless, leaving you wondering what could be wrong.

“If we don’t have an offer within 48 to 72 hours, and we’re getting a ton of traffic and showings, then we’ve probably missed the mark on price,” says Termine.

Solution: Rule out other potential culprits, such as a defect like a weird smell or a damaged kitchen counter that could be surprising buyers when they visit the home. As a next step, you might bring in a friend to view your house with an objective lens and provide feedback, or tour neighboring listings for a fresh perspective. Doing so may provide clarity as to whether your price is accurate.

What else could be wrong with my home price?

Here are a few other pricing traps where real estate experts advise caution:

You’re looking for a unicorn buyer

In some hot local markets, buyers may be willing to pay any price and agree to any terms to get their dream home. But “you don’t want to price for those unicorns. You want to price for the market,” says Lundquist.

Ruiz advises his clients that pricing for a unicorn buyer is likely to backfire. “Too many people point to the outlier in the evaluation report, the one person who sold for a record price, and sellers get attached to that number,” Ruiz explains.

He says that the pricing strategy typically results in less foot traffic and even fewer offers, in line with your expectations. Furthermore, as we’ve noted above, the longer your house sits on the market, the less likely buyers will be motivated to offer the asking price. “So by overly pricing your house, especially in a market that’s not hot, you’re setting yourself up for disaster,” Ruiz says.

You’re straddling price brackets

For decades, shoppers have affirmed the power of 99 as a pricing strategy in retail. Staying under a threshold even by one unit, paying $9.99 instead of $10, makes consumers feel like they’re getting a deal.

However, that tactic rarely works well in real estate. Most real estate search engines use preset parameters of round numbers that range from $100,000 to $1.8 million.

Most buyers start their home shopping by browsing online. Understanding the price brackets and pricing your home correctly allows your listing to pop up in the searches of the greatest number of potential buyers.

“If you price your home at $299,999, you are missing the folks who are searching in that $300,000-and-up range,” Termine says. Her experience also shows that buyers explore homes within $25,000 increments. For example, they may consider homes within the $300,000 to $325,000 range.

You’re confusing sentimental value with market value

Since you’re selling a home where you’ve invested significant money and created many cherished memories with loved ones, you may make the mistake of carrying that sentimental value into your asking price. However, note that buyers don’t have the same kind of affinity towards your home. They may not even value the upgrades you loved about your property.

Selling a home can be an emotional ride, but at the end of the day, it’s still a financial transaction. This is where agents become especially beneficial. Since they don’t have an emotional attachment to the property, they can make an objective assessment of how much your home is worth.

»Learn more: Emotions can make it harder to see your home the way buyers do. Use the Home Seller Mistake Mashup Machine to identify common pitfalls and learn how to avoid them before you list.

Still unsure if your home is priced correctly?

Before lowering your asking price, make sure your marketing and home presentation are hitting the mark. If you follow your agent’s advice, your home will probably be in a prime position when it hits the market.

To further enhance your chances of a sale, be certain that:

1. Your home is available when buyers want to see it

Buying a home is a huge financial decision, so most buyers prefer to tour the property and get a feel for it. They may even walk through multiple times before they make an offer.

If you have limited hours for showings or open houses, or you listed the property before it was ready to show, then lack of access could be the problem. “Access is a big deal,” says Ruiz.

Even in a seller’s market, properties with limited access, whether due to tenants, the owner’s health issues, or pets needing to be secured during showings, tend to get less foot traffic, more days on the market, and fewer offers.

“If you’re in a buyer’s market and there’s no or little access, plan for your home to sit on the market a long time,” cautions Ruiz.

2. Your home looks move-in ready

When buyers visit a home with overgrown landscaping, bizarre paint colors, or outdated features, “all they see is additional money they have to spend,” Termine says.

To get the best price and appeal to the greatest number of buyers, you should:

• Paint with neutral colors
• Replace dated and dirty carpets
• Deep clean and declutter
• Spruce up your landscaping

You might even consider making upgrades that impress buyers.

“Sellers are upgrading the kitchen, bathrooms, flooring, and paint. They understand many of today’s buyers are looking for homes that don’t need work,” reports top Chicago agent Courtney Monaco in HomeLight’s Top Agent Insights.

3. Your listing includes professional photos

Many real estate agents work with professional stagers and photographers to ensure each room looks inviting when promoted online. Our experts have also compiled a list of DIY design and staging tips to help your home look its best for buyers.

“Effective marketing starts with a great consumer-facing experience [and] an online presence featuring professional photos,” says Ruiz.

4. Your listing highlights neighborhood charm and walkability data

Your listing should be a love letter to your home, telling buyers about everything that makes it special. Be sure your description includes not only the best features of your property but also nearby schools, parks, theaters, restaurants, and other attractions locals love.

5. Your listing mentions your home’s trending features

A little research into what’s trending in real estate can pay big dividends. Search home and design blogs for the hottest amenities and highlight those assets in your home.

For example, Lundquist says the pandemic prompted a rise in the popularity of larger homes and properties with patios, pools, and other outdoor living areas. Given the new normal of remote work, a staged home office is also a plus.

Be sure to mention these bathroom upgrades, as these are important to buyers:

• Double-sink vanity
• Modern lighting
• Rain or dual-head showers
• Vanity with extra storage and
• Soaker tubs

6. Your marketing plan targets the right buyers, particularly if you have an unconventional property

“Even the greatest marketing materials won’t reap results unless they reach the right audience, whether that’s by digital, phone, mail, or other channels,” says Ruiz.

Homes with quirky features, unique layouts, or unusual locations aren’t for everyone.

For example, a split-level home might take longer to sell than a ranch-style layout in a neighborhood attractive to older buyers. But the right buyers, maybe a multi-generational family, will be thrilled to find the perfect place.

This is why targeting the right audience can make all the difference. Your home doesn’t need to appeal to every buyer, just the ones who are looking for exactly what it offers.

If an unusual property is priced right but not selling fast, Lundquist advises sellers to have a little patience and listen to the market. “Your unique property might just need more exposure time,” he says.

If your price is perfect, your home looks stunning, and your marketing reaches its targeted audience, showings should increase, and hopefully, offers will follow.

7. Your pricing strategy anticipates where the market is headed

“Whether it’s an inclining, declining, or steady market,” says Ruiz, “ you want to have a constant awareness of not only where the market is, but where the market is headed.”

He cautions sellers to keep in mind that when looking at sales data and comparables that closed in the last 30 to 90 days, you’re actually seeing a snapshot of properties that went under contract 45 to 180 days ago. It may not reflect today’s market.

To price effectively, “You want to consider competitors’ pricing, foot traffic, consumer confidence, transactions in the last seven to 30 days, and what’s expected to happen in the market in the next six to 12 weeks,” Ruiz says.

Are there other home-selling options?

Even if a price drop doesn’t bring in the right buyer right away, you’re not out of options. The market is always changing, and working with a real estate professional can help you avoid common pricing mistakes and make smarter decisions along the way. HomeLight can connect you with a trusted top agent in your area in about two minutes.

If you’re determined to market the property yourself, another alternative is to remove the property from the market for a while. After a little reflection, a few improvements, and maybe even a market shift, you can list the property later with a plan that makes your home more attractive to the target audience.

Another consideration is selling the property “as is” through HomeLight’s Simple Sale platform, which provides all-cash offers for homes in almost any condition nationwide. If you’re frustrated by the traditional listing process and don’t have the time or energy to monitor the market or work with an agent, Simple Sale allows you to skip repairs, staging, and showing and offers the opportunity to close in as little as 7 days.

Make the right pricing move

Not getting a quick sale or top-dollar offer doesn’t mean the journey is over. You can always revisit your strategy, make changes, and try a new approach to attract the right buyer. Since the market is constantly changing, having a professional who understands local trends can help you stay ahead and make the right decisions.

No matter where you live, HomeLight makes it easy to get real-time home value estimates, smart marketing tips, and a top local agent in under two minutes. With HomeLight’s resources and a pricing strategy from a top agent, a successful sale is on the horizon.

Writer Nicole Wisniewski contributed to this story.

Header Image Source: (Roger Starnes Sr / Unsplash)