Home Not Selling? Here's What Most Agents Miss

When a seller came to me after working with three top-rated agents in the valley, she had already tried everything. TV marketing, open houses, finishing the basement, and multiple price drops. None of it worked.

The home hit the market as interest rates climbed and prices started to slide. Buyers had more options, they were pickier, and they knew time was on their side. In a market like that, the old playbook stops working.

The previous agents spent big and did a lot on paper. But spending more doesn’t solve a strategy problem in a declining market.

When I took over, I focused on two things: pricing and seller accountability. I allowed the seller to try her price first with a clear commitment. If it didn’t produce results within a certain time frame, she would move to mine. I also made sure she understood what was on her end that could stall a sale and implemented our negotiation strategies to create real urgency with buyers.

Her price got lowball offers and no traction. Once she committed to my pricing, we got an offer above our listing price in approximately 25 days.

So why did it work when three other agents couldn’t? It comes down to two things:

1. Doing more isn’t the same as doing the right things. The previous agents spent money on TV marketing, finished a basement, and held open houses. None of those are bad ideas on their own, but they weren’t solving the real problem.

In a market where buyers have leverage, you have to know which moves actually attract the right buyer. Throwing money and tactics at the wall doesn’t work when the issue is strategy, not effort.

2. A tough market doesn’t forgive mistakes. When rates are up and prices are falling, the margin for error disappears. Every pricing decision, every showing, every conversation with a buyer’s agent has to be sharp.

After 26 years and over 3,400 homes sold, I’ve been through these kinds of markets before. Knowing how to read the conditions and adjust in real time is what separates getting it done from watching a listing expire. That’s the Utah Dave way.

If your home has been sitting on the market, if you’ve already worked with another agent and it didn’t sell, or if you just want to make sure it’s done right the first time, call me at 801-966-4000 or email me at dave@utahdave.com.

You can also visit blog.utahdave.com to see more stories like this one. I’d love to show you what the Utah Dave way can do for your home.