Every seller wants top dollar. After 1,200+ transactions, I can tell you the surest way NOT to get it: start too high.
Years ago, longtime clients asked me to list their home a bit above what my knowledge and experience dictated. I advised against it, but it was their home and their call. The result was zero activity. No showings worth mentioning, no offers. Buyers and their agents simply skipped us.
When we adjusted the price to my original recommendation, everything changed — more activity than they could have imagined, and an escrow opened within two weeks. They later told me they’d ‘learned the error of their ways,’ and they became some of my most loyal referrers.
Here’s the truth about pricing in the San Fernando Valley: the market sets the value, and the first two weeks of a listing are when buyer attention peaks. Price correctly from day one and you harness that attention — sometimes even driving the price up, as another Granada Hills client of mine experienced when strong early interest let us increase from our list price. Price high and ‘wait for the right buyer,’ and you become the stale listing that helps sell the house down the street.
My free evaluation tells you what your home should list for and why, backed by 48 years of Valley sales. What you do with that number is always your decision — but you deserve an honest one.
Quick Answers
What happens if I overprice my home?
Buyer activity typically stalls, the listing goes stale, and sellers often net less after eventual price cuts than they would have with correct initial pricing.
Can a well-priced home sell above list?
Yes — strong early activity on a correctly priced home can support price improvement, which one of Dan’s Granada Hills sellers experienced firsthand.
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