Pricing a home has always mattered, but in a changing market, it matters more—and in different ways—than many homeowners expect. In Brentwood, where neighborhood dynamics, buyer expectations, and timing can vary street by street, pricing is not a formula. It’s a strategy.
Over the years, I’ve found that most pricing mistakes don’t come from lack of information. They come from understandable hesitation, mixed signals in the market, or advice that sounds reasonable on the surface but doesn’t reflect how buyers actually behave.
Why Pricing Matters More in Uncertain Markets
In fast, highly competitive markets, pricing errors are often forgiven. Buyers rush in, inventory is limited, and momentum can overcome small miscalculations.
In more balanced or shifting markets, the opposite is true. Buyers slow down. They compare options more carefully, track how long homes sit, and notice when something feels “off.”
In Brentwood these days, buyers are typically pretty well-informed. Many have been watching the market for months. They recognize when a home is positioned correctly—and when it isn’t. Pricing becomes the primary signal that shapes how your home is perceived from the moment it hits the market.
Common Pricing Mistakes Brentwood Sellers Make
One of the most common mistakes I see is relying too heavily on yesterday’s market. What a neighbor’s home sold for last year—or even earlier this year—may no longer reflect how buyers are making decisions today.
Another frequent issue is pricing based on what a homeowner needs or hopes to net rather than how buyers evaluate value. While those goals are important, buyers don’t see them. They see options, comparisons, and positioning.
There’s also the temptation to price “just a little higher” to leave room for negotiation. In theory, this sounds reasonable. In practice, it often backfires.
The Real Risks of “Testing the Market”
“Let’s test the market” is one of the most well-intentioned phrases in real estate—and one of the most misunderstood.
The risk isn’t that a home won’t sell. The risk is how the market responds during the most important window of exposure. The first few weeks matter disproportionately. That’s when serious buyers are paying the closest attention and when your listing generates the strongest opinions.
If a home enters the market priced above where buyers see value, the response is often quiet rather than confrontational. Buyers don’t object; they move on. Showings slow. Days on market grow. Eventually, price adjustments follow—but now the home carries a different narrative.
At that point, sellers are often negotiating from a weaker position than if the home had been priced correctly from the start.
How Buyer Behavior Changes with Price Positioning
Buyers don’t just evaluate homes individually. They rank them.
When a home is priced correctly, it tends to land in a buyer’s “must see” category. It benefits from comparison shopping and urgency. Buyers ask themselves how it stacks up—and whether they should act before someone else does.
When a home is priced too high, it falls into a different mental bucket. Buyers may still look at it, but it becomes something to revisit later, after better-positioned options are ruled out. Often, that revisit never happens.
In Brentwood, where buyers often have multiple viable choices, price positioning influences momentum far more than features alone.
How I Help Sellers Price for Leverage, Not Hope
When I work with sellers on pricing, the goal isn’t to predict the market—it’s to create leverage.
That starts with understanding how buyers are behaving right now in your specific neighborhood, not just at a citywide level. It means looking at what’s competing for attention, how similar homes are being received, and where buyers are hesitating or moving decisively.
It also means being honest about trade-offs. Every pricing decision has one. The question is whether it strengthens your position or quietly works against it.
My role is to help sellers choose a strategy that aligns with their goals while still respecting how the market actually works. That balance is where strong outcomes tend to come from.
A Thoughtful Next Step
If you’re considering selling and want a clearer sense of how pricing strategy applies to your home—without pressure or assumptions—I’m always happy to have that conversation.
Understanding your options is often the most valuable first step.
