When your home is not selling as expected

Homes sell at different speeds for many reasons, and a quieter period does not mean anyone has done something wrong. The most useful response is usually to look at what is actually happening before deciding what, if anything, to change.

Information that can help explain how a listing is being received:

• Showing activity — how many requests, and how it has changed over time
• Feedback from buyers and their agents
• Competing listings — what buyers can choose instead
• Relevant recent sales of similar homes
• Presentation — photography, condition, and how the home looks in person
• Listing information and marketing — accuracy, completeness, and where it appears
• Pricing position — how the price sits among comparable homes

Any single signal can be incomplete. Low showing activity on its own does not establish the cause; it is a reason to look at the other information alongside it.

A hypothetical example. “There have been few showing requests” is an observation. “The price is wrong” is a conclusion. That conclusion may or may not be right — it needs to be weighed alongside market conditions, competing properties, presentation, and how widely the listing has been seen.

Keeping the two apart helps everyone discuss the same facts before discussing opinions about them.

Depending on what the evidence suggests, a review might consider:

• Preparation — a repair, cleaning, or decluttering that buyers have mentioned
• Photography or the listing description
• Showing availability, if access has been limited
• Marketing — where and how the home is presented
• Price, if the evidence points to positioning

Price is one possible lever, not the only one, and no change can guarantee a sale. The aim is a considered decision rather than a reactive one.

It helps to discuss, ideally before listing, how reviews will work:

• Which information will be reviewed
• How updates will be shared, and with whom
• When the next review will happen
• Who needs to give instructions for any change

Proposed changes — to price, marketing, or access — follow the representation and instruction arrangements agreed at the start. One owner cannot direct a change on behalf of the other. The guide on keeping communication neutral may help, and the overall process is outlined in Planning a sale. For how pricing is assessed, see market assessment, appraisal, and assessed value.