The Link Between Sale Speed and Price
There are many idioms about the benefits of taking your time. Measure twice, cut once. Slow is smooth, smooth is fast. Haste makes waste. Rome wasn’t built in a day. All of it can be good advice in some circumstances.
However, problems arise when you apply that idea to every facet of life or decision you make. Sometimes taking your time doesn’t lead to better outcomes or decision-making, or it puts you in a situation where you have fewer options to choose from.
“Don't let perfect be the enemy of good” is a more appropriate aphorism for real estate. Waiting for that perfect offer may mean passing up good offers. It won’t take long before those good offers are no longer on the table.
In real estate, selling fast does not mean accepting less. In many cases, it’s those first days that hold the greatest potential for maximizing your home’s sale price.
Early Momentum Creates Urgency
The most serious buyers in your price range are already looking. Many are checking listings daily to see if anything new is on the market. When your home is listed, that first wave of attention is the most powerful. It’s vital to make good use of those first days, before your home blends in with everything else.
A strong early rollout isn’t just important for getting the attention of motivated buyers. It’s key to establishing a sense of competition and urgency. When buyers know they’re not the only ones interested, they act faster and bid stronger.
Longer Market Time Signals Lower Value
The longer a home sits, the more likely buyers are to wonder: What’s wrong with it? Even if you lower your asking price after weeks of inactivity, too much time on the market erodes buyer confidence. Most buyers will assume your home has been passed over for a reason. Worse, lowering the price to reignite interest can attract bargain-hunters rather than serious, top-dollar buyers.
You can’t change the rules of consumer behavior, but understanding how buyers think, and how that shapes their perception of your home, can help you avoid this pitfall.
Fast Doesn’t Mean Rushed
There’s a difference between selling fast and cutting corners. A well-executed launch doesn’t mean taking the first offer that comes in. Doing the groundwork before listing, like identifying and targeting active home searchers and buyer agents, can generate demand for your home. Once qualified buyers are interested, carefully managed showings can be used to encourage buyers to act decisively.
This also involves setting a price for your home based on current market competition, not just past sales. It also includes a limited showing window, controlled buyer access, and framing your price as a starting point, not an asking price.
Buyers view asking prices as a ceiling from which they can negotiate down. A starting price implies it’s a starting point from which buyers can bid upwards.
When done right, this approach compresses the home sale timeline without sacrificing price.
Higher Prices Come From Competition, Not Time on Market
The idea that price goes up the longer you wait is rarely true in practice. The best outcomes happen when there’s a sense of urgency. Buyers only compete when they feel like they might lose out, and they won’t be worried about losing out if your home doesn’t seem to be going anywhere.
Creating that sense of urgency is key. When the right buyers are targeted early and invited to see the home in a structured window, ideally while knowing others are interested, it changes the entire dynamic of the sale.
Generate Urgency to Sell Your Home Quickly and for a Higher Price
A successful home selling process is less about when you list, and more about how you launch and how quickly interest turns into offers. Homes that generate strong attention early are more likely to sell at or above market value. Homes that linger often require concessions.
At 72SOLD, we use this strategy and more to help sellers create early urgency, strong buyer engagement, and top-dollar results. Fill out the form on our website to learn how our process works and get our price for your home.
