Selling a Home in a Slower Market
Price, presentation, and marketing are the three things you have to get right when the market slows. Including the client who priced below appraisal and sold above list in a weekend.
Published May 8, 2026 · 5 min read
When you are a home seller in a slower market there are critical elements of the home selling process that need your complete attention. The way the home is priced, how it is presented to buyers, and the ways it is marketed are three of the most important things that you should work to get right.
Price
Possibly the most critical element is the price of the listing. Obviously, home sellers want the most money for their home in as little time on the market as possible. However, according to Nesting in Nashville, the current sale to list price ratio is 96 percent, which shows that home sellers are pricing high and then dropping the price if the home does not sell.
Another strategy is to go in the opposite direction. Not long ago, I had a home seller with a beautiful home in a desirable location, but there were homes in the area that had been sitting for a while. Wary of the slow market, they chose to price their home below the appraisal, and instead of chasing the market down they lowered the starting point in hopes of driving interest from home buyers, and maybe even driving the price up. It worked. The low price generated lots of interest early and the home ended up being sold above the list price, in just a weekend on the market.
Presentation
Beyond price, having the home in the best shape possible will help immensely in terms of generating interest from home buyers. The cost of real estate has risen and interest rates have increased, both of which make buying a home expensive. In turn, many home buyers seem more interested in a home that is ready to be lived in than they are in spending a lot on repairs.
Spending a small amount of money on the garden beds and pressure washing the house so that it looks clean and cared for makes a great impression on home buyers. If the house seriously needs painting, or a deep clean, then find a way to get it done. Finding a dirty oven, cabinets, floors, and other things that are in disrepair are major turn offs. They slow the sale and lower the amount of money you can expect for your home. Look very critically at your house and find the things that you would not want to see if you were buying the house.
My clients who sold their home in a weekend, above list price, went into their closets and meticulously hung and folded clothes in a color coordinated way. Nothing was out of place. They also spent money painting, fixing things, and having the home deep cleaned. They paid attention to every part of the home, including getting rid of all the clutter around the house, until it was absolutely presented in the very best way possible. They were ready and so was the home.
Marketing
You can do everything to have the home ready and even price it well, but if it is not being seen by every home buyer possible, the chances of selling the house are reduced. Some home sellers want to use a private listing service, or have their realtor present the house only to their brokerage's agents before showing it to the entire market of realtors and their home buyers. This private listing strategy reduces the opportunity of getting the best price for the house and often lengthens the time that the house stays on the market. If you were trying to sell your car, would you only tell the people in your office that it was available?
People all over the country and even overseas are buying homes in Nashville, so it makes sense that they all know about the opportunity to buy yours.
Selling your home in a slow market will be more successful when you pay attention to the price and avoid the temptation of chasing the price down, spend time and money if necessary to get the home ready for a sale, and make sure the marketing of your home is broad and reaching as many people as possible.
Frequently asked
Price it realistically from the start rather than pricing high and chasing the market down. The current sale to list price ratio is about 96 percent according to Nesting in Nashville, which shows how often sellers list high and then reduce.
It can. One of our sellers priced below the appraisal in a neighborhood where homes had been sitting. The low price generated strong early interest and the home sold above list price after a single weekend on the market.
Handle the things a buyer would notice first: clean garden beds, a pressure washed exterior, fresh paint if it is needed, and a deep clean inside. Dirty ovens, cabinets, and floors slow the sale and lower the price.
Generally no. Showing a home only to one brokerage's agents before the wider market reduces the chance of getting the best price and often lengthens time on market. Buyers come from across the country and overseas.
Three things: a realistic price you do not have to chase down, a home prepared and presented in its best condition, and marketing broad enough to reach every possible buyer.