The #1 Regret Sellers Have When They Don’t Use an Agent

When homeowners look back on selling without an agent, there’s one regret that comes up more than any other: they didn’t price their home correctly for their market.

According to the latest data from the National Association of Realtors (NAR), sellers who chose to go it alone say pricing was the hardest part of the entire process. And that’s not surprising. Pricing a home isn’t about guessing, using an online estimate, or copying what a neighbor sold for last year. It requires a clear understanding of today’s buyers and today’s market conditions. In fact, sellers without an agent report struggling most with getting the price right, preparing the home, selling within their desired timeframe, managing legal paperwork, and finding the time to handle everything themselves. Pricing sits at the top of that list because it impacts every other step of the sale.

At Slater Realty Group, we see this firsthand. Accurate pricing depends on knowing what buyers are actually willing to pay right now, how much competition exists in your specific area, what similar homes are truly selling for (not just listing for), how desirable your neighborhood is, and how your home’s condition compares. Without that context, it’s easy to overprice, and in today’s market, that can work against you quickly. Overpricing doesn’t just slow things down. It creates a chain reaction. Buyers scroll past homes that feel overpriced, which leads to fewer showings. Fewer showings mean fewer offers. And eventually, many sellers are forced into price reductions just to regain attention. According to NAR, 59% of homes sold without an agent had to reduce their price at least once.

What many sellers don’t anticipate is that price cuts don’t always fix the issue. Instead, they can attract bargain hunters or raise concerns. Buyers often interpret a price drop as a sign something is wrong with the home even when it isn’t. By the time the property sells, the seller may net less than if the home had been priced correctly from the start. The numbers reinforce this reality. NAR data shows that homes sold with an agent sell for nearly 8% more on average than those sold without one. That difference isn’t accidental. It comes down to expertise in pricing strategy, preparation, presentation, negotiation, and execution.

That’s where Slater Realty Group comes in. When the price, the plan, and the presentation are aligned from day one, sellers avoid costly missteps and protect their bottom line.

Bottom Line

The biggest risk of selling without an agent today isn’t the paperwork or the workload it’s pricing. And once pricing goes wrong, it’s hard to fully course-correct. If you’re thinking about selling and want a realistic, market-driven understanding of what your home could sell for today, Slater Realty Group is here to help. A simple pricing conversation now can save you from bigger regrets later.

Source

Coldwell Banker Realty