21 ways to get the price you want

1.Price against today's competition

Buyers don't judge your home on its own. They judge it next to every other home for sale in their price range that week.

This is where it gets uncomfortable. Buyers pay for what homes like yours are selling for right now. That's true even if your kitchen cost a lot more. And an online estimate is a computer's guess, made before a single buyer has walked through your door.

If that stings a little, you're not alone. You've probably watched your home's value climb for years. But buyers can only pay what the homes around yours support today.

The sellers who get their price usually make peace with this early. They stop pricing off what homes were worth at the peak, or what the neighbor got a few years ago. They know those prices aren't realistic anymore. So they price for the market they're actually selling in.

It can feel like giving something up. But a price buyers believe in is usually what gets a home sold quickly. And if you've owned your home for a while, there's a good chance you'll still walk away with a solid profit.

Plenty of sellers do the opposite, and overprice. In one survey, 77% of agents said overpricing is the biggest mistake sellers make.

So ask your agent for homes like yours that sold in the last 60 to 90 days, and homes like yours for sale right now. Then pick a price that looks good next to both.

Sources: HomeLight agent survey · Cromford® Market Snapshot (ARMLS), Oct. 2026

2.Price inside the range buyers search

Most buyers shop online with a top price set, and they tend to pick round numbers. If your price lands even a little above one of those numbers, those buyers may never see your home. A small difference on paper can hide you from a whole group of buyers.

Ask your agent which price ranges buyers in your area actually search. Then make sure you land inside the right one.

3.The widest possible exposure

The more places your home is seen, the bigger your pool. Zillow found that homes kept off the MLS sold for about 1.3% less. Some brokerages say their pre-marketing programs do better. Either way, ask your agent exactly where your home will be seen, and by how many buyers.

Source: HousingWire

4.Photos decide who books a showing

Most buyers meet your home on a phone before they ever see it in person. In the National Association of Realtors' latest survey, 81% of buyers who searched online said photos were very useful, more than any other feature on a listing site.

And the attention photos earn adds up. Zillow found that listings with 500 or more views a day often sell above list price.

Sources: NAR 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers · Zillow Research, via Inman

5.Curb appeal

A study published in a peer-reviewed real estate journal found that homes with strong curb appeal sell for about 7% more than similar homes nearby. In slow markets, the premium jumped to 10% to 11%.

Refresh the rock. Trim the desert plants. Paint the front door. Clean the entry. Turn on the porch light for evening showings.

Source: University of Texas at Arlington

6.Your best feature, front and center

Some of the most valuable things about a home never make it into the listing. An owned solar system that cuts the summer power bill. A view of the McDowells hidden behind heavy curtains. A shaded backyard nobody thought to photograph.

If buyers don't know it's there, they can't pay for it.

A great agent knows who buys in your neighborhood and what they want most. Right now, agents say buyers are drawn to extra storage or a garage, a home office, a finished bonus room, and outdoor space. So ask yourself: what would I brag about to a friend? Then make sure it's in the photos, the first line of the listing, and every post.

Source: HomeLight agent survey

7.A floor plan and 3D tour

In a Zillow survey, two-thirds of buyers said they wished more listings had 3D tours. A floor plan helps buyers picture their furniture, and their life, in your home. In the East Valley, where so many buyers are relocating from California and the Midwest, that matters even more.

Source: Zillow Consumer Housing Trends Report

8.A launch that's ready on day one

Your pool is never bigger than on day one. That's when every serious buyer with an alert set for your area sees your home, all at once. Redfin found that views drop by half on day two, and to about a quarter after a week.

Now here's the twist. Many sellers go live at a "let's see what happens" price, planning to lower it later. But when sellers cut their price, views jumped for exactly one day, then fell right back.

One day. That's all a price cut bought them.

Meanwhile, Zillow found that homes that found a buyer within a week were 2.6 times as likely to sell over asking.

2.6x as likely to sell above asking.

So don't go live until the price, the photos, and the house are all ready. Day one is too valuable to use as a test.

Sources: Redfin listing-views study · Zillow

9.Move-in ready condition

In one survey, 76% of agents said move-in ready condition is the biggest selling point for buyers right now. Buyers stretched by today's mortgage rates don't have extra cash for projects.

And if you've lived with that cracked tile, or that AC that groans every July, for years, you've probably stopped noticing it. Buyers won't.

Source: HomeLight agent survey

10.Fresh paint and small updates

In one survey, 30% of agents said painting gives the best return for helping a home sell for more. Another 7% pointed to minor kitchen updates. Small fixes tell buyers the home has been cared for.

Source: HomeLight agent survey

11.Staging and decluttering

In a National Association of Realtors survey, 29% of agents said staging led to offers 1% to 10% higher, and 49% said it helped homes sell faster.

Here's the honest part. Most of us stop noticing our own home's smell. Buyers notice it the second they walk in. And the bold wallpaper you love fits only the buyers who love it too.

Source: NAR 2025 Profile of Home Staging

12.Easy showings

About a third of agents say vacant homes sell faster, partly because they're so easy to show. If you're still living there, say yes to as many showings as you can. And keep the thermostat comfortable. A 90-degree house in September doesn't feel like home to anyone.

Source: HomeLight agent survey

13.Help with buyer costs

Across Greater Phoenix, 59% of August home sales included money from the seller toward the buyer's costs. A credit toward closing costs or a lower mortgage rate can make the numbers work for a buyer who's stretched.

The timing matters. East Valley builders advertise their rate buydowns up front, as a reason to choose their home. Many resale sellers wait until a buyer asks, and then it's just part of the haggling. You're competing with those builders for the same buyers.

So decide what you'd be willing to offer before you list, and talk with your agent about putting it in the marketing. One note: loan programs limit how much a seller can contribute, so check with your agent before you promise a number.

Source: Cromford Report commentary (ARMLS), Sept. 2026

14.An inspection before you list

Deals often fall apart after the buyer's inspection, when problems nobody knew about suddenly come to light. Getting your own inspection first lets you fix things, or price for them, before a buyer finds them. In Arizona, that usually means the roof, the AC units, and the pool equipment.

15.Flexible terms

Price isn't the only thing buyers care about. A closing date that fits their move, or time to rent back, can make your home easier to say yes to. And if you need more time yourself, a longer closing can be part of the deal, too.

16.Know your walk-away number

Many sellers think the deal is done once they sign an offer. Then the inspection comes back with requests for repairs or credits. So decide ahead of time what you're willing to give:

When you know that number before you list, a repair request isn't a shock. It's already in your plan.

17.Decide your price move before you list

Here's how it usually goes. The first week is busy. Then the showings slow down. You wait a few more weeks, hoping the right buyer shows up. Then, finally, you lower the price.

Waiting feels safe. But it usually costs more. Across Greater Phoenix, homes that went under contract within 15 days sold for about 99% of their original asking price. At one to two months, that slipped to 95%. At three to four months, 90%. That's ten times the discount.

Same house. Same kitchen. The only thing that changed was the calendar.

So agree on one sentence with your agent before you list. Call it your week-two rule:

Your agent fills in the blanks with local numbers. If week two is quiet, you already know what to do.

18.One meaningful cut

If you do lower your price, make it count. A Redfin agent put it simply: a small cut often won't work unless it moves your home into a new price range on the home search sites. Agents also warn that small cuts every few weeks teach buyers to wait for the next one.

Source: Redfin

19.A real counter to every offer

Any offer matters right now, because fewer homes are going under contract. Even a low one tells you someone wants your home.

But make the counter real. Coming down only a sliver from your asking price can feel like a real step to you. Buyers rarely see it that way. They see a seller who isn't budging, and they move on to the next house.

Illustration. The address and prices are made up.

A counter that barely moves tells a buyer the same thing silence does.

And watch the pattern. One low offer is a buyer testing you. Five low offers are the market telling you something.

Source: Realtor.com housing report

20.A reverse offer

Here's that move most sellers have never heard of. Instead of waiting for an offer, you send one. Your agent writes up the terms you'd accept, you sign it, and it goes to buyers who already toured your home or came back for a second look. It comes with a short deadline.

It works best when buyers are interested but stuck on the fence. A signed offer with a deadline can help them decide.

21.A weekly look at your competition

Your competition changes every week. New homes come on, prices get cut, homes go under contract. Ask your agent for a quick update each week, so you're reacting to the market you're actually in.