Should I Price My Home High or at Market Value to Get the Best Result?
- The McCreith Team
- Dec 19, 2025
- 3 min read
In today’s market, pricing correctly from day one matters more than leaving room to negotiate. Here's why.
One of the biggest decisions you’ll make as a seller is where to price your home. Yamhill County homeowners regularly ask us if starting "on the high side" with their list price will give them the flexibility they want when it comes time to negotiate with a buyer.
It sounds like a wonderful strategy to build in wiggle room, but in practice, it rarely works to the seller's benefit. More often then not, a home priced too high above other comparable listings and recent home sales will get passed over by buyers.
Remember: home buyers are watching the market daily through the various apps alerting them to new listings. Today’s buyers are well-informed. They’re watching recent sales, tracking price reductions, and narrowing their options quickly, often before they ever schedule a showing. Time and time again we have seen sellers take this approach, only to sit for weeks with little to no activity, followed by price reduction after price reduction, eventually selling where they ought to have been from the beginning.
A pricing strategy is most effective when location, condition, and price line up with what buyers are already seeing in the market. In other words, price your home with currents comparable sales and current buyers in mind.
Homes priced at market value tend to attract more showings early, which matters because the first few weeks on the market are when interest is strongest. This is reflected in the statistical chart we've shared above. When you launch your listing, you get maximum market impact. We want to use that momentum to you advantage. Strong activity, lots of interest buyers, and multiple offers will lead to cleaner negotiations, stronger terms for you, and a smoother path to closing. On the other hand, homes priced too high often sit longer, require price reductions, and lose leverage once buyers begin to wonder why the home hasn’t sold.
Most buyers decide within seconds whether a home makes their short list. Price is usually their first filter, but not the final negotiation point. The goal is to price it accurately, which literally opens your door to them, and then compel them with our presentation of your home. That's where we come in.
The short answer: Pricing isn’t about testing the market. It’s about positioning your home to motivate buyers to act decisively and aggressively in order to maximize you leverage for great terms.
The McCreith Team’s If/Then Guideposts
When we help sellers price their homes, we use simple guideposts tied to how buyers actually compare homes:
If your home is in a great location and is updated, pricing at or slightly below market can create urgency (this, multiple offers!).
If your home is in average condition, pricing at market value keeps you competitive. Discuss strategies for presentation that could create more urgency.
If condition or location is a challenge, the price must reflect these challenges or buyers will select your competitors who do not have those same challenges (for example, a home on a busy road).
If you start too high, expect fewer showings early and tougher negotiations later.
Let The McCreith Team help you to better understand the market you’re stepping into, giving you a clear plan from the start.
Why Sellers choose Bella Casa Real Estate Group
Bella Casa Real Estate Group is the number one brokerage in Yamhill County by the numbers leading in total market share, total sales volume, and total units sold. Our strong local brand reputation is built on expert guidance, clear strategy, and results that speak for themselves: No one sells more real estate in Yamhill County than we do.
This blog post is part of our weekly Yamhill County seller series, focused on practical guidance that helps homeowners make confident decisions. Pricing insights are informed by recent closed sales and active listings from RMLS.
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