If you’re wondering how to sell your listings without immediately lowering the price, you’re not alone. As days on market continue to increase and expired listings increase, many agents are asking themselves, “What else can I do before I lower the price?”
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The good news is this. Price is rarely the first lever you pull. However, it is often the final word. Between these two points, a series of strategic actions are needed to re-engage the market, rebuild seller confidence, and create new momentum that leads to sales.
Below is a listing revitalization strategy with concrete steps you can take to reposition your obsolete listing, get new attention, and, if necessary, create a clear and logical bridge to price improvement that sellers can actually understand.
Start with a full reboot instead of tweaking
If the list is stable, most agents will make small adjustments and expect different results. That rarely works. What works is to treat the property like a new property.
Let’s start with an explanation of MLS. If you haven’t changed it since you first started marketing it, buyers have already decided how they feel about it. This is where AI can be a powerful tool, not by replacing judgment, but by improving clarity, flow, and emotional connection.
Rather than listing features, you should focus on your lifestyle, the benefits the buyer will have, and how the home will be lived. Once you rewrite it, everything else should follow. Social posts, email marketing, and digital advertising all need to reflect the new narrative.
This is also the moment to update your visuals. A fresh photo, digital floor plan, or new angle can instantly reset a buyer’s perception. The goal is simple. It’s about giving the market a reason to look again.
Use buyer incentives to change calculations instead of prices
One of the biggest objections expressed by buyers today is uncertainty, especially when it comes to interest rates and monthly payments. This is a case where incentives, if used correctly, can outperform price cuts.
For example, buying down interest rates can feel abstract unless explained clearly. Breaking down what that incentive means in terms of monthly savings, annual impact, and long-term value becomes concrete. In many cases, the benefits are far greater than a small price reduction.
Think creatively beyond fundraising. Offering to pay for a year’s worth of HOA dues, covering landscaping or cleaning services, or contributing toward closing costs can dramatically reduce friction with buyers, especially first-time buyers and investors.
The point is not generosity for its own sake. Strategic placement can help your listing stand out in a crowded field.
Pass the 5 second and 5 minute tests
First impressions still matter, perhaps more than ever. The 5-second test was established in a 1992 Harvard University study, “The 30-Second Selling: Using Thin-Slice Judgment to Evaluate Sales Effectiveness.” The study found that people make lasting decisions within seconds, often before conscious reasoning begins.
Buyers form an opinion about a home within five seconds of driving up to it, usually before they even set foot inside. By improving your curb appeal, sprucing up your home’s entryway, giving your front door a fresh coat of paint, and sprucing up details like updated hardware, you can subconsciously shape a buyer’s mind before the showing begins.
The 5-minute test takes place the moment you walk in the door. Lighting should be bright and cozy. The entrance should have an open feel. Smell is more important than most agents are willing to admit. Clutter, personal items, and visual distractions should be kept to a minimum so buyers can project themselves into the space.
These adjustments don’t require major renovations, but they can significantly change your emotional response and emotional offers.
Give your property a name and personality
Homes sell faster when they are memorable. Naming your listing, even if it’s unofficial, gives it an identity. Whether it’s “Corner Lot Hideout,” “Cul de Cul-de-Sac Classic,” or “Walk to School Home,” naming your property gives buyers something to hold onto.
Take it one step further and give your home a voice. One of the most effective examples of this strategy I’ve ever seen was by Matt Lionetti. His video involved telling the story of the house from a unique perspective. The video included the house introducing themselves as “Benny.” Highlighting the milestones, memories, and moments that happened within its walls brought this home to life.
Here’s the video:
Don’t be overwhelmed by making it work like he did with the video. This strategy doesn’t require elaborate production to be effective. A simple video walkthrough with thoughtful narration can transform a standard tour into something emotionally resonant.
The buyer does not remember the square footage. They remember stories. And by breathing life into your home, you greatly increase your chances of securing a sale.
Create a one-pager that removes uncertainty
Confusion kills momentum. A simple, one-page document can eliminate buyer hesitation by answering questions before they are asked. For buyers, this means outlining the actual cost of ownership, utilities, HOA fees, upgrades, and overlooked features that add value.
For agents, that means clarifying incentives and providing instructions and seller expectations. The easier it is for a buying agent to understand and present a home, the more likely an offer will be generated.
Looking prepared to others will benefit your list.
Turn your broker open house into an event
Traditional open houses still work, but events are more effective. Instead of expecting an agent to show up at a broker’s open house, give them a reason to prioritize your listing. Lifestyle-driven giveaways sponsored by local partners such as lenders and inspectors can dramatically increase participation numbers.
Whether it’s tickets to a local event like a concert, a gift card to an expensive restaurant, or a lifestyle gift like a paddle board or electric bike, the goal is to generate buzz and encourage feedback. When an agent walks through a home with an intention, it always stays in their mind.
Exposure and engagement create opportunities.
Expand distribution, not discounts
If your listing isn’t moving, ask yourself where it’s not being seen. Have you taken advantage of all the social platforms? Have you created a YouTube tutorial? Have you sent direct mail to your neighbors? Have you highlighted it in your database? Have you tested a different story angle?
New channels bring new buyers. Fresh marketing creates fresh awareness. Expansion should always occur before discounting.
Address the one objection buyers keep repeating.
Patterns are important. If your feedback consistently points to the same issue, paint, layout, lighting, or specific upgrades, that’s valuable information. The seller is not required to act on it, but has the right to hear it clearly and professionally.
Your role is not to protect your feelings. Just to clarify.
When the time comes, position price improvement as a reboot.
Prices may eventually need to change. The mistake many agents make is presenting it as a failure rather than a strategy. A combination of improved pricing and a complete relaunch, new copy, new visuals, new distribution, and new incentives will change the frame of the conversation. It’s no longer a “price cut.” To change the location of the house.
Often, one simple line can make all the difference. Tell the seller: “I’d rather negotiate and say ‘no’ to an offer than stay silent and keep saying ‘no.'”
Price creates movement. Movement creates leverage.
conclusion
No need for hope in the old list. They need action. Approaching a protracted listing with a structured turnaround plan, rather than an after-the-fact decision, will help restore momentum as sellers feel supported and buyers feel re-engaged.
Take control of the story. Update your strategy. Then, when the time comes, we will make price adjustments at the right time. In this way, your listings move from cold to sold state.
Jimmy Burgess is Chief Coaching Officer of HomeServices of America and President of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices. Connect with him on Instagram and LinkedIn.
