The Real Estate Horror Show: How Bad Staging, Curb Appeal, and Overpricing Can Haunt Your Home Sale
By Wyatt Poindexter | The Agency Oklahoma
It’s spooky season… and some listings are downright terrifying.
You’ve seen them—the haunted houses of the MLS.
65 days on the market.
28 showings.
Zero offers.
And the agent whispers the same ghost story:
“The right buyer just hasn’t seen it yet.”
Wrong. The right buyer did see it.
On Zillow. For exactly 4 seconds.
While eating candy corn on their couch.
And they swiped left faster than you can say “price reduction.”
The First Impression Curse
Let’s be honest—some listings look like the opening scene of a horror movie.
Overgrown bushes hiding the front door?
(Perfect place for a jump scare.)
Dead grass and spiderwebs on the porch light?
(We’re sensing a haunted basement.)
Peeling paint and flickering bulbs?
(Poltergeist activity or just poor maintenance—either way, buyers aren’t sticking around to find out.)
And that “decorative” garden gnome from 1987?
Let’s just say no one wants to make an offer on something that looks like it comes alive at midnight.
Online Buyers: The Modern-Day Ghost Hunters
Here’s the chilling truth: 78% of buyers find their home online.
That first photo—the one showing your half-dead lawn and duct-taped mailbox—is doing more damage than any creepy clown ever could.
Buyers don’t even need to walk through the door to know something feels off.
They’ve already decided your house is overpriced, outdated, and possibly cursed.
They never even got to see the remodeled kitchen, new HVAC, or the $15K price drop.
Because in real estate, you don’t get a second chance at a first impression—you just get ghosted.
The Curb Appeal Exorcism
Want to get rid of the bad energy? Start outside.
Mulch is your holy water.
A pressure washer is your silver bullet.
And a few new plants can resurrect even the most lifeless yard.
Agents will drop $8,000 on staging the living room but won’t spend $200 making the outside look human again.
Then they wonder why buyers vanish into the night.
Your curb appeal isn’t just haunting your listing—it’s killing your negotiation power.
A sad yard can cost you $30,000 or more in perceived value.
So light some candles (figuratively), clean it up, and bring your home back from the dead.
The Price Possession
You can stage it, clean it, and bless it—but if it’s overpriced, it’s still possessed.
Even Dracula couldn’t sell a home 10% over market value.
(And he’s been around for centuries.)
Studies show that homes priced correctly from day one sell for up to 10% more than those that chase the market down like a slow zombie apocalypse.
So don’t get hypnotized by your “dream number.”
Be realistic—or risk becoming another stale listing haunting Zillow for eternity.
Final Frights (and Fixes)
If you’re about to list your home, treat it like a Halloween costume contest:
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Clean it like your life depends on it.
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Hide anything creepy, cluttered, or weirdly personal.
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Make it sparkle under daylight and moonlight.
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And for heaven’s sake—paint the front door.
Luxury buyers are the Van Helsings of real estate. They spot every flaw, every imperfection, every “we’ll get to it later.”
Give them something that feels like a dream, not a nightmare.
Bottom line: Don’t let your house become a real estate ghost story.
Prep it. Price it right. Make it shine.
Otherwise, the only thing that’ll be haunting you this season… is your Days on Market count.
Wyatt Poindexter
Managing Partner | The Agency Oklahoma
405-417-5466 | [email protected]
www.WyattPoindexter.com | www.TheAgencyRE.com
