By Wyatt Poindexter | Managing Partner, The Agency Oklahoma
A seller can do everything right to get a home listed and still miss the decision that matters most: how the home will compete once buyers see it next to everything else available.
Today’s buyers can compare photographs, finishes, floor plans, lot sizes, price histories and days on market before they ever schedule a showing. By the time they walk through your front door, they often have other homes in mind. Your home needs to give them a reason to choose it.
After 31 years in real estate, I believe the strongest listing strategy comes down to three things: prepare the home carefully, price it for the market you’re in, and respond to what buyers actually do.
Look at the Homes Your Buyers Are Seeing
One of the most useful things a seller can do is study the other homes currently on the market, especially the newer and recently updated ones. Those are the choices buyers are weighing against yours.
If a new build has light-filled rooms, current finishes and a floor plan that fits how people live today, an older home cannot automatically command the same price per square foot simply because it has a similar amount of space. Square footage is one part of value. Condition, layout, lot, location, architecture and the cost of updating all affect how buyers compare homes.
This can be a difficult conversation when a home has been lovingly maintained. A house can be exceptionally well cared for and still look dated to today’s buyer. Heavy drapes, dark rooms and large Hemispheres-style furniture may bring back great memories for an owner. Some buyers will appreciate that style. Many others will walk in and start imagining the time and expense of making the home feel lighter and more current.
That does not mean sellers must remodel the entire house before listing it. It does mean we should be honest about the competition. If the newer home down the street feels fresh and move-in ready, we need a clear reason for buyers to choose yours. That reason may be the land, privacy, construction quality or a more compelling price. We cannot ignore the difference and expect buyers to ignore it, too.
Make the First Impression Count
Before we talk about photography or marketing, we need to look at the home through a buyer’s eyes.
Does the landscaping look maintained? Are the windows clean? Do the rooms feel bright and easy to understand? Are there unfinished repairs that a buyer will notice within five minutes? A seller may have lived comfortably with a scuffed wall or dated light fixture for years. A buyer seeing the home for the first time may see one more expense on a growing list.
Often, the work that makes the biggest difference is straightforward: a deep cleaning, fewer personal items, removing heavy window treatments where appropriate, updated lighting, minor repairs and thoughtful staging. In the National Association of REALTORS®’ 2025 staging survey, 83% of buyers’ agents said staging made it easier for buyers to envision a property as their future home.
Presentation matters especially in luxury real estate. Buyers at higher price points expect the photography, video, description and showing experience to reflect the price being asked. But beautiful marketing cannot carry a home whose condition and price do not make sense together.
Listen When Your Realtor Talks About Price
Pricing is the key that sells every home. It determines which buyers find the listing, whether they schedule a showing and how the property compares with the alternatives.
It’s natural to want to start high and see what happens. The problem is that the first days on the market are often when a listing gets its closest attention from active buyers. If the asking price is too far above what comparable homes support, many of those buyers will simply move on. They may never visit to discover the features that make the home special.
Your Realtor’s pricing advice should account for recent sales and the homes competing with yours right now. A sale from several months ago cannot tell the whole story if buyers today can purchase a newer, updated home for a similar price. We also have to consider the property’s condition, location, layout and the number of buyers likely to want it.
The right price is not necessarily a low price. It is a price that gives buyers a reason to act while protecting the seller’s position in negotiations. A Realtor who agrees with an ambitious number just to win the listing has not helped the seller.
Watch Activity, Then Be Willing to Adjust
A listing’s asking price is a starting strategy. Buyer activity tells us whether that strategy is working.
I want sellers to pay attention to online interest, showing requests, repeat visits, questions from agents and the offers that come in. We also need to watch the competition. A similar home may list at a more attractive price while ours is on the market, changing a buyer’s choices overnight.
Different patterns tell us different things. If buyers see the listing online but few schedule a tour, we should examine the price and presentation. If buyers tour but don’t return or make an offer, we need to listen closely to their objections. Feedback can be difficult to get, but it is worth pursuing because sellers deserve to know how their home is being received.
A price adjustment is not an admission of failure. It is a response to information we did not have before the home was exposed to the market. Waiting too long can cost a seller valuable time, particularly when competing homes continue to give buyers new options.
Why Are Some Offers So Far Below Asking Price?
One pattern I’ve seen this year is buyers submitting offers well below list price because they are adding up the updates they want to make. They may look at a perfectly functional kitchen and budget for an entirely new one. They may plan to replace flooring they simply dislike. By the time they finish their wish list, their offer reflects their dream renovation rather than the home as it exists.
I understand why that frustrates sellers. I’ve heard some take it personally: “We love this house. Why should we pay for everything they want to change?” Others respond, “What they do after closing is their business.” Both reactions are understandable.
Here is the distinction I ask sellers to make: a buyer’s personal taste does not automatically reduce the market value of your home, but your home’s actual condition and its competition do matter.
A buyer who prefers white oak floors over your hardwood floors does not get a dollar-for-dollar discount for replacing them. A buyer who wants to redesign a usable bathroom is describing a preference, not necessarily a defect.
But if buyers can purchase an updated home nearby for the same asking price, the comparison is real. If several buyers independently tell us the rooms feel dark or the finishes feel dated, we should pay attention. The seller does not have to fund one buyer’s dream remodel, but the asking price must make sense alongside what else that buyer can purchase.
That is why I do not advise reacting to a low offer emotionally. We look at the comparable sales, current competition, the home’s condition, our showing activity, the buyer’s financing and the rest of the offer. Then we decide whether to counter, hold firm or reconsider our asking price. An offer is information, even when it is not an offer the seller should accept.
A Buyer Letter Is a Nice Gesture. The Offer Still Has to Work.
Some buyers send a letter telling sellers how much they love the home and what they imagine their life there will be like. The gesture may be sincere. In my experience, though, most sellers focus on whether the offer makes sense: the price, financing, contingencies, closing date and likelihood that the transaction will actually close.
A strong offer is more persuasive than a moving letter attached to terms the seller cannot accept. Personal letters can also reveal information about a buyer that should have no bearing on a housing decision. The National Association of REALTORS® advises caution because those details can raise fair housing concerns. I believe offers should be evaluated on their terms.
My Job Is to Tell Sellers the Truth
At The Agency Oklahoma, we put considerable work into presenting a home well, from the initial preparation and pricing conversation through photography, video, marketing and showings. The Agency’s broader network can help introduce distinctive Oklahoma properties to audiences beyond a single neighborhood or city.
That reach is valuable, but it does not change the fundamentals. I cannot market a buyer into paying the same price for a dated home that they would pay for a comparable new build if the differences matter to them. My responsibility is to give sellers my honest assessment, make a plan for their particular property and tell them when the market is asking us to make a change.
If you are preparing to sell, ask your Realtor the hard questions before the home goes live. What will buyers compare it to? Which improvements are worth making? How does it show next to the newest and most updated homes at this price? What activity should we expect, and when will we review the strategy?
The sellers who stand out are the ones who prepare thoughtfully, price with a clear understanding of the competition and stay engaged after the listing goes live. In this market, that willingness to listen and adjust can make all the difference.
Wyatt Poindexter
Managing Partner, The Agency Oklahoma
405-417-5466
www.OKLuxuryHomes.com
