10/24/2026
Putting up the sign is the easy part. Selling the home takes a PLAN. 🏡
As I was loading another listing sign into my truck today, I was thinking about how much the real estate market has changed.
In September, pending home sales in Greater Houston dropped 11.6% compared to last year. Buyers have more choices, and sellers are feeling the pressure.
In a market like this, simply putting a home on the MLS and hoping for an offer isn't much of a strategy.
When a home struggles to sell, there are FOUR things I look at:
📸 1. PRESENTATION
First impressions happen online. Professional photography, proper lighting, thoughtful preparation, and showcasing a home's best features can make the difference between someone scrolling past or scheduling a showing.
📣 2. MARKETING
The MLS is the starting point, not the entire strategy. Who is the ideal buyer for this property? Where do we find them? A good marketing plan should use multiple channels and speak directly to the buyers most likely to be interested.
📊 3. COMMUNICATION
This might be the most overlooked. Sellers deserve more than an occasional update. They need to understand what's happening with competing homes, buyer activity, neighborhood trends, and what adjustments could improve their position. Data should drive decisions, not guesswork. A seller has financial costs in listing a property and sometimes the plan a seller set out to achieve changes. Communication is the key to keeping a pulse on the seller's goals.
💰 4. PRICE
Buyers compare options, and when another home offers better value, that's where their attention goes. Pricing matters tremendously. But not every seller has the financial flexibility to keep lowering their price. That's why honest conversations and a well-executed strategy are so important.
Selling a home in 2026 isn't always easy.
We can't control interest rates, buyer demand, or how many competing homes hit the market.
But we CAN control how we present a property, how we market it, how we communicate, and how we respond to what the market tells us.
And sometimes the best advice is knowing when to adjust the plan.