Starting High “to Leave Room to Negotiate” Can Backfire

The asking price has one job: to place your home in front of the buyers who will actually recognize its value. It’s not an accounting of everything you spent on the house, and it can’t guarantee a specific number in your pocket at closing. It’s an invitation, and it has to be priced to work.

Why the first two weeks matter so much

The most serious buyer attention a listing gets usually happens in its first couple of weeks on the market. Price too high during that window, hoping to negotiate down later, and you risk missing that early wave of interest entirely. By the time a price correction happens, some of the most motivated buyers have already moved on to something else.

Buyers and agents both notice overpricing

Experienced buyers and their agents track how a listing is priced relative to real comparable sales. A home that’s priced well above that range doesn’t just get skipped, it can get mentally discounted even after a price reduction, because buyers remember the original number.

What “room to negotiate” actually costs you

The strategy trades away real, early momentum for a hypothetical negotiating advantage that may never materialize. A home priced accurately from day one, backed by real comps, tends to generate more genuine competition than one priced high and walked back later.

— Candie Worsham, Nashville Area Homes