What Most Homeowners Get Wrong About Pricing

By Gwen Daubenmeyer

Gwen Daubenmeyer is the founder of our team. She brings an unwavering commitment to her clients and a get-it-done attitude. Gwen is unapologetically competitive. Marketing and negotiation are her Olympic events; if she could medal, she would. While winning is her “what,” her clients are her “why.”

If you’re thinking about selling your home, there’s a common assumption that can quietly work against you. Many sellers believe the fastest way to success is to copy what worked for the home down the street. If that home sold quickly or went over asking, it feels logical to use the same pricing and marketing approach. The problem is that this shortcut often leads to missed opportunities and weaker results.

Why comparing your home to a neighbor’s sale is risky? I understand why sellers compare. Real estate decisions feel safer when there’s a recent example nearby. But no two homes are truly identical, even when they look similar from the outside. Small differences shape how buyers perceive a home, and those perceptions directly affect demand.

Over time, I’ve seen sellers underestimate how much these details matter. A home can appear nearly identical to another yet perform very differently once buyers walk through it. That difference usually comes down to factors that aren’t obvious on a listing sheet.

The details buyers respond to without realizing it. Buyers don’t just buy square footage and bedroom counts. They react to how a home feels. Lot size and positioning are a big part of that reaction. A deeper lot or one that backs to trees often creates a stronger emotional pull than a smaller or exposed yard. Traffic patterns matter more than most sellers expect.

Homes on quiet streets or cul-de-sacs tend to attract more interest than those closer to subdivision entrances, especially for families. School boundaries also play a major role. Two homes in the same city but assigned to different school districts can attract completely different buyer pools.

Sunlight is another factor that quietly influences decisions. The way natural light moves through a home affects how warm and comfortable it feels. Buyers may not point it out, but it shapes their confidence and willingness to make an offer.

How does buyer perception affect price? These details aren’t cosmetic. They shape buyer perception, which in turn drives demand. When demand is strong, homes sell faster and with better terms. When demand is weaker, even well-maintained homes can struggle.

This is why using the same pricing and marketing plan for every home doesn’t work. When sellers copy a neighbor’s approach without understanding how their own home fits the market, they’re not following a strategy. They’re guessing.

Why does guessing cost sellers time and leverage? Today’s buyers are informed and detail-focused. When a home is positioned incorrectly, buyers notice. The listing sits longer, momentum slows, and leverage shifts away from the seller. As time on market increases, buyers start to question value, even if nothing is wrong with the home itself. Offers tend to come in lower, not because the home changed, but because the perception changed. This pattern consistently appears in market data.

What works better than copying nearby sales? A better approach starts with evaluating the home on its own merits. Pricing and marketing should be based on the home’s condition, features, and position in the current market, not on what another property did weeks or months earlier.

Homes sell best when they’re positioned intentionally. That means highlighting what makes the property stand out, preparing it in a way that supports those strengths, and presenting it with visuals and language that align with the right buyer psychology.

Selling your home doesn’t have to feel complicated or uncertain. When your pricing and positioning are built around your home’s true strengths, you attract the right buyers and create better momentum from the start. If you’re planning to sell and want clarity around pricing, positioning, or next steps, feel free to call or text me at 248-850-2575 or email me at hey@theintegrityteam.com. I’m happy to help you determine the right strategy for a successful sale.