Should You Skip a Home That’s Been Sitting on the Market?

When you see a house that’s been on the market for a while, the reaction is almost automatic. You start thinking:

• What’s wrong with it?
• Why hasn’t anyone bought it yet?
• Am I missing something?

That mindset made sense a few years ago. But in today’s market, you may actually miss out. A few years ago, homes sold in just a matter of days. Sometimes, hours. Anything that lingered raised concerns. But that’s no longer the baseline.

Inventory has grown. Buyers have more choices. Homes are taking longer to sell.

Those are some of the reasons why the typical time it takes a home to sell has climbed this year.  It’s not necessarily that there’s anything wrong with the house itself. Although, let’s be honest, sometimes that is the case.

Most of the time lately, a house taking longer to sell simply means:

• There are a lot of homes for sale in that area
• The seller priced a little too high at first
• The home didn’t photograph as well online
• There were flashier listings nearby
• The timing just wasn’t right when it first hit the market

None of those are necessarily deal-breakers.

Bottom Line

A home sitting on the market isn’t always a warning sign. Sometimes it’s an overlooked opportunity.  If you want help identifying which homes are worth a second look (and which ones to skip), let’s talk.