When three agents give you three different list prices, the highest number is not automatically the best one and the lowest is not automatically the safest. The way to tell a realistic price from a “buy-the-listing” number is to test each opinion against recent closed sales, current competing listings and your net proceeds, and to ask each agent to show their work.
After 20+ years of sitting across the table from sellers, I can say the same pattern repeats: the inflated number wins the listing, then the price reductions start. Your specific results depend on condition, location, price and current inventory, so treat everything below as a way to evaluate, not a promise of an outcome.
What is a buy-the-listing price?
It is a list price set higher than the comps support, mainly to win your signature. The agent is hoping you fall in love with the number and sign, then plans to talk you down after the home has sat. It is not always deliberate; some agents are simply optimistic. Either way, the way to spot it is to check whether the number can be supported by sold homes, not by active listings or the agent’s confidence.
How do I compare three price opinions side by side?
| Question to ask each agent | A solid answer sounds like | A weak answer sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Which closed sales support your number? | Specific recent sold homes, adjusted for size, condition, lot and location | Mostly active listings or “buyers are paying more now” |
| How long did those homes take to sell? | Days on market and sale-to-list data for similar homes in your area | Vague or no timeline data |
| What happens if we are wrong? | A plan for when and how much to adjust | “We will not need to adjust” |
| What will I actually net? | A written net sheet at the opinion price and at a lower price | Only the headline price |
| What are you adjusting for my home’s condition? | Specific adjustments for updates, dated features or defects | Treating your home as a perfect match for the best comp |
Should I pick the agent with the highest price?
Not on price alone. A price above where comparable homes have recently closed can reduce showings and offers in the first few weeks, which is when a listing normally gets its most attention. I covered what that looks like in overpricing your Summerlin home and what days on market and sale-to-list numbers show, and the band-by-band version in pricing your listing to the right price band. Neither guarantees a particular result, but they show why the starting number matters.
How do I check the number myself?
- Ask each agent for the sold comps behind the opinion and review them yourself: same neighborhood, similar size, similar condition, closed recently.
- Separate sold homes from active and pending ones. Actives show competition; sold homes show what buyers actually paid.
- Look at the spread between list price and sold price on those comps.
- Ask for a net sheet at each agent’s price and at a price 3 to 5 percent lower. My seller net proceeds breakdown shows what comes out of the sale price.
- Ask each agent what their plan is if there is no offer in the first two to three weeks, then compare against my guide on when and how much to cut a price.
What if the agents are far apart?
A big gap between opinions usually means the agents are reading the comps differently, such as which homes are true comparables or how to adjust for condition and updates. Ask them to walk through the specific sales that explain the difference. If you are still stuck, it can help to see how the questions I suggest in interviewing a listing agent in Las Vegas hold up in practice.
If you are comparing price opinions right now, send me your address and the numbers you have been given. I will show you the closed sales I would use, where I think the number lands and where I am unsure, so you can compare it with the others with no obligation.
Geoff Zahler | Broker/Owner, Zahler Properties