3 Smart Strategies for Pricing in a Shifting Market

The Southern California real estate market is still strong—but it’s shifting. Inventory is climbing, buyers are more cautious, and homes that aren’t priced right are sitting longer than they did just a few months ago.

If you’re thinking about selling, pricing your home correctly has never been more important. The good news? You don’t have to undercut your value to get noticed—you just need the right strategy.

Here are three smart pricing moves that help attract serious buyers without leaving money on the table:

1. Your List Price Is Part of Your Marketing Plan

Your list price isn’t the final sales price—it’s an invitation.

It’s what gets a buyer to click, schedule a showing, and step inside. It’s one of the most powerful marketing tools you have. The more interest you generate upfront, the more leverage you have once offers start coming in.

What you net at the end of a transaction depends on several things: negotiations, concessions, timing, buyer strength—and yes, competition. But it all starts with visibility. Without strong interest, you limit your opportunities.

So price to get attention. You can’t negotiate with buyers who never walk through the door.

2. Lead With Data, Not Emotion

Your home may hold a lot of personal value—but buyers are focused on facts. They’re comparing your home to others on the market and relying on tools, spreadsheets, and yes—even AI—to make sense of it all.

Use recent sales, price-per-square-foot benchmarks, and days-on-market data to guide your pricing. Even better? Work with an agent who understands hyperlocal trends and knows how to think like today’s buyer. Knowing how to analyze the data—and how buyers interpret it—can give you a real edge.

3. Create a Pricing “Magnet”

Your goal is to pull in the right buyers quickly—and that often means pricing just under a key search threshold.

For example, a home listed at $998,000 will show up in buyer searches up to $1M and often feels like a better value than a similar home listed at $1,015,000. It’s not about pricing low—it’s about pricing smart.

The more eyes on your listing, the more chances you have to create urgency and drive better terms.

Bonus Strategy: Reassess at the 10-Day Mark

The market gives feedback—you just have to pay attention.

If you’re getting showings but no offers, buyers may feel the price is too high. If there are no showings at all, your price might be missing the mark entirely.

Before you list, have a plan in place: if activity is low after 10–14 days, be prepared to make a slight adjustment. Even a small shift can revive momentum and bring in fresh interest.

Your pricing strategy sets the tone for your entire sale. Treat it as marketing, not just math. With the right price, you maximize visibility and set the stage for the strongest possible outcome—not just in your sales price, but in your terms, timeline, and net proceeds.

Thinking of selling this fall? Let’s create a strategy based on today’s market, not last year’s headlines.