When you decide to sell your home, there’s a moment—sometimes exciting, sometimes overwhelming—when everything suddenly feels real. The memories tied to each room, the anticipation of the next chapter, and the weight of the decisions ahead all settle in at once. And amid the preparation, the staging, and the planning, you’re faced with one big, defining question—one that will shape the entire experience from start to finish: What is the right price?
How to Price Your Home
Tim Hill is a seasoned real estate advisor with REMAX All Points Realty (New West), based in New Westminster, BC. Tim recently shared some candid advice that every seller should hear. And the story he tells is one that plays out every day across the Canadian real estate market.
The Day the Sign Goes Up
Picture this: The “For Sale” sign goes up. Your home looks incredible—fresh paint, staged rooms, beautifully lit photos. You’re expecting showings to start rolling in immediately. But… they don’t.
One day passes. Then two. Then a week.
Your agent calls to say the online views are decent, but buyers aren’t stepping through the door. What went wrong?
“Pricing Is the Most Important Part of Your Marketing Strategy”
While many sellers focus on important things like staging, photography or upgrades, Tim explained that none of it matters if the price isn’t right.
In his words: “As a seller, pricing is the most important part of your marketing strategy to get your home sold.”
And he’s right. The right price can create urgency, excitement and competition. The wrong price can leave your home sitting on the market—quickly becoming stale.
The Trap Many Sellers Fall Into
Homeowners often feel tempted to reach for a higher price, especially if they’ve seen headlines about rising markets or heard stories of neighbours selling above asking.
But as Tim put it: “It’s really important to price for today’s market—not tomorrow’s market, not the market that we previously had.”
Markets shift. Buyer behaviour shifts. Interest rates shift.
Yesterday’s price is not today’s price.
And buyers? They know when something is overpriced. The Internet has made it incredibly easy for them to compare homes, spot inconsistencies and wait for reductions.
“By Pricing Sharply, You’re Going to Get More Buyers Through the Home”
When your home is priced correctly from the start, you widen the pool of potential buyers, which can lead to more eyes, more foot traffic, more interest and more offers.
“By pricing sharply, you’re going to get more buyers through the home with a better chance of selling efficiently,” says Tim.
That word—efficiently—matters, implying the property can sell for more money than one that lingers on the market.
The Danger of Chasing the Market
What happens when you price too high? Simply put, you fall into what agents call chasing the market. Here’s how Tim describes it:
“You don’t want to chase the market where you’re pricing and making reductions and constantly having those challenges, because you’re going to look desperate to homebuyers out there.”
Once your listing starts dropping in price, buyers get suspicious. “Why hasn’t it sold?” “What’s wrong with it?” “Maybe I should wait for the next reduction.”
And worst of all: “You’re more likely to sell for less if you have to make reductions than if you had priced reasonably today,” says Tim.
A high starting price can lead to a lower final price. On the other hand, a realistic starting price can lead to a stronger offer—or even multiple offers.
The Story Buyers Rarely Hear (but Always Sense)
Here’s something homeowners rarely think about:
Pricing tells a story. A home priced correctly from day one says: This seller knows the market. This home is worth seeing. Act quickly or someone else will.
A home overpriced says: This seller is unrealistic. There’s room to negotiate. Something might be wrong here.
In real estate, perception shapes behaviour.
The Bottom Line: Price with Intention
If you’re preparing to sell your home in Canada, take Tim’s advice to heart:
Price based on today.
Price based on reality.
Price with purpose.
The right price attracts the right buyers, at the right time, for the right outcome. And it gives your home the story every seller wants—a quick, strong, successful sale.
If you want more information on how to price your home, connect with a REMAX agent and check out the latest housing market trends, to help inform your strategy.
