Why Some Homes Sell, and Others Just Sit

Remember the market a few years ago? When inventory hit a record low, just about any home sold—and fast.

That market is behind us.

Today, we're seeing far more homes for sale; listings are up from this time last year. In some areas, supply is even returning to 2017–2019 levels. 

For sellers in Chicagoland, this means one thing: Competition is back.

Your house needs a clear strategy to stand out from day one.

Understanding Today's Inventory

To develop a winning strategy, we first have to understand why the number of homes for sale is up. It's not just a flood of new sellers. Available inventory is always a mix of two things:

• Active Listings: Homes that are already on the market but haven't sold yet.
• New Listings: Homes that were just put on the market.

Here’s the key insight: data from Realtor.com shows that most of this inventory growth is from active listings—homes that are simply sitting on the market longer (see below).

The blue bars represent the active listings (the homes that are sitting) , while the green bars are the new listings just coming to market. It's clear that the main challenge isn't the number of new listings, but the number of homes that are failing to sell quickly.

How to Sell Your Home (and Not Get Stuck)

How do you ensure your home isn't one that sits for months? The strategy is straightforward: Make your house an easy 'yes' for buyers from the moment it is listed.

This means:

1. Pricing it based on current market conditions (not what your neighbor got three years ago).
2. Making necessary repairs before listing.
3. Highlighting its best features through professional preparation and staging.

The truth is, homes that are priced and presented correctly are still selling, often very quickly. The homes that sit are typically owned by sellers who are clinging to outdated expectations from the last market.

According to Redfin and Housingwire, these are the most common reasons a sale stalls:

• Priced too high from the start 
• Skipped necessary repairs before listing
• Didn’t stage the house well
• Sellers won't negotiate with buyers
• Limited availability for showings
• Ineffective marketing or poor listing pictures

A few years ago, many of these points didn't matter as much. When inventory was at a record low, sellers could often skip the prep, name their price, and still get multiple offers.

Today’s market is different, and your strategy must be different too.

Why Your "Day One" Strategy Is Everything

This is not a market where you "try out" a high price just to "see what sticks".

Your first few weeks on the market are everything - it's when your listing gets the most attention from buyers and their agents. It's also when pricing and presentation mistakes hurt the most.

Get the strategy wrong upfront, and your house will sit.

Get it right, and it will be sold.

Selling quickly isn’t about luck; it’s about knowing how to execute a strategy for the market you’re in. This is where I provide critical value.

I will analyze your local market, suggest a price based on the latest comparable sales in your neighborhood, and create a marketing plan that makes buyers pay attention from day one.

I will also walk you through any repairs or staging needed to make your home competitive.

The data backs this up. As the National Association of Realtors (NAR) explains:

“Home sellers without an agent are nearly twice as likely to say they didn’t accept an offer for at least three months; 53% of sellers who used an agent say they accepted an offer within a month of listing their home.”

That’s the power of getting the strategy right from the start.

Bottom Line

There are more homes for sale today than there were a year ago, but this doesn't have to work against you. When your house is priced right for the current market, shows well, and is marketed effectively, it will sell.

If you're considering a move and want a clear, data-driven strategy to make that happen in our local market this fall, let's connect.