Why some Denver homes sell fast and others sit

In Denver, a house usually sells in its first two weeks on the market or it sits.

Price it right the first time

This is most of it. The houses that sit are usually overpriced on day one. The seller believes the high number, or plans to start high and come down. That rarely works.

The buyers most likely to write an offer are watching in that first week or two. If the price is high, they skip it, and when the price drops later that first group has already moved on. By then the house has been up for weeks, buyers assume something's wrong, and the cut reads as a warning instead of a deal.

Price it at market on day one. If that turns out to be low, you get multiple offers and the price goes up, which is a good problem. If the house is still sitting in week three, the people looking are the ones who couldn't find anything else, or the ones hoping to buy below market. Nothing about the house changed. The timing did.

You can always lower the price. You can't take days on market back.

Photos

Every buyer scrolls the photos before deciding to visit. If the photos are dark, cluttered or amateur, they never book a showing. Bright, clean ones get people in the door.

I always use a professional photographer, and it's the best money you'll spend on the sale. Good photos pay for themselves with the first offer.

Condition, and inspecting before you list

Buyers can tell when a house is cluttered, dirty or behind on maintenance. They either skip it or lowball you, planning to buy cheap and fix it themselves.

I often suggest a pre-listing inspection. You pay for it up front and share the report with buyers. They write with more confidence, there are fewer surprises once you're under contract, and you usually get fewer repair requests and a smoother close.

Days on market is public

Buyers see it. Zillow, Redfin and the other listing sites show how long a house has been up. One that's been up a few days looks wanted. One that's been up for months looks like it has a problem, whether it does or not.

How I handle it

I walk through the house and tell you what I'd fix, what I'd stage, and what I think it will sell for right now, based on recent comps, current inventory and what's actually closing this month.

I bring in the people you need: a photographer, a stager if the house needs one, an inspector if we do a pre-listing report. I handle the timing.

When offers come in, I handle the inspection objections and any appraisal gap. The first two weeks are about getting the offer. Most of the hard work comes after it.