When homeowners decide to sell, one decision has more impact than any other: the price.

It influences how many buyers schedule showings, how strong the offers are, and how quickly the home sells. When a property is priced well from the start, it builds momentum. When it isn’t, sellers often find themselves adjusting later and losing valuable time.

One of the most common pricing mistakes we see today is relying too heavily on online home value estimates.

These tools are convenient and they can be a helpful starting point. But they don’t actually know the property. They can’t see upgrades, maintenance, layout, or how the home compares to others buyers are viewing right now. Most of these estimates also rely heavily on past sales, which means they reflect yesterday’s market more than today’s.

And that difference can matter.

We regularly see homes on the same street sell for very different prices because one shows better, is positioned more strategically, or is priced based on current buyer behavior rather than older comparable sales.

Pricing a home isn’t just about square footage or a formula. It’s about understanding the local market in real time, knowing what buyers are responding to, and positioning the property against the homes it will compete with the moment it hits the market.

That’s where working with an experienced local real estate team makes a difference.

A knowledgeable agent looks beyond the automated estimate. They evaluate how similar homes are performing now, how quickly they’re selling, what buyers are negotiating on, and how the property will stand up against current competition. They also assess details no algorithm can measure, such as condition, presentation, and how the home will feel to buyers during showings.

That isn’t just industry opinion. Sellers themselves recognize how much local expertise matters when pricing a home.

Recent survey data shows that a majority of sellers believe the agent hired to sell the home has the strongest sense of its true value, far ahead of online estimates or even their own assumptions.

Sometimes that analysis shows a home may be worth more than the online estimate suggests. Other times it prevents sellers from starting too high and losing momentum early, which is one of the main reasons homes end up reducing their price later.

Either way, the goal is the same: position the home at a price where buyers immediately see value and feel motivated to act.

Online tools can offer a rough range. But when it comes time to sell, a local, in-person market analysis is what helps determine the price that actually works.

If you’re considering selling and want a clear understanding of where your home stands in today’s market, the agents at DeFelice Realty Group are always available to provide a detailed, local pricing review.