Real Estate Is a Comparison Game — And Overpricing Can Cost You

One of the most overlooked truths in real estate is that buyers shop comparatively. They don't look at your listing in a vacuum. They look at it next to everything else for sale. And sometimes, that comparison can be brutal.

Take a look at what happened this month in Patapsco Woods.

1 Basswood Court hit the market on July 18th priced at $899,000.

That wouldn’t have seemed outrageous—until you noticed what came up just one day earlier.

15 English Elm Court listed at $825,000 with:

• More bedrooms

• More full bathrooms

• More square footage

• And a pool!

Unsurprisingly, English Elm went under contract in just 2 days. And what happened to Basswood?

After only 4 days on the market, a 4% price drop brought it down to $864,000. As of today, it's still active, has been on the market for 13 days, and hasn’t had a scheduled showing in over a week.

The Takeaway: Overpricing Isn’t Just Optimistic—It’s Risky

The problem with starting too high isn’t just that you’ll need to reduce later. It’s that you can lose momentum and buyer confidence—especially when your competition makes the value gap obvious.

If you're thinking about listing your home, price strategy matters more than ever. Even in a strong market, buyers are well-informed and quick to compare. A strong launch is your best shot. Overpricing can turn a great home into a stale listing in a matter of days.

Want to know what your house would be competing with today? Just reply to this email and I’ll send you a side-by-side comparison.

If you smell blood in the water at 1 Basswood, let me know. I can help you write an offer on a great house in a great location.