Session 3 Recap — May 6, 2025
By Cody Caudill, KW New Orleans
Your Strategy Room for a Shifting Market
This Week’s Focus: Pricing in a Shifting Market
In the third session of We Were Built For This, we tackled one of the most emotionally charged—and financially critical—topics in real estate: how to price listings when the market is shifting.
“Sellers still want yesterday’s price. Buyers still want tomorrow’s discount.”Navigating that gap is where great agents thrive.
What the Market’s Telling Us
We kicked off with the facts. This is not a crash—this is a shift. Since 1987, national home prices have only declined year-over-year in three periods: 1991, 2007–2012, and briefly in 2023.
- Interest rates likely won’t dip below 4% again. Based on current Fed guidance, sub‑4% rates look unlikely without a severe recession.
- “Waiting for the rate to drop” isn’t a strategy—it’s gambling. If rates fall, you refinance.
“Marry the house, date the rate, build the equity.” — Cody Caudill
High Inventory = Less Margin for Error
In a buyer-heavy market, days on market climb, showing traffic stalls, and stale listings cost sellers real money.
“The worst strategy is chasing the market down—you’ll always be too late.”
Pricing: The 5-Point Reality Check
- Fair Market ValueWhat buyers will pay, based on comps and market conditions.
- Seller’s HopesAlmost always higher, often driven by emotion or outdated comps.
- Initial InterestMost online views occur in the first week; exposure drops by roughly half after day 7.
- Staleness Sets InWhen a home lingers, buyers assume something’s wrong—even if it’s priced right now.
- Price Reductions = Missed OpportunityReducing later rarely recovers momentum—and often lands well below FMV.
Pro Tips from the KW NOLA Crew
Ask smarter questions
Instead of, “What do you want to sell for?”
Try, “How much equity do you have?” and “What are you prepared to walk away with?”
Watch for these red flags
- 10 days on market with no showings
- 10+ showings with no offers
- Multiple similar homes going under contract while yours stalls
Show them the data
Weekly updates on new listings, pendings, and expireds help sellers stay grounded—and motivated.
Stage Early, Not Late
After pricing, staging is the second most powerful lever you have.
Options include:
- Full staging
- Accessory staging (just enough to define rooms)
- Virtual staging (BoxBrownie, AI tools)
“Shotgun homes especially need staging. Otherwise, buyers can’t even tell which room is which.”Don’t forget:
- Swap dated fixtures
- Eliminate odors (hello, air purifiers and candles)
- Leverage standout features (detached garages, natural light, floorplans)
Final Thought: Listings Get One Shot
You only get one “just listed” week. Price it right. Stage it early. Deliver standout visuals. Because if buyers swipe past it, they’re not swiping back.
“In this market, your listing needs to be the one that gets clicked—and remembered.”
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