Agents say the key to a successful relisting is ensuring the home feels new again to prospective buyers.

“A relaunch should feel like a premiere, not a rerun,” when putting the home back on the market.

1. Start with an honest post-mortem.

Before relisting, agents say they analyze whether the price, marketing, presentation or timing was the root problem.

Answer the “why” question, as buyers, agents and even neighbors undoubtedly will be asking it, says Todd Luong, a real estate pro with RE/MAX DFW Associates in Frisco, Texas. “If we cannot answer it clearly, people will assume the worst,” he says. Luong prefers to address the issue directly, such as “I might explain that the previous listing was being tested at a higher price, but the new price is based on recent sales that closed in the neighborhood.”

2. Revisit pricing expectations.

Relisting often means confronting pricing expectations with sellers. “In most cases, when a home listing expires and then gets relisted, the price does need to come down,” Luong says. “The market has already told us that buyers were not willing to pay the original listing price.”

For example, a home in his market listed this winter for $750,000 and sat for 100 days without offers. Recent comparable sales and active competition suggest a market price closer to $720,000—an adjustment Luong believes could help attract buyer attention when it’s relisted.

Agents also recommend considering pricing parameters that buyers search within when resetting the price, realizing that buyers often search for properties within set ranges. So, pricing a home at $400,000, for example, could cause it to miss buyers whose search filters top out at $375,000. Watching for those thresholds could open up the listing to an entirely new group of buyers the second time around, says Jane Katz, a real estate pro with Coldwell Banker Warburg in New York.

3. Refresh photos, staging and presentation.

Agents say one of the biggest mistakes is simply putting a property back online without any changes.  “Sometimes the price wasn’t actually the issue,” says Veronique Perrin, a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker Warburg in New York. “It was simply about how the property was marketed and shown in person. Since buyers do much of their shopping online—and often on their phones—if that first picture doesn’t get their attention it’s a quick ‘left swipe.’”

Luong often swaps the listing’s first image—switching between daytime and twilight photography—to create a different first impression online. Also, staging, fresh paint or updated lighting may help improve the home’s presentation the second time around.

“When rooms are empty or poorly arranged, buyers have a harder time imaging themselves living there,” Luong says. “Staging helps them picture the space better.”

“Every property we list receives custom social media exposure, including Instagram reels, which can help reach a broader audience and generate additional buzz,” Lucyk says. “If open houses weren’t held frequently during the first listing period, increasing their frequency can also help bring more traffic and visibility to the home.”

---

4. Reset the listing’s market clock.

Sometimes relisting requires giving the property a true reset. Agents say resetting the clock can help overcome the stigma buyers sometimes associate with a home that lingers too long. For example, Luong says in the Dallas-Fort Worth MLS, waiting 30 days before relisting can reset the cumulative days back to zero.

5. Consider a pre-listing inspection.

Some agents recommend having a home professionally inspected before re-launching it on the market. A pre-listing home inspection allows sellers to address repairs in advance and can prevent surprises—such as plumbing issues, a failing roof or electrical problems—that might derail a sale. It also can give buyers confidence that the home’s condition has already been vetted.

---

6. Offer an extra incentive.

In the new-home market, builders are offering mortgage rate buydowns, price cuts and finish upgrades on newly built homes. To compete, sellers may want to consider offering some incentives as well to attract buyer attention. For example, a home seller may want to consider adding a home warranty, assistance with closing costs or offering a buyer’s broker commission.

7. Align sellers with the new strategy.

Agents say one of the biggest hurdles is ensuring sellers are fully on board with the new strategy for the listing relaunch. Educate them about the new marketing approach and the latest sales conditions—the current active listings, under contract and recent sales up against their home’s price history and condition.

“New buyers enter the market every day, making each property new to them,” Perrin says. “However, persuading sellers to let go of their aspirational pricing remains the biggest hurdle. I have turned down sellers who refused to listen to the market. I prefer not to be the second broker—I’ll wait until the third one.

Helpful information from NAR (National Association of Realtors)

Therese MacGregor

541-840-2708