What’s Stopping Your Home From Selling This Summer?

By Rebecca Durfey

Rebecca Durfey brings over 20 years of experience in real estate transactions within Maricopa County. Despite managing multiple clients simultaneously, her primary focus is to provide a personalized experience that makes you feel like her sole priority. Rebecca and her team are dedicated to efficiently achieving the desired outcomes for each client they serve.

What keeps homes from selling in right now? Picture this: You listed your home expecting it to sell quickly, but it’s been weeks (maybe months) and you’re still waiting. No offers. Fewer showings. A growing sense of frustration. Many homeowners are realizing that the 2025 market isn’t what was expected or hoped for. More homes are hitting the market each day and buyers have far more options. And with interest rates still being on the higher side, they’re being more selective. The good news is that there are clear reasons homes sit and there are practical ways to try and turn things around for your home.

Here are three things that can contribute to a home selling faster than the competition:

1. Check your price. Pricing is often the first issue. A number that made sense in Spring of 2022 (or even 2023 and 2024) simply does not hold up today. With more competition, the high rates, and the general uncertainty many buyers are feeling in the current market, they are comparing every home they see with all the options and wanting the very best. They’ll keep moving if your price feels too high for what you’re offering, especially if they don’t anticipate you will negotiate with them. Some homes are priced high enough that they are not being seen by the buyers at all. This is where a fresh market analysis helps. Ask your agent to look at sales from the last 30 days, not last quarter. If your price is right, then smaller and more strategic price adjustments can repopulate your listing and put it in front of fresh eyes or remind past lookers that it’s still an option. Attracting new or renewed interest can make all the difference if your price is no longer competitive.

2. Fix the things that turn buyers off. Today’s buyers are cautious. Many are using all their available funds to close, so they aren’t looking for homes that need repairs. Minor issues like scuffed walls, dripping faucets, or worn carpet would not have deterred many buyers in the past markets, but now it creates a concern that the home feels neglected – even if it’s not. You don’t need a complete remodel, but updates have never mattered more than they do now, based on data and applied experience from myself and other agents. Buyers want the home as updated (especially the big-ticket-items) more than ever. Paint touch-ups, a very clean home, and being well-maintained are going a long way. Also, make it easy for people to see the home. If showing times are limited, your buyer pool shrinks. The more access you give, the more chances you have to get an offer.

I showed homes two weekends ago and also last weekend to several different buyers – at different price points and locations – and must have shown 30 homes between the two weekends. I was truly surprised at the condition the sellers were willing to show their homes in, whether it was in disrepair or unkempt or clearly not taken care of, and it made it easy to rule out those homes in an instant for these buyers. This market is difficult and you have to be, as I always say, the prettiest girl at the dance to even be considered. That could all change in the coming months, but right now, this is a deeper buyer’s market and requires our seller’s best.

3. Update your marketing strategy. A strong online presence is essential. Buyers may never take the next step if your listing has basic photos. In today’s market, I am still surprised when I see there are not professional photos and a unique and specific description of the home. That is your buyers window into the home and critical as a first step. Ask your agent about professional photography and real estate web sites and social media promotion. These tools help your home stand out and reach people who are actively searching. Good marketing is no longer optional—it’s expected. And, frankly, you deserve the very best.

If your home has been sitting with little interest, and you are doing all of these things, try the repopulation strategy I mentioned, where you lower just a little bit each week – even a few hundred dollars – so you are keeping your listing in front of the buyers. I have had this work time and time again. I continue to remind home owners that homes have a great deal of competition in Maricopa County, but homes are still selling. It may be that this is not the ideal time to sell your home, if you have the choice, but if you can stand out from the competition by accomplishing these three recommendations, you certainly have the better chance of having the buyer walk through your doors. A few focused changes can make a real difference. I’d be happy to take a closer look and give you a custom plan to help you prepare your home for the 2025 market. Reach out today and let’s make your home the next one to sell.