The Price of Integrity in Real Estate
Picture this: a pair of homeowners ready to sell, convinced their property is worth $750,000.
The market analysis? It says $650,000 max.
Now, the agent sitting across from them has two choices:
Smile, take the listing, and let the house sit for six months while it slowly goes stale.
Or, risk losing the business by telling the hard truth.
In this case, the agent chose truth.
They spent two hours walking the sellers through reality:
Days-on-market statistics.
The psychology of stale listings.
Actual comparable sales — not wishful thinking.
The sellers didn’t like it. They got frustrated.
So they went looking for someone else — and found an agent who “believed in their home.” The house hit the market at $750,000.
On paper, the honest agent “lost” a potential $19,500 commission.
But what they really kept was far more valuable:
Their reputation for honesty.
Their weekends, marketing dollars, and peace of mind.
Their integrity — knowing they didn’t set anyone up for disappointment.
Here’s the reality: overpriced homes don’t just fail to sell quickly. They become toxic listings. Buyers wonder what’s wrong with them. Agents stop showing them. By the time the price finally adjusts, the home feels shopworn, not special.
Meanwhile, the agents who say “yes” to every seller price? They’re not showing confidence — they’re showing desperation. They’ll suggest weekly price cuts, blame “the market,” and eventually disappear when you need them most.
The agents who risk losing your listing by telling you the truth? Those are the professionals who will fight for you when it matters. The ones who negotiate from strength, not desperation.
Because real professionalism isn’t about being agreeable.
It’s about being right — even when being right costs you money.
💡 Thinking about selling? Work with an agent who tells you the truth upfront, not just what you want to hear. The right price and the right strategy from day one can make the difference between a listing that lingers — and a home that sells.