I Told a Seller to Wait. They Sold for More Money in Less Time.

Gerardo Lopez  |  Associate Broker, RE/MAX Properties — Cedar City, Utah

I got a call from a couple in Cedar City a few years back. Ready to sell — new job out of state, boxes already packed, wanted it listed yesterday.

I drove out, sat at their kitchen table, and pulled up the numbers. Three comparable homes had sold in the last 60 days — all under ask, all sitting 90+ days. Inventory in their price range was stacking up. It wasn’t a bad house. It was bad timing.

So I told them: if we list right now, you’re competing with four other homes that aren’t moving. You’ll either sit for months or cut your price. Neither is good for you.

They looked at me like I was crazy.

We walked through both scenarios — what happens if I’m right and what happens if I’m wrong — so they could make the call with their eyes open. They decided to wait.

While they waited, I kept them in the loop — what was selling in their neighborhood, what wasn’t, and at what price. By the time we were ready to list, there was no guessing. We knew exactly where to price it and why.

A little over a year later, we listed right as prime selling season hit. Multiple showings the first weekend. Sold for more money, in less time, with no price cut.

Nobody Gets It Right Every Time

I’ve been wrong before too. I’d be lying if I said I haven’t.

But what mattered is those sellers understood both outcomes before we made the move. That’s the job — giving you the full picture and letting you decide.

An agent who only gives you one option because they feel certain? That’s a red flag.

“Sell now before the market crashes” from someone who needs a closing this month isn’t advice — it’s pressure. Nobody knows for sure where things are headed. The agents who’ve been through enough cycles will tell you that upfront.

National Headlines Don’t Apply to Every Zip Code

My read on that deal wasn’t based on what the news was saying about the housing market. It was based on what was actually happening in Southern Utah — what was moving, what buyers were doing, what inventory looked like block by block.

What’s happening in California or Arizona doesn’t tell you much about Southern Utah. The local data is what matters, and that’s what I watch every single day.

Planning Beats Reacting Every Time

The difference between a good outcome and a bad one usually isn’t the market — it’s the process. Did you have a plan? Did you understand the risks? Did someone walk you through your options before you made the call, or did you react to a headline and a gut feeling?

That couple in Cedar City didn’t get lucky. They got informed. And they had the patience to trust the process even when it meant living with packed boxes for a while longer.

That’s the difference between planning and reacting. And it’s the difference between an agent who’s building a career and one who’s chasing a check.