How Sellers Accidentally Cap Their Own Bidding Wars (And How to Avoid It)
You’ve probably heard the advice: “Price your home strategically to spark competition.”
And you’ve already made the smart decision to list at an attractive price - one designed to get as many buyers through the door as possible.
But here’s where most sellers (and even agents) go wrong:
They start talking numbers.
A buyers’ agent calls and asks, “Where do you think this will land?”
A buyer’s friend whispers, “What do you think the sellers are really hoping for?”
And the moment an answer is given - whether it’s a range, a ballpark, or even a vague expectation - the entire strategy unravels.
Why Naming a Price Hurts Your Bottom Line
When a home is listed at $1,999,000 and the true expectation is $2,500,000, most people assume the best thing to do is guide buyers toward that number.
But that’s the easiest way to cap your final sale price.
💬 Buyer #1 hears “$2.5M” and thinks, “Forget it, I can’t afford that,” so they don’t write an offer. That’s one less competing bidder.
💬 Buyer #2 hears “$2.5M” and thinks, “Well, if that’s what they want, I’ll write $2.5M.” Great - except without guidance, they might have stretched to $2.6M just to win.
💬 Buyer #3 never hears a number, gets emotionally invested, and will do “whatever it takes” to outbid everyone else. They may not have planned to go that high, but emotion, competition, and urgency drive price - logic does not.
The second a number is suggested, buyers negotiate against the seller. But when they don’t have an anchor, they negotiate against each other.
The Art of Price Discovery: Letting the Market Decide
Think about an auction. The auctioneer doesn’t stop in the middle of a bidding war and say, “Just so you all know, the seller was only hoping for $2.5M.”
No, they let the bidders keep going until someone gives up.
And that’s exactly how we play this.
The moment I disclose “where I think this will land,” it plants an artificial ceiling in buyers’ minds. Suddenly, instead of making their best offer, they aim for what they think will be enough.
And in doing so, they leave money on the table.
Let Demand, Not Opinions, Set the Market Value
So, when agents call me asking, “What price are you looking for?” - I don’t take the bait.
Instead, I tell them:
"We have a lot of interest and are expecting multiple offers, so I’d recommend writing a very strong offer.”
That’s it. No numbers. No guidance. No artificial limit on where this can go.
Because the market, not me, determines the final price.
And when the right buyers fall in love with your home?
They’ll write the strongest offer they can - because the only way to know what it will take to win…
Is to beat everyone else.
Not Quite Ready to Sell Yet?
That’s okay, the door is open.