Great Expectations: Realtor.com® Survey Shows 29 Percent of Sellers Will Ask for More Than They Think Their Home is Worth

Nearly a quarter expect to get more than their asking price

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May 19, 2021, 06:00 ET

SANTA CLARA, Calif., May 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- With more sellers entering the market this year, many are planning to take advantage of this hot housing market to make money on their home sale. Multiple offers, bidding wars and high prices are just the beginning of what sellers expect, according to a new r ealtor.com^®survey released today.

Realtor.com^® surveyed 657 homeowners who plan to sell within the next 12 months between March 26 - April 7 via HarrisX. While personal motivations are always a big factor in the decision to sell a home, survey data shows many homeowners who plan to sell this year are doing so because they see an opportunity to make a profit. Nearly a quarter (24%) cited making a profit in the current market as a reason to list and 13% think they should take advantage of the current seller's market. As such, 29% are going to ask for more than they think their home is worth.

"Low mortgage rates and a lack of available homes for sale have created a strong seller's market, and these survey results show that homeowners think that they have the upper hand if they list their home soon," said George Ratiu, senior economist, realtor.com^®. "However, after a year of challenges which kept homeowners from listing their home, we are seeing sellers coming back which should help moderate prices and bring more balance to the housing market over the coming months. For homeowners planning to sell this year, research your local market conditions to ensure that your home's price reflects neighborhood trends."

Sky-high home prices: More than sellers paid
With home prices up 17% in just the last year, it's no wonder that 94% of home sellers expect to get more than what they originally paid when they bought their home. One in 10 sellers expect to get double what they paid for the home.

More than the set asking price
Due to the prevalence of multiple bids and price escalation clauses, 53% of sellers expect to get their asking price and a noticeable 24% expect to get more than asking. Sixteen percent of sellers expect a bidding war to take place and to have multiple offers to choose from.

Lightning-fast sales with no contingencies
Nationally, homes are selling 41% faster than last year, with the average time on market just 43 days in the U.S. Due to this fast-paced market, 25% of sellers expect to have an offer within a week of listing and 16% expect to get an all-cash offer. Further, 24% don't expect to pay for any repairs or improvements to the property and 16% expect buyers to waive contingencies such as financing, appraisal or home inspection.

Getting ahead in a hot market
Buyers who want to compete in this competitive housing market can take advantage of resources such as affordability and mortgage calculators to help determine how much house they can afford. Realtor.com^® also connects buyers with lenders who can help with mortgage pre-approval. Additionally, consumers can set up alerts so they can find out when a new home that fits their criteria hits the market.

"If you want to be competitive in today's housing market, it's important to have all of your finances in order and be ready to move quickly when you find a home you love," said Rachel Stults, deputy editor, realtor.com^®. "A good tip is to get pre-approved before you begin house hunting, and then look at homes under your budget. That way, if you need to offer above asking to be competitive, you can do so without stretching your wallet."

Homeowners can claim their home on realtor.com^®'s My Home portal to view home value estimates, home equity and local market trends and learn about selling options at: https://www.realtor.com/sell

Methodology: Realtor.com^® commissioned HarrisX to conduct a national survey of consumers. The total sample size was 3,998 adults. The survey was carried out online. The sampling margin of error of this poll is ±1.6 percentage points. The figures represent a national view of US adults. Results were weighted for age, gender, region, race/ethnicity, and income where necessary to align them with their actual proportions in the population. In addition to the population of US adults, an oversample was collected for potential sellers. The oversample was weighted to align with the original sample of US adults. There are 657 potential sellers with a sampling margin of error of ±3.8 percentage points.

About realtor.com^®Realtor.com^® makes buying, selling and living in homes easier and more rewarding for everyone. Realtor.com^® pioneered the world of digital real estate 20 years ago, and today through its website and mobile apps is a trusted source for the information, tools and professional expertise that help people move confidently through every step of their home journey. Using proprietary data science and machine learning technology, realtor.com^® pairs buyers and sellers with local agents in their market, helping take the guesswork out of buying and selling a home. For professionals, realtor.com^® is a trusted provider of consumer connections and branding solutions that help them succeed in today's on-demand world. Realtor.com^® is operated by News Corp [Nasdaq: NWS, NWSA] [ASX: NWS, NWSLV] subsidiary Move, Inc. under a perpetual license from the National Association of REALTORS^®. For more information, visit realtor.com^®.