{"id":18796,"date":"2024-07-29T03:42:28","date_gmt":"2024-07-29T10:42:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/?p=18796"},"modified":"2025-03-26T08:35:38","modified_gmt":"2025-03-26T15:35:38","slug":"stuck-with-a-house-i-cant-sell","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/stuck-with-a-house-i-cant-sell\/","title":{"rendered":"Help! I\u2019m Stuck with a House I Can\u2019t Sell \u2014 Any Advice?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Being stuck with a house you can\u2019t sell becomes more emotionally and financially draining with every day that accumulates. You start to wonder if you\u2019re just in a slow market (that\u2019s possible), if your real estate agent is failing you (also possible), or what gives.<\/p>\n

You begin tallying up the costs of property taxes<\/a> and maintenance you\u2019ll never be out from under, all the while knowing that a stale listing typically sells for less<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had clients whose home was on the market [for three months] with a listing price of $415,000, and over time they lowered it to $389,000 with little traffic and no offers,\u201d says Rosie Rourke<\/a>, an award-winning real estate agent in Washington state. \u201cWhen they finally came to me, we did a little work, listed their home for $389,000, and in 9 days we got it sold.\u201d<\/p>\n

Every situation and home is different, but here is what real estate agents<\/a>, including Rourke, advise sellers in this frustrating position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

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First, check your area\u2019s typical days on market<\/h2>\n

A reference point for you: According to the National Assocation of Realtors (NAR), recently sold homes were on the market for a median of two weeks<\/a> in 2023. As of 2024, 43% of homes are sold within 1-2 weeks<\/a>, with another 15% sold in 3-4 weeks and 12% sold in less than one week. So, if you\u2019re within that 14-21 day window or even a bit past it, it could be that all you need is a little more patience for your house to sell.<\/p>\n

However, you also can\u2019t rule out the likelihood that there\u2019s an issue with your price<\/a>, selling a house in poor condition<\/a>, or your marketing<\/a> egregious enough to keep buyers at bay. The likelihood that something is off certainly rises as time goes on without any interest.<\/p>\n

Even if that is the case, you have options. No matter how many weeks out you are, you can turn this around with the right strategy:<\/p>\n

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1. Assess your listing agent\u2019s performance<\/h2>\n

Rourke\u2019s clients actually took the first step on their own \u2014 they assessed their first listing agent\u2019s<\/a> performance and decided to move on to a new agent.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese particular clients were with a different agent for three months. They had heard about me through my marketing and decided to call and said, \u2018What do we do?\u2019\u201d recalls Rourke.<\/p>\n

\u201cI told them, if possible, we wait 90 days before relisting the house because at that point it becomes a fresh new listing. If I list a house the day after another agent releases it, the listing retains all of those days it sat on the market, which forces us to go to an even lower price.\u201d<\/p>\n

Three months.<\/p>\n

Three months sitting unsold on the market, plus another three months off market<\/a> waiting for the listing to become new again. That\u2019s a total of six months stuck waiting to sell your house.<\/p>\n

Instead of sitting around for half a year, it\u2019s wiser to evaluate your agent\u2019s performance if you\u2019re not getting any showings or offers within those first two to three weeks that it takes most homes to sell. Choosing a listing agent<\/a> with a strong track record can make all the difference.<\/p>\n

Again, it could be that your market<\/a> is simply more sluggish than other areas, so don\u2019t go jumping the gun. Simply take the initiative to evaluate your agent\u2019s performance around the 21- to 30-day marker by answering these questions:<\/p>\n