Sellers Who Are Serious Need To Align With Today’s Market—Hope Is Not A Strategy

A report from Florida Weekly. “Motivated sellers in Naples who took advantage of getting ahead of the market with prices that pleased buyers found success during May. According to the May 2025 Market Report by the Naples Area Board of Realtors (NABOR), which tracks home listings and sales within Collier County (excluding Marco Island), 2,023 properties on the market in May reported a list price decrease, 31 percent of the overall inventory. The number of homes for sale increased 23.9 percent to 6,524 properties from 5,265 properties in May 2024. Mike Hughes, general manager for Downing-Frye Realty, Inc., added, ‘People are notably nervous today. With another war possible and the tariff situation at hand, it’s giving buyers more reason to sit on the fence, and the fence is getting heavy.'”

“The overall median closed price in May decreased 9.1 percent to $590,000 from $649,000 in May 2024. Of all areas and home types reported, single-family home prices in South Naples (34112, 34113) reported the largest decrease, 23.1 percent, to $772,500 from $940,000 in May 2024. International buyers, especially Canadians, are finding the new American temperament toward immigration is creating discord and decreased interest in making a second home investment in Naples. ‘Days on market is the enemy of home values,’ said Jeff Jones, broker at Keller Williams Naples. ‘The number of homes that have been on the market for over 90 days is concerning. One major reason for this is that these sellers are still trying to get more than the market is willing to give. Our message to these sellers is simple: If you have no motivation to sell, there’s no reason to be in the market today.'”

News Radio WJNO. “According to a report from Consumer Affairs, the city of North Port experienced the steepest drop in median home prices among nearly 200 major markets nationwide from April 2024 to April 2025. The city saw home prices fall by nearly 10%, according to year-over-year data analyzed by real estate platforms including Redfin and Rocket Homes. Both sources confirm that most homes in the area are now selling below the asking price, a clear sign of cooling demand. This recent decline appears more widespread, with Orlando, Ocala, and Sebastian also experiencing falling values. With interest rates remaining high and insurance costs surging, many expect Florida’s housing market to remain under pressure throughout the year.”

From U Express. “A massage therapist in her 50s has been attempting to sell her spacious three-level house in Idaho Falls since February. Given that she faces challenges climbing stairs, she aspires to trade the place for a one-level rancher. The woman was especially hopeful of receiving a solid offer during the spring market when her garden was in full bloom and her yard, set against the spectacular Grand Teton Mountains, was particularly alluring. Visitors appreciate the home’s pecan hardwood floors and note its $25,000 price cut. But still the property sits unsold. ‘I’m at a loss to know why this house hasn’t sold. … I am just stumped about what to suggest to the owner, who’s very demoralized,’ says Alecia Coburn, a Keller Williams real estate agent handling the listing.”

“Indeed, many communities in Idaho and across the nation experienced poorer-than-expected home sales this spring, and they’re now enduring a summertime slowdown. The result in some places is that buyers are gradually gaining slightly more bargaining power. Kathy Scott, a Redfin agent in Phoenix, estimates there are still hundreds of thousands more home sellers than buyers nationwide. ‘My advice for people who do need to sell — I’m working with one couple that’s moving out of the country, for example — is to set realistic expectations,’ Scott says. ‘Talk to your agent about the market in your exact neighborhood. How long are homes taking to sell? Are they typically selling below asking price? And what are sellers doing in terms of repairs and concessions to get deals done? Price fairly based on those numbers,’ she says.”

Madison Park Times in Washington. “Buyers finally have more options both in our region and the country as real estate inventory has risen to the highest level since 2018. This has resulted in a slight softening of prices, but an increase in the number of transactions as some buyers have finally come off the sidelines. However, days on market is also increasing as buyers don’t feel rushed to make a decision right away, and many continue to be priced out by home prices and mortgage rates. When buyers do make an offer on a home, they have more room for negotiation with price and terms — it’s more important than ever to work with an agent who brings experience and savvy to the negotiating table and has the leverage to begin a conversation, even if at first it might appear the buyer and seller are too far apart to bring a deal together. Considering the increase in inventory and other factors in the market, we recommend sellers work with their agent to price their home in alignment with today’s market; this isn’t a time for aspirational pricing.”

From Realtor.com. “Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck’s beleaguered $60 million marital mansion has been taken off the market—nearly two months after the former couple slashed $8 million from their asking price in a desperate bid to find a buyer. Lopez, 55, and Affleck, 52, purchased the extraordinarily opulent Beverly Hills, CA, estate back in May 2023 for $60.8 million, and it was understood that the duo had planned to use the home as their primary residence. However, just over one year later, the couple had put the property back on the market—this time with an asking price of $68 million, and soon after, it was revealed that they had split. Their divorce was finalized in January of this year, with the duo agreeing to split any profits from the sale of their former marital home—however, they have faced a steep uphill battle in trying to find a buyer for the dwelling, which they reportedly spent millions renovating. After spending close to a year on the market, the property’s price was slashed by $8 million in May of this year, reducing the ask to $59.95 million, almost $1 million less than the couple originally paid for the home. Now, records indicate that it has been removed from the market altogether.”

Mountain News in California. “In the first six months of 2025, Lake Arrowhead’s housing market experienced a noticeable cooling trend, marked by slower sales and increasing inventory. ‘According to data comparing all of 2024 with the most recent 12-month cycle ending June 2025, closings rose slightly from 229 to 243,’ said Steve Keefe, Broker/Owner of Coldwell Banker Sky Ridge Realty. ‘But the monthly sales pace in 2025 has declined—averaging 16.3 closings per month, compared to 19.1 in 2024.’ Meanwhile, active inventory has jumped 76%, rising from 162 homes to 285. ‘This gives buyers more choices,’ Keefe noted, ‘but also means heightened competition for sellers.’ One red flag is the spike in expired and withdrawn listings—258 over the past 12 months, compared to 230 in 2024. ‘A large number of these were listed by out-of-area agents unfamiliar with the nuances of our mountain market,’ Keefe said. ‘This is no longer a market where you can put a sign in the yard and expect multiple offers. We’re in a skills-based market now. Buyers are discerning. Homes that aren’t priced right or aren’t well-presented simply won’t sell.'”

“‘The good news is, demand is still present,’ Keefe said. ‘Homes that are properly priced and well-prepared are moving. The key is separating real demand from unrealistic expectations.’ Keefe added that the next two to three months will be critical: ‘We’re in the heart of our peak season. Sellers who are serious need to align with today’s market—hope is not a strategy.’ ‘Median price per square foot is down 1.54% compared to a year ago,’ said Windermere Broker Associate Jim Newcomb, ‘but recent million-dollar sales in Lake Arrowhead and Crestline have kept that number relatively stable.’ With interest rates easing and price reductions becoming more common, buyers are re-entering the market strategically. ‘New listings are increasing and daily price reductions are a reality,’ said Brian L. Cohen of Arrowhead Premier Properties. ‘We are firmly in a buyer’s market.'”

The San Jose Spotlight in California. “Santa Clara County property values are seeing their lowest growth in more than a decade due to economic uncertainty and stalled development. Yet the total net assessed value of all real estate and personal property – known as the assessment roll – reached a new height of nearly $726 billion, County Assessor Larry Stone announced Wednesday. This year marks Stone’s final assessment roll before he steps down on July 7 – marking an end to one of the county’s longest serving public officials. ‘Just a few years ago, office buildings were the darling of commercial real estate investment. That’s not the case anymore,’ Stone told San Jose Spotlight. ‘Foreclosures are almost weekly — hotels, office, some industrial. They’re just throwing the keys and giving them back to lenders.'”

“The continuation of hybrid and remote work have kept the office vacancy rate in Silicon Valley at roughly 20% for the past two years, according to the assessor’s office. Stone said office buildings are being sold at major discounts. He points to VTA’s purchase of Sobrato Office Tower at 488 Almaden Blvd this year. Stone said VTA paid 61% of the assessed value. ‘Job growth throughout the country is pretty good. Around here it’s not. The high tech companies have jettisoned about 11,000 jobs this year,’ Stone said. ‘Silicon Valley and Santa Clara County are experiencing a different level of trends related to property values than you’re finding in other parts of the state or country.'”

The Globe and Mail in Canada. “House hunters in Ontario’s Prince Edward County have plenty of choice. As June wound down, more than 300 listings were active on the peninsula about two hours east of Toronto and surrounded by the waters of Lake Ontario. ‘There are definitely more sellers than buyers,’ says Tammy Noyes, real estate agent with Century 21 Lanthorn Real Estate in Picton, Ont. In May, Prince Edward County recorded 31 sales and 134 new listings, according to the Central Lakes Association of Realtors (CLAR). ‘Even when you’re well-priced, you’re still sitting for almost two months,’ says Ms. Noyes. She has noticed an uptick in offers in recent weeks. ‘Some aren’t going anywhere,’ she says of the negotiations. ‘Buyers are very patient. They wait a few weeks, then go back and try again.'”

“Gail Forcht, broker with Chestnut Park Real Estate, says sellers today damage their prospects by insisting on prices achieved during the pandemic, when interest rates were at historic lows. ‘We had insanity,’ she says of the years between 2020 and 2022. ‘We were too popular, and money was cheap.’ Ms. Forcht says she prefers not to take on listings when sellers are hanging on to prices achieved at the peak. ‘Those are tough because they become stale, they become stigmatized,’ she says. In some cases, properties have been listed at the same price since the pandemic era. ‘People say, ‘Why would I pay that? It’s been on the market for four years.’ One property that was listed with an asking price of $2.25-million in 2022 has gone through a series of price reductions and still hasn’t sold. ‘Now it’s at $1.799-million with agent number three,’ she says.”

“Earlier this year, Ms. Forcht had interested buyers for a home that had been sitting for two years with an asking price of $1.895-million. The house was well-designed, with water views from every window, but it was very dated, she says. The clients submitted a conditional offer, but another buyer came to the table with a bid that had no conditions. The property sold for $1.2-million. ‘You’re kind of a sitting duck when you’ve been sitting for so long,’ she says of the sellers. Ms. Forcht adds that another factor slowing down some purchasers is that they need to sell an existing property first. ‘I have a number of interested buyers. They have come to a halt because they have a condo to sell in Toronto.'”