Sell My House

Sell My House? At some point every homeowner asks the question. The thought usually starts quietly, with a conversation at the kitchen table, a glance at the market, or the simple realization that it may be time for something different. From there, the next decision follows quickly: should you sell the property yourself or hire a REALTOR® to represent the sale? This guide explains the options available to sellers and the process behind a successful home sale.

The First Decision When Selling Your Home

Some homeowners choose to sell their property themselves, while others work with a real estate professional to guide the process. The difference between an average sale and an exceptional result usually comes down to strategy. How the home is priced, how it is presented to buyers, how it is marketed, and how negotiations are handled when the right offer appears.

My approach focuses on accurate pricing, professional presentation, targeted promotion, and confident negotiation so your home attracts the right buyers and sells for the highest possible price. The sections below walk through the process and explain how these decisions shape the final outcome of your sale.

Let’s Start with a Conversation

Time, Money, and Stress: The Costly Lesson of Picking the Wrong Path

Choosing the right REALTOR® has a direct impact on how quickly your home sells and the price you ultimately receive. Based on my last 10 MLS® sold listings, homes I represent sell in about 43 days on average and achieve approximately 94% of the asking price.

These results come directly from my MLS® sales history and reflect consistent pricing strategy, strong market exposure, and careful negotiation. If you're thinking about selling your home, reach out anytime and let’s talk about the best strategy for your situation.

Homes I Represent Sell In 43 Days on Average and Achieve 94% of The Asking Price

You’re Only As Good As Your Last Sale

Real estate is a market that moves quickly. The Vancouver Island Real Estate Board reports market activity on a monthly basis, tracking how listings and sales move from one month to the next. When a home is priced and positioned correctly, serious buyer interest often appears early in that cycle.

Based on my last 10 MLS® sold listings, the homes I represent sell in about 43 days on average and achieve approximately 94% of the asking price. That places these results very close to the core window where the market is actively responding to new listings. No strategy is perfect, but consistent results like these show how pricing, presentation, and negotiation work together to move a home successfully through the market.

So instead of speaking in general terms, let’s look at one real example. Below is the 10th sale in that group and the steps that led to the final result.

Why Pricing Matters

In real estate almost everything comes down to price. I have seen homes sell with very little marketing and I have seen homes sit on the market with every possible marketing tool behind them. The difference almost always comes back to how the property is priced. Pricing a home correctly is the foundation of a successful sale, which is why I take valuation so seriously. Before I could even begin my real estate career I completed the UBC Sauder Real Estate licensing program and achieved a perfect score of 100% in the Appraisal Methods section of the Real Estate Exam.

Why BC Assessment Shouldn’t Be Used to Price Your Home

Many homeowners begin by looking at their BC Assessment and asking a simple question: “Can I sell my house for this?” The reality is that assessed value and Actual Market Value are not always the same, even though they should represent the same value. BC Assessment estimates value for property taxation purposes, but the true test of Actual Market Value occurs when a property is exposed to the open market such as the MLS® System and buyers decide what they are willing to pay.

This example shows exactly how this can happen. During the COVID market the assessed value of this property increased by 57%. The following year BC Assessment increased it by another 9%, a total increase of 65% over two years. In the years that followed the assessed value declined slightly, but the owner believed the value was still incorrect. The case was taken to the Property Assessment Appeal Board where the assessment was successfully reduced to $965,000, resulting in a property tax refund of $1,251.42.

The following year BC Assessment increased the value again by 18% to $1,140,000. However, this time the property was being prepared for sale. The previous year the tribunal had determined the Actual Market Value to be $965,000. That created a real pricing decision: should the home be listed at $1,140,000 based on the new BC Assessment estimate, or closer to the previously established Actual Market Value? In this case the property was listed at $995,000, a modest increase from the tribunal value, allowing the open market to determine the true price.

The Risk of Overpricing: Don’t Let This Happen to Your Home

One of the most common mistakes sellers make is starting too high. In this example BC Assessment estimated the value at $1,140,000. Many sellers would be tempted to begin at that number or even higher. The problem is that buyers compare listings carefully, and when a home appears overpriced compared to similar properties it is often ignored in the first critical weeks on the market.

The chart below shows why pricing strategy matters. Instead of starting at the assessed value, the recommended list price was $995,000. Positioning the property closer to its Actual Market Value helps attract serious buyers immediately and increases the likelihood of a fast sale near the home’s true market price.

When a home starts too high it often sits on the market for months and in some cases years. Price reductions follow, buyer confidence declines, and the final sale price can end up lower than if the property had been positioned correctly from the beginning.

The Right Price Brings Buyers. The Wrong Price Costs You.

Every home sale happens within a range. Buyers naturally want to pay less, while sellers hope to receive more. Actual Market Value is the range where those expectations overlap and a sale can occur.

The role of a real estate professional is to identify that range as accurately as possible. The tighter and more accurate the range, the more likely the property is positioned correctly when it enters the market.

When I present a pricing range to a homeowner, my goal is simple: if an offer arrives within that range, I know the valuation was correct. Whether the seller chooses to accept that offer is their decision, but the market has confirmed the price. Across my last 20 MLS® sales, that approach has resulted in homes selling for approximately 99% of their asking price.

The Open Market Determines Actual Market Value

When a property is listed on the MLS® system it is exposed to the open market. That means the home is visible to the entire network of real estate professionals and buyers searching for properties. Anyone who is qualified can view the home and submit an offer.

This process creates what is known as an arm’s length transaction. The buyer and seller act independently, are represented by separate professionals, and negotiate based on their own interests. Because neither party controls the other, the final sale price reflects what the market is genuinely willing to pay.

That is why the open market is the most reliable test of Actual Market Value. When a home is priced correctly and exposed to the market through the MLS®, the response from buyers provides real evidence of value.

The First Two Weeks Are Critical

When a new home hits the MLS® system it is immediately seen by buyers who are already searching the market. Most serious buyers are pre-approved, actively watching new listings, and often know the available inventory better than the seller. When a property matches what they are looking for, they move quickly to schedule a showing.

That is why the first two weeks on the market are so important. In many rural markets like the communities I serve, around ten showings in the first week is a strong start. When the home is priced correctly those showings typically produce one or two offers, positioning the property to move into sold status within the first 30 days once normal conditions are factored in.

After the second week the pace of activity usually drops sharply. Showings decline, buyer attention moves to newer listings, and the property begins to lose the momentum that fresh listings receive. By the third week activity can fall off significantly, and the most common way to bring buyers back is through a price adjustment.

That is why pricing correctly from the beginning matters so much. A well-positioned home usually reveals its true market response within the first two weeks of exposure.

The Longer Your Home Sits, The Less Buyers Are Interested

The chart above compares the estimated pattern of showings over time with the actual activity from this listing. In the first week the property generated eight showings and quickly produced multiple offers within two days of going live, resulting in an accepted offer. When the buyer was unable to remove financing conditions the contract collapsed and the property returned to the market.

Because the strongest buyer interest happens at the beginning of a listing, the goal was to recreate that early momentum before the window closed. In the second week the property generated nine additional showings and once again produced multiple offers, leading to a second accepted offer.

By the third week the activity dropped sharply, with only two showings. This is a common pattern in real estate markets. Once the first wave of serious buyers has viewed the property, the number of new buyers entering the market becomes much smaller.

At that point the strategy becomes clear. If a property has not secured a sale during the early exposure period, the most effective way to attract new buyers is often through a price improvement that brings fresh attention back to the listing. That is why pricing correctly from the beginning matters so much. A well positioned home usually reveals its true market response within the first two weeks of exposure.

Understanding Your Local Market Starts with Knowing Your Home’s Value

Selling your home successfully means understanding more than general market trends. It means knowing how your property fits within its specific community, how buyers are behaving there, and what similar homes are selling for.

Real estate markets can vary significantly across Vancouver Island and even between neighbouring communities. Select the area where your property is located below to request my professional valuation of your home.

I have lived on Vancouver Island for more than 30 years and have seen how neighbourhoods evolve and buyer expectations change. In my professional work I focus on proving actual market value with market movement data, so both sellers and buyers have evidence they can trust. Use these guides to explore regional areas and see how selling your house connects with the broader real estate story of the island at Living on Vancouver Island.