Home Selling Science, Psychology and Secrets

When it comes to selling your home, everyone wants to make the highest profit possible. While your first instinct might be to raise the price as high as possible, there is a hidden science behind selling a home based on data, research, and human psychology.

Here are a few key home selling secrets. We have dozens more from decades of successfully representing sellers—contact us or click the free order form to learn how to maximize your profits!

1. Start a bidding war

   Price your home slightly below market value or just on par with lesser competition. This creates conditions for a bidding war where buyers compete, generating multiple offers and maximizing your profit. Human psychology shows that people are motivated by fear of missing out, so creating urgency can lead to higher offers.

2. Trigger a buyer’s olfactory sense

   Smell strongly affects how buyers perceive a home. Ask a friend, neighbor, or your agent to check your home’s scent. Ways to enhance it include scented plugins, fresh flowers, a fireplace, or baking cookies. Keep scents simple and neutral; research shows shoppers respond best to subtle, familiar aromas like orange.

3. Avoid pricing with 9’s at the end

   While consumer goods often end with 9, homes priced with $XYZ,999 can be perceived negatively. Buyers are wary of marketing tricks on high-end purchases. Price your home fairly and correctly without resorting to the “9” trick—people will still find your listing in search results.