Emmanuel Luswata, REALTOR® with eXp Realty, prices homes from real MLS sales across Greater Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio.
Pricing your home right in today's market.
The price you start with decides how many buyers look in the first two weeks. Here's what the market is doing right now, how I set a price, and what overpricing really costs.
Get a free home value →The market right now
More homes for sale. Priced right, they still go fast.
Buyers have more choices than a year ago, so they compare harder. Homes priced from real sales on day one still go under contract quickly. The ones that start high sit, and then they cut. In the last week of October, sellers across the Cincinnati MLS cut their price about 38 times for every one who raised it.
Source: Cincinnati MLS, single-family and condo, Hamilton, Butler, Warren and Clermont counties, September 2026. Price cut figure: Cincinnati MLS-wide, week ending 10/26/26.
Why the first two weeks matter
Your listing gets its biggest audience on day one.
Buyers are waiting
Buyers set alerts and see a new listing the day it goes live. That's when the most of them look, book showings and decide.
Days on market add up
Every week a home sits, buyers wonder what's wrong with it, and their offers start lower.
Cuts chase the market
A price cut a month in usually lands below where the right starting price would have sold.
How I price a home
Five steps, all from real data.
- 01
Pull the sold homes
Homes near you that sold in the last three to six months, matched on style, size, beds, baths, garage, basement and condition.
- 02
Adjust for the differences
Your updates, your lot, your street. Every difference moves the number up or down, and I show you each one.
- 03
Check the competition
What's for sale near you right now and what's gone under contract. That's who buyers will compare you to.
- 04
Read the trend
Are prices, days on market and price cuts moving up or down in your area? A number from three months ago can already be stale.
- 05
Set a price that wins the first two weeks
A range you can defend with real sales, and a list price that gets buyers in the door. Request a free home value report.
What overpricing costs
Starting high usually costs you more, not less.
It feels safe to start high and leave room to negotiate. In a market with more homes for sale, it usually works the other way.
- More time on marketYou keep paying the mortgage, taxes, insurance and utilities while it sits.
- A price-cut historyBuyers can see every cut on the home search sites, and they read it as a reason to offer less.
- Appraisal troubleEven if a buyer agrees to a high price, the lender's appraisal has to back it up.
- You help your neighbors sellAn overpriced home makes the right-priced homes nearby look like a deal.
Pricing questions
What sellers ask about price.
Should I price high and leave room to negotiate?
Usually not. Buyers compare your home to everything else for sale, and a high price keeps them from booking a showing at all. The negotiating room never gets used.
Why is your price different from my online estimate?
Online estimates can't see inside your home or tell which nearby sales are true matches. I use only the sales that actually compare to your home and explain each one.
How often should we look at the price after we list?
We review showings, online views and feedback every week. If the first two weeks bring little interest, the market is telling us something.
What happens if the appraisal comes in low?
We can challenge it with better comparable sales, renegotiate with the buyer, or the buyer can cover the difference. Pricing from real sales up front makes a low appraisal less likely.
Is now a bad time to sell?
Not if you price it right. There are more homes for sale than last year, so buyers are pickier, but the median home in the Cincinnati MLS still went under contract in 13 days in September 2026.
Should I price low to start a bidding war?
Sometimes, in the right neighborhood and price range. It's a strategy, not a rule. I'll show you whether homes like yours are getting multiple offers right now.
Free home value report
What's your home worth in today's market?
Online estimates guess from public records. They can't see your new roof, your finished basement or the busy road out front. I can.
- The recent sales I'd compare your home to, and why
- A list price range
- How long homes near you are taking to sell
- What would add value before you list, and what wouldn't
Request your report
Free, usually within a day. No obligation to list.