The numbers describe a market that has shifted toward buyers. Across North Texas, homes averaged 62 days on the market in September and sold for about 94% of their list price, according to MetroTex Association of Realtors. Pending sales were down 19% from a year earlier. Mortgage rates are back above 7%.
None of that means homes aren't selling. In Tarrant County there were about 3.4 months of supply in August, tighter than the region overall. It means buyers are choosier, and the details sellers could skip two or three years ago now decide the outcome.
1. The first price is the most important price
A home gets the most attention in its first two weekends on the market. Price it above what buyers think it is worth and the attention goes to the competition, and the price cut that follows rarely recovers that momentum. Start from closed sales and the homes you will actually be competing against, not from what a neighbor listed for or what an online estimate says.
2. Fort Worth is priced street by street
Fort Worth includes about a dozen school districts and dozens of distinct neighborhoods. Two homes a few blocks apart can draw different buyers at different prices. City-wide averages are useful for headlines, not for pricing your home. A good valuation starts with the exact address.
3. Fix what buyers will find
When buyers have choices, inspection results become negotiating leverage. Roofs, HVAC systems, foundations and water heaters are the usual sources of expensive surprises. Knowing about them before you list, and either fixing them or pricing them in, keeps a contract together and keeps you in control of the conversation.
4. Presentation does more work in a slower market
Most buyers decide whether to visit from the photos. Clean, decluttered, well-lit rooms and good photography are the least expensive marketing a seller can buy. Fall and winter add a few specifics: keep the lawn and leaves tidy, make sure the heat works, and turn the lights on for showings as days get shorter.
5. Know your alternatives
Some sellers value speed and certainty more than the last dollar: an inherited home, a relocation, a property that needs more work than they want to take on. For those situations a direct cash offer can make sense. For most homes, a well-prepared listing will net more. A good Broker should be able to show you both numbers and let you decide.
Where to start
Ask for a Broker-prepared valuation. It takes into account your home, the closed sales around it and the listings you would be up against. It is free, private and there is no obligation to list.