Why Isn't My Home Selling? 3 Reasons (and Solutions)

You expected offers…but now your listing is collecting dust.

When a home lingers on the market, it’s natural to feel frustrated or even anxious. According to the St. Louis Federal Reserve, the median U.S. home spent 53 days on the market in June 2025.[1] Listings often start to feel “stale” after 30–45 days without serious buyer interest or offers, making it even harder to attract serious buyers.

If your home isn’t selling, it often comes down to three key issues: 

• Price
• Condition
• Marketing

The good news? Each one is fixable. We’ll walk you through the most common reasons homes don’t sell and how to course-correct.

Why isn't your home selling?

If you've already listed your house and you're not getting any offers, it's time to evaluate where you could be going wrong. Here are the three main reasons why your home may not be selling.

1. Your home is priced too high

If you've priced your home too high, don't be too hard on yourself. It happens more often than you think. Here are a few reasons why:

• You based the price on what you want to earn or your personal opinion of what you would pay for it, rather than doing a comparative market analysis (CMA).
• You factored in your renovation costs, and buyers don’t typically value those upgrades at cost.
• You used online estimates (like Zillow’s Zestimate) as your guide, which can be misleading.
• You got emotional.
• You’re hoping a higher list price will make the home appear more valuable or luxurious, attracting stronger interest.
• You’re expecting buyers to negotiate, so you’ve priced high to leave room for them to “talk you down” and still feel like they’re getting a deal.
• Bonus reason: You haven’t owned the home very long and still owe a lot on your mortgage or renovation loans. To break even, you’re aiming for a higher price.

No matter the reason, overpricing your home can hurt your chances of selling quickly. Even in a strong market, overpricing can backfire by:

• Making your listing go stale, which leads buyers to wonder what's wrong
• Reducing the number of showings, lowering your odds of receiving offers
• Creating appraisal issues once you're under contract

That’s why Lorraine Weber, an agent with Coldwell Banker American Homes in Long Beach, N.Y., advises sellers to figure out their home’s value, and not test the market: “I would price it fairly at market value instead of going over, in the hopes of creating more interest, which could then lead to a bidding war.”

True story: I’m a real estate agent in Indiana. A while back, a lovely home in my own neighborhood was listed and received lots of attention, including from several of my own buyers. However, it was priced well above fair market value, and the sellers — for an unknown reason — refused to budge.

The older the listing got, the fewer showings and offers there were, until they stopped completely. The age of the listing alone caused buyers and agents (including myself) to assume something must be terribly wrong with the place, which wasn’t the case at all. It was just the price.

Curious how long that house sat on the market?

Two years! It finally sold after a modest price drop.

I guess those sellers weren’t in a hurry!

What to do:

If you’re concerned that you’ve overpriced your home, you first need to find out if you actually did. Here’s how to do that:

• If you’re working with a listing agent, it’s likely that they did a comparative market analysis (CMA) or provided you with a broker price opinion (BPO) before listing. Then, they would have worked with you to decide on a listing price. If they didn’t do either of these things before listing, request both of them.
• If you’re selling for-sale-by-owner (FSBO) and listing without an agent, connect with a local one so you can at least ask for a CMA and their BPO. Note: While some agents — especially those just starting out — are willing to do this for free in exchange for having made a connection with you, be ready to ask what their fee is for this anyway. It’s still work!
• While not as accurate as an experienced agent’s would be, you can also do your own rough CMA using popular home listing sites. Here’s how:

How to do a basic comparative market analysis

Step 1: Log onto any popular home listing site (like Zillow or Redfin) and use the filters to browse homes in your area (ideally in your neighborhood or ZIP code) that have the same features.

Prioritize finding homes with the same number of bedrooms, bathrooms, and square footage, as well as updates and general aesthetics, but also look at other features, like attached or detached garages, acreage, pools, appliances etc. You may not get perfectly precise comparables, but try to get as close as you can.

Step 2: Take note of current comparable listings and their pricing. Jot down the lowest priced comparable and the highest to give yourself a range. How long have they been on the market?

Step 3: Next, adjust the filters so you’re only looking at sold homes — specifically, homes sold within the last 6 months. If your market is slower, it’s fine to go out about 12 months, but try not to go out much further than that.

If you aren’t getting many results, adjust other filters, like square footage or acreage until you have at least 5 other properties to compare yours to.

Step 4: Take note of the sold homes and their prices. What’s different about your listing? What do they have in common?

For example, if your $220,000 home is stuck on the market, but a similar home in your neighborhood sold for $220,000 just a few months ago, maybe it’s because they had an updated roof, kitchen, or HVAC.

Use all the information you’ve gathered, plus an experienced local agent’s insights, to determine if pricing could be the problem.

If it is, crunch your numbers, and lower the price.

Be aware that lowering the price can sometimes put a “black eye” on a listing, making buyers wonder if the price was lowered because something was wrong with the home — which is why it's important to price well when you first list.

That said, if pricing was the issue, lowering it will still get it sold.

Note: While rare, some sellers in some U.S. markets actually undervalue and underprice. Ironically, this ends up turning buyers off by making it look like something is wrong with the home! We always advise getting an opinion from an experienced agent who is familiar with your region and market to assist with pricing.

2. The condition is a turn-off, or ineligible for certain types of common loans

Even if your home is priced correctly, poor condition or dated features can send buyers running. Sure, some are looking for project homes, but the vast majority want (and need) move-in ready properties.

More importantly, your home may be in decent condition, but certain things — even things as simple as peeling exterior paint — will make buyers shopping with common government-insured loans (like FHA, USDA, and VA) ineligible. These loans often have stricter property standards than conventional loans.

Either way, when buyers spot visible problems, they often assume there are more lurking beneath the surface. This can lower your home’s appeal, reduce showing requests, and prevent offers.

Worse, major condition issues may limit your buyer pool to cash investors, which significantly narrows your audience.

Some common red flags for buyers include:

• Roof damage or signs of leaks
• Plumbing issues or visible water damage
• Outdated kitchens and bathrooms
• Unsafe or aging electrical systems
• Termite damage, mold, or foundation cracks
• Strong pet, mildew, or smoke odors
• Worn carpets, peeling paint, or damaged flooring
• Clutter, poorly lit spaces, or overly bold decor

According to Weber, “The house could have nothing wrong with it physically, it just might not appear well — sometimes there’s a dog odor, a cat odor, or tons of clutter.”

What to do:

• Get a pre-listing inspection to identify hidden issues before buyers do
• Make essential repairs — especially those affecting safety, financing, or insurability
• Deep clean and declutter every room, including closets and storage spaces
• Repaint with neutral tones to create a fresh, blank canvas
• Stage the home with what you already own or borrow pieces to boost appeal
• Tidy the exterior by mowing the lawn, cleaning the porch, or refreshing mulch and plant beds

If you can’t or don’t want to tackle the home’s condition, you can always try selling it as-is to cash or conventional buyers.

3. Your marketing isn’t strong enough

If your home looks great and is priced fairly but still isn’t getting traction, weak marketing may be the culprit.

Today’s buyers do the bulk of their home shopping online — often on mobile devices. If your listing doesn’t grab attention, they’ll scroll right past it. Even a beautifully staged and well-priced home can underperform if your photos, description, or online reach are lacking.

A strong online listing should include:

• High-quality, well-lit photos of every room (ideally taken by a professional photographer)
• An engaging description that highlights upgrades, lifestyle features, and location benefits
• Broad distribution across the MLS, major real estate platforms, and social media
• Accurate and complete details, including square footage, lot size, school district, and HOA info

But great photos are really key: According to NAR, 100% of buyers now use the internet[2] during their home search, and 87% rank photos as the most useful feature of a listing.

In other words, poor lighting, clutter, blurry images, or a generic description can all work against you when buyers are comparing your home to dozens of others.

What to do:

• Ask your agent to retake or update the photos if they’re dark, outdated, or don’t show the home at its best
• Rewrite the listing description to focus on what makes your home unique (proximity to parks, recent upgrades, energy efficiency, etc.)
• Add a video or 3D home tour to your listing if possible; even a simple walk through filmed on a phone is better than nothing
• Promote your home on social media, especially local Facebook groups, Instagram Reels, and neighborhood pages — and don’t skip the open house!
• Ensure your home is easy to show — it’s often easiest to sell and show a vacant home, but if you have to stay in yours, be flexible with your schedule and try not to decline any showing requests.

Marketing can’t fix pricing or condition issues, but if those are dialed in, great marketing is what gets people through the door.

Still stuck? 5 more things to try if your home won’t sell

Tried everything above and still getting nowhere? Here are five more ideas that could help:

1. Hire a new agent (or find one)

Sometimes the issue is your listing agent…or the lack of one! If you have an agent but you’re still not seeing results, ask yourself:

• Are they marketing the home effectively?
• Do they understand the local market?
• Are they communicative and proactive?
• Are they showing the home adequately?

If not, it might be time to switch. Look for an energetic, responsive agent with a strong knowledge of the local market.

You can also explore low-commission real estate agents to save money while getting expert help. Some brokerages offer 1–1.5% listing fees, which can offset a lower sale price.

2. Re-list at a better time

Timing matters. Spring and summer are typically the hottest times to sell, with more buyer activity and better weather for showings. If you listed during a slower season, consider pulling your home and relisting later.

The day of the week you list also makes a difference. Thursday or Friday listings get more attention and sell faster, according to Redfin. Meanwhile, listings posted Sunday through Wednesday tend to linger longer on the market. It could be worth it to try re-listing on a Thursday or Friday to catch weekend buyers.

3. Sell to a cash buyer

If repairs, condition, or urgency are getting in the way of a traditional sale, consider working with a cash buyer. These companies purchase homes as-is and can close in days, but usually offer 70% or less of market value.

This route is ideal if you need to sell quickly, have a fixer-upper, or are facing foreclosure or financial strain.

4. Try an iBuyer

iBuyers are tech-driven companies that purchase homes directly (often within 24–48 hours) and can close in as little as two weeks. They offer more than traditional cash buyers, but less than market value, and typically charge service fees of 5% or more.

Just keep in mind that not all metro areas are covered, and your home must still meet certain criteria (e.g., price range, condition).

5. Rent it out

If selling doesn’t make financial sense right now, renting your home can generate income while preserving your investment.

For example, if your home is worth $250,000 but could rent for $1,800/month, you could earn $21,600/year, potentially covering your mortgage and maintenance until the market improves.

Tips:

• Hire a property manager if you’re moving out of the area
• Screen tenants and set competitive rent
• Talk to a tax professional about deductions and rental income

Renting can be a smart short-term solution while you wait for better market conditions or build more equity.

Get help from a top agent

🎯 Still unsure why your house isn’t selling? Clever can match you with top local agents who know how to price, stage, and market your home to sell fast — and for top dollar. Compare agents and save thousands on listing fees.

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