Why the Highest Suggested Price Isn't Always the Best Agent
By Tim Hollinden, Broker Associate | The Hollinden Team at eXp Realty
Quick Answer
The agent who suggests the highest list price isnt always wrong — but the number itself tells you nothing on its own. What matters is whether they can show you the comparable sales and market reasoning behind it. A high number with no evidence behind it is usually a sales tactic to win your listing, not a forecast of what your home will actually sell for.
What You'll Learn
- Why sellers are drawn to the highest number, and why that instinct works against them
- What actually happens after you sign with an agent who priced too high to win the listing
- How to apply the Evidence Test to a pricing opinion in real time, during the interview
- The follow-up questions that separate a real number from a number designed to flatter you
Tim's Take
I understand the appeal. You interview three agents, and one of them comes in with a number twenty or thirty thousand dollars higher than the others. It feels like validation — like that agent sees more value in your home than the rest. We naturally like information that confirms what we already hope is true. That's exactly why simply comparing the numbers can lead you to the wrong decision.
In my experience, that instinct is exactly backwards. The number itself doesnt tell you anything. What tells you something is whether the agent can walk you through the comparable sales, the current competition, and the reasoning that got them to that price. If they cant, the number isnt a valuation. It's a pitch.
Why the Highest Suggested Price Can Be Misleading
Here's what I've seen happen more times than I can count: a home gets listed at a price no comparable sale in the area supports. It sits. Buyers who are actually shopping in that price range compare it to everything else available, see it's out of line, and skip it. The showings that do happen produce no offers. Weeks pass. Eventually the price gets reduced — sometimes more than once — and by the time it lands where it should have started, the home has lost its Launch Window and picked up something harder to shake: the sense that something must be wrong with it. I've written about that Launch Window concept in detail here, and about the full cost of the pricing mistakes that cost Louisville sellers the most.
There's a pattern behind this that's worth naming plainly, because sellers deserve to understand it before they sign anything. Sometimes an agent suggests a higher price because they genuinely believe the market will support it. Other times, the higher number helps win the listing even when the comparable sales dont fully support it. The challenge for sellers is knowing which is which — and the seller is the one who carries the cost of getting it wrong, in time on market and often in final sale price.
The Evidence Test, Applied to a Pricing Opinion
I've written before about the Evidence Test in the context of choosing an agent generally — six questions I believe every seller should ask. When it comes specifically to a pricing recommendation, the test comes down to one simple move: ask to see the comparable sales behind the number, right there in the interview.
A real answer takes two minutes. The agent pulls up recent sales of similar homes — similar size, similar condition, similar location — and shows you where your home fits. They can explain current competition: what else is on the market right now in your price range, and how your home compares. They can walk you through how they'd adjust the number if a competing listing sells or a new one comes on.
A vague answer is the answer, too. "I just think it's worth more" or "I don't want to leave money on the table" isnt reasoning — it's a feeling dressed up as a number. Price Correctly from Day One only works if the starting price is grounded in evidence, not in what a seller wants to be told.
What to Ask Before You Hire on the Number Alone
- Can you show me the comparable sales behind this specific number?
- What's currently competing with my home in this price range?
- If we start here and don't get showings in the first two weeks, what's the plan?
- Would you be comfortable defending this number to an appraiser?
An agent with real reasoning behind their number will welcome these questions. An agent who suggested the number to win the listing will usually get vague, or shift the conversation back to how much they want to work with you. The same logic applies to commission rates — asking what is actually included at each price point is just as important as asking for the evidence behind a list price. I have written about what a discount broker includes versus what a full-service agent provides so you can compare evidence before you decide. If you're preparing for those interviews, I've put together a full guide on the exact questions to ask before hiring a real estate agent and what a real answer sounds like.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this mean I should always go with the lowest suggested price?
No. The lowest number isnt automatically right either. The point isnt to chase the lowest or highest number — it's to ask for the evidence behind whichever number an agent gives you, and judge the answer, not the figure.
What if two agents show me similar comps but different prices?
That's normal, and it's a good sign both are reasoning from evidence rather than guessing. Ask each one to walk you through how they weighted the differences between your home and the comps — that conversation usually tells you more than the number itself.
Is it a red flag if an agent won't show me comps at all?
Yes. That's one of the clearest signals in the entire interview process. A real pricing opinion should never require you to simply trust it. If you are still wondering whether the person across the table is someone you can rely on, I have written about finding a trustworthy real estate agent in Louisville that covers the three verifiable patterns worth checking.
Can a home recover after being priced too high initially?
Often, yes — but it typically costs time on market, and sometimes a lower final sale price than if it had been priced correctly from the start, since buyers who saw it at the higher price rarely come back once it's reduced.
Bottom Line
The highest number isnt a compliment, and it isnt a strategy. It's just a number — and numbers without evidence behind them don't hold up once your home is actually competing against everything else buyers can choose from. Ask to see the comparable sales. Ask for the reasoning. Judge the answer, not the figure.
Not sure how to evaluate a pricing opinion you've already been given? I'd be happy to walk through it with you — no pressure, no obligation. Call 502-429-3866.
Let's Talk About Your Pricing Opinion
If you've received a pricing recommendation and you're not sure whether the evidence supports it — or if you want to compare how I'd approach your home against the standards in this article — I'd be glad to walk through it with you. No pressure, no obligation.
Call 502-429-3866.
Get in TouchAbout Tim Hollinden
Tim Hollinden is a former home builder and Broker Associate with The Hollinden Team at eXp Realty, licensed in Kentucky, Indiana, and Alabama. With 24+ years in real estate sales and more than 1,650 real estate transactions, Tim helps buyers and sellers throughout Greater Louisville and Southern Indiana make informed decisions using practical, evidence-based advice. His builder background provides added insight into construction, condition, improvements and value, while nearly two decades as a tech-company CEO shaped the systems-driven marketing he uses today. Tim is also a three-time eXp ICON Agent, an early A.I. Certified Agent™, and holds Zillow's Best of Zillow recognition.
— Tim
