One of the hardest conversations in real estate right now is helping sellers understand that the market has changed.
Not collapsed.
Not dead.
Not catastrophic.
Changed.
And unfortunately, some sellers are still mentally living in 2021, when buyers were running around Los Angeles removing contingencies like they had suffered a collective head injury.
That market is gone.
At least for now.
Everybody Thinks Their House Is Special
Every seller believes their home is unique.
And honestly?
Emotionally, they’re right.
It’s where they raised kids.
Hosted holidays.
Built memories.
Spent money remodeling.
Argued over paint colors.
Planted fruit trees.
Lived life.
I understand all of that.
But buyers are not purchasing your memories.
They’re purchasing:
- Location
- Condition
- Monthly payment
- Future maintenance
- Layout
- Lifestyle
- Perceived value relative to every other property they looked at online that week at 11:30 PM while stress-eating tortilla chips in bed.
That’s reality. Some have convinced themselves that the Zestimate is accurate and have placed a “make me move” sticker price on it.
The market doesn’t lie.
This is why some Los Angeles listings sit while others sell immediately.
The Taj Mahal Pricing Strategy Is Not Working
Some sellers genuinely believe:
- Granite countertops
- Floating shelves
- A trendy light fixture
- A mediocre kitchen remodel from 2017
automatically adds $400,000 in value.
Meanwhile, buyers are walking through the house quietly, calculating:
- Sewer lines
- Roofing
- Electrical
- Insurance
- Foundation movement
- Interest rates
- Whether the guest bathroom smells weird
Today’s buyers are much more analytical than they were during the frenzy years.
Especially once the monthly payment starts punching them in the face.
I’m Watching Sellers Learn This the Hard Way
What’s especially interesting right now is I’m seeing people who chose not to sell several years ago finally come back to market.
A few years ago they could have likely achieved dramatically stronger pricing.
Today?
Some of those same sellers are staring down the reality of accepting a few hundred thousand dollars less than they once could have achieved.
That’s not me being dramatic.
That’s just the way the cookie crumbles sometimes.
Markets shift.
Interest rates shift.
Buyer psychology shifts.
Life shifts.
And real estate does not move in one permanent direction forever.
What buyers and sellers don’t understand about escrow is that it’s really the transaction’s pressure valve.
Overpricing Creates Stale Listings
One of the fastest ways to damage a listing right now is aggressive overpricing.
Because once a property sits:
buyers start wondering what’s wrong with it.
Even if nothing is wrong.
The listing slowly develops a weird smell online.
Price reductions start happening.
Momentum disappears.
Showings slow down.
The seller becomes frustrated.
The buyers become suspicious.
And eventually, the property often sells for less than it probably would have if it had simply been positioned correctly from the beginning. There is also the hidden cost of selling your house before you’re emotionally ready.
Buyers Are Smarter Today
Today’s buyers are cautious.
They’re researching constantly.
Comparing properties aggressively.
Watching price reductions.
Studying days on market.
Analyzing neighborhoods.
Calculating monthly costs.
The emotional insanity of the pandemic frenzy has cooled considerably.
That doesn’t mean homes aren’t still selling.
Good homes absolutely are.
But buyers are no longer blindly throwing money at every property with white oak floors and a fiddle leaf fig in the living room.
The Best Sellers Adapt Quickly
The sellers having the most success right now are usually the ones willing to:
- Listen
- Adapt
- Study the market honestly
- Separate emotional value from actual market value
That’s not weakness. That’s intelligence.
Real estate is constantly changing.
The best sellers evolve with the market rather than argue with it.
Final Thoughts
This market is no longer rewarding fantasy pricing the way it once did.
The homes that are winning right now are usually:
- priced strategically
- marketed aggressively
- presented beautifully
- and supported by sellers willing to operate in reality instead of nostalgia
And honestly?
That’s probably healthier for everybody.
About Glenn Shelhamer
I’m Glenn Shelhamer, broker of The Shelhamer Group and founder of Silver Lake Blog. I’ve spent the last 15 years helping sellers navigate the constantly shifting Los Angeles real estate market, from euphoric bidding wars to complicated reality checks.
If you’re considering selling and want honest guidance about pricing, strategy, and how buyers are actually behaving today, feel free to reach out anytime.
Call or text directly:
310-913-9477
Instagram:
@theshelhamergroup
Email:
glenn@shelhamergroup.com
