3 Proven Strategies to Get Your Stale Listings Sold

Are your listings sitting on the market longer than they should? Do your sellers refuse to adjust their prices? Are you investing time and money in marketing but still not seeing results?

You’re not doing anything wrong; it’s because the market has shifted. Today, I’m sharing three strategies you can put to work right away to take your clients’ homes from stuck to sold.

1. Control the first conversation. You need to set the tone before the sign even goes in the yard. At your listing appointment, use the 14-10-1 model to frame expectations:

“Mr. and Mrs. Seller, in the first 14 days, we should see at least 10 showings from other agents. If we don’t, that tells us we’re priced about 3% to 5% too high.

If we do get those 10 showings but no offers, we’ll review the feedback. If there’s something small we can adjust, we’ll do it. But most of the time, it’s not just one issue; it’s the price being about 3% too high for today’s market.”

By setting this upfront, you’re not pre-framing success; you are also setting the stage for any needed adjustments.

2. Reposition the listing with seller choices. When a listing isn’t getting traction, the worst thing you can do is hope it fixes itself. Your job is to guide the seller by giving them clear options and helping them choose the one that makes sense.

Here are three options on how to frame it:

Option 1: Stay the course. We keep everything the same: price, photos, and marketing, and wait. But usually, the longer a home sits, the less urgency buyers feel, and they start to wonder what’s wrong with it.

Option 2: Light refresh. We update the photos, rewrite the listing description, and consider running a new marketing push or hosting a broker open. We could even make a slight price adjustment to test buyer interest.

Option 3: Full strategic repositioning. That means new visuals, a fresh story, updated staging, maybe a few small updates or repairs. But most importantly, we price it right for the current market. That way, we attract a new group of motivated buyers and make the home feel like a brand-new listing.

Then you simply ask:

“Based on what we’ve talked about, which option feels like the smartest move right now?”

That simple shift, from pushing your seller to giving them choices, changes everything.

3. Strategic pricing using absorption rates. Pricing shouldn’t be based on gut instinct or old comps—it should be based on real-time data, specifically, absorption rates.

Here’s how to explain it to a seller:

“At the current rate of sales, it would take X months to sell all the homes on the market if no new ones were added. That’s supply and demand in real time.”

• If supply is under three months, it’s a seller’s market. You may be able to price slightly ahead.
• If supply is three to five months, it’s a balanced market. Precision matters here.
• If supply is over five months, it’s a buyer’s market.

For example, let’s say there’s a six-month supply in your seller’s price range. That means their home has to be in the top 30% in condition and the bottom 30% in price to compete. And as the months of supply increase, the standards only get tougher: the home must show even better, and the price has to be sharper to attract buyers.

Instead of debating opinions, show evidence. If you’re pricing based on feelings, you’re gambling. But when you use absorption data, you’re guiding, and that’s what sellers will remember.

If this sounds like the kind of clarity and confidence you’ve been looking for, you’re not alone. We’ve helped agents in every type of market turn stuck listings into sold signs using these exact systems.

Join us for the full Servicing the Listing class. You’ll walk away with the models, scripts, and tools that actually help you sell listings, not just list sellers.

Event details:

When: Wednesday, September 17, 2025

Time: 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Where: KW Utah Training Room 1265 Fort Union Blvd, Floor 3, Cottonwood Heights, UT 84121

Save your free seat here: MREA Servicing and Absorption Rate Masterclass w/Josh Stern

Whether you’re trying to move the listings you already have or win more, this class will give you the edge. Remember that you don’t need more exposure; what you need is a proven system. Let’s get your listings moving.

For more information about our upcoming events or if you have questions about real estate, reach out to us at headcoach@kwutahcoach.com or (801) 252-5226. We’re here to help.