The #1 Regret Sellers Have When They Don’t Use an Agent

If you own a home in Cupertino, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, or San Jose, chances are you’ve wondered at least once: Could I sell this myself? I’ve had that conversation with many homeowners across the South Bay—and almost every time, it comes back to one critical factor: pricing.

Here’s what sellers across the country are saying, and what I see every day right here in the South Bay real estate market.

The #1 Seller Regret: Getting the Price Wrong

According to the National Association of Realtors, the number one regret among homeowners who sold without an agent was simple—but costly: they didn’t price their home correctly for the market they were actually in.

In fact, sellers who went solo said the hardest parts of the process were:

• Getting the price right

• Preparing or fixing up the home

• Selling within their timeline

• Handling legal documents

• Finding time to manage everything

That list makes sense. Pricing isn’t guesswork—it’s diagnosis. And like any good doctor, you need real data, local knowledge, and experience to get it right.

Why Pricing Is Harder Than It Looks

Pricing isn’t about picking a number from an online estimate or copying what your neighbor got last year. In the South Bay real estate market, value shifts quickly based on:

• What buyers are willing to pay right now

• How much competition you have nearby

• What similar homes are actually selling for

• How desirable your micro-neighborhood is

• The condition and upgrades of your home

I’ve seen two nearly identical Santa Clara homes for sale get very different results—simply because one was priced with strategy and the other with hope.

Hope is great for birthdays. Not so great for pricing a home.

Overpricing Starts a Chain Reaction

Your price is the first impression. If it’s too high, buyers scroll right past it.
That leads to fewer showings.
Fewer showings mean fewer offers.
Fewer offers usually mean… a price cut.

And once a home starts cutting price, buyers start wondering what’s “wrong” with it—even if nothing is.

National data shows about 59% of homes sold without an agent had to reduce their price at least once. I see this play out locally too, especially with Santa Clara homes for sale that miss the mark early.

The Part Most Sellers Don’t Expect

Price cuts don’t always fix the problem. They often attract bargain hunters instead of confident buyers. By the time the home sells, the seller may walk away with less than if they had priced it correctly from day one.

Nationwide, homes sold with an agent sell for nearly 8% more than homes sold without one. That’s not magic—that’s method. It’s about getting the pricing, prep, presentation, and paperwork right from the start.

In my work across Cupertino, Sunnyvale, and San Jose, the sellers who do best are the ones who treat pricing like a strategy—not a guess.

My “Doctor” Approach to Pricing

I don’t “list and hope.” I diagnose.
I look at the data, the neighborhood, buyer behavior, condition, timing, and goals. Then I build a pricing plan that fits your situation—not someone else’s.

That’s what protects your equity. That’s what attracts serious buyers. And that’s what helps you sell with confidence.

Bottom Line

The biggest risk of selling without an agent isn’t paperwork—it’s pricing. And once pricing goes wrong, it’s hard to undo the damage.

If you’ve been thinking about selling—or just wondering what your home could realistically sell for in today’s South Bay real estate market—I’m happy to walk you through it. No pressure, no guessing.

Let’s talk about what’s possible right now in Santa Clara County.