“Just Tell Me the Price”: Why Some Sellers Focus Only on Fees, Marketing, and Selling Price — And Not the Process
Selling your home is supposed to be exciting. Life-changing. A fresh start. But for many sellers, the moment that excitement begins, it’s replaced by three questions that feel practical—but could end up costing tens of thousands of dollars:
- What price will I get?
- What do you charge?
- Where will you advertise?
Sound familiar?
These questions aren’t wrong. But focusing only on them can be a trap—because while you’re busy trying to protect your profit, you might unknowingly block the very process that could unlock your highest possible result.
This article dives deep into why some sellers, often without realising, fall into this emotional and financial trap. And more importantly, how to escape it.
1. The Illusion of Simplicity
In the middle of all the stress, emotion, and logistics of moving, sellers naturally crave clarity. So when an agent walks through the door, the brain zeroes in on simple, direct questions. They feel safe. Sensible.
- “Just give me a price.”
- “What’s your fee?”
- “Where will you advertise it?”
These aren’t bad questions. They’re just incomplete. Because selling a home isn’t a set-and-forget transaction. It’s a living, evolving strategy that unfolds over days, weeks, and conversations. Focusing only on the front-end numbers means missing out on what actually moves the result.
2. The Price Trap: A Number That Feels Real But Isn’t
Most sellers treat the price as a promise. A fixed expectation. But in reality, the price is just a strategic starting point. It’s not about what the agent says your home is worth. It’s about how the market is made to respond.
Your final price is influenced by:
- How your home is presented
- What time it launches
- The energy at the first viewing
- How buyers are qualified and handled
- The competition (real or created)
So when a seller says, “I don’t want to spend more if I’m only going to get X,” they’re shutting down the very process that could turn X into more.
3. Fee Fixation: Seeing Cost Without Understanding Value
We understand it. No one likes fees. But in real estate, the success fee is not just a cost—it’s the fuel behind negotiation power, access to better buyers, smarter preparation, and more confident strategy.
Too many sellers compare agents like supermarket items:
- “This one is 2.1%, that one’s 1.9%.”
- “This one charges $8k for marketing, that one includes it.”
They forget to ask:
- “Who has a proven track record of exceeding expectations?”
- “Who will actually negotiate like a professional?”
- “Who can make buyers fall in love with my home?”
4. Marketing Obsession: When Visibility Becomes a Vanity Metric
Every seller wants exposure. But more marketing doesn’t mean better marketing. And more clicks don’t mean more buyers.
The goal isn’t reach. It’s reaction.
Effective marketing:
- Creates emotional connection
- Brings in the right buyers, not just any buyers
- Prepares the buyer psychologically before they walk through the door
- Matches the campaign to the home’s strengths and your goals
Without a strong process underneath, even the best marketing becomes wallpaper.
5. What About the Process?
Here’s the truth most sellers never hear: it’s not the price, fee, or advertising that gets you top dollar. It’s what happens in between.
The process is the engine. It includes:
- How we prepare your home to attract emotional buyers
- How we time the launch for maximum impact
- How we handle buyer questions and viewings
- How we manage interest to create competition
- How we negotiate when the offers come in
You can have great marketing, but if the process is weak—you risk falling flat. You can have a great price guide, but if no one feels urgency, it doesn’t matter. You can have a cheap fee, but if your agent can’t extract more from a buyer, you’ve already paid for it—in your lost profit.
6. Why Some Sellers Fall Into This Trap
Some sellers—especially those who have bought or sold overseas—come from backgrounds where the process is very different. The transaction is quicker, simpler, and sometimes entirely price-based. Others may be heavily analytical or have English as a second language, making numbers easier to trust than strategy.
And of course, some sellers have been burned by smooth-talking agents. So they anchor themselves in what feels measurable. “Give me a number. Give me a cost. Tell me where it’s going.”
But playing it safe often means playing it small.
7. What Exceptional Sellers Do Instead
They still ask about price, fee, and marketing—but they also ask:
- “What happens before we launch?”
- “How do you create competition?”
- “What makes buyers fall in love with a home like mine?”
- “How will you protect my price when an offer comes in?”
These sellers aren’t just after a transaction. They want a result.
And they know that result comes from strategy, not shortcuts.
In Summary: Don’t Let Simplicity Sabotage Your Success
Asking about price, fee, and marketing is smart. Only asking about them is risky.
If you’re thinking about moving, don’t just protect your investment—amplify it. Make sure the person guiding you doesn’t just tick boxes, but builds a strategy that pulls every possible dollar out of the market.
Because the process you invest in now… is the profit you unlock later.
Gregory Swiatek
Your Ray White Partner
gregoryswiatek.com
“Solving Real Estate Challenges One Home at a Time Since 1990”
