There's a conversation I find myself having more and more at the moment.
Someone contacts me after weeks, sometimes months, on the market. They're frustrated, a little deflated, and convinced the answer is to drop the price. And I understand why, it feels like the most obvious lever to pull. But more often than not, price isn't the problem.
Let me tell you about a client I worked with recently. She'd originally listed her property with a high street agent. It was a lovely home, well looked after, in a good location. On paper, it should have moved fairly quickly.
But it didn't.
Weeks went by with very little activity. Viewings were sparse, feedback was vague, and she began to feel as though her home had simply been lost in the shuffle. The agent was busy, the portfolio was large, and her property wasn't getting the attention it deserved.
By the time she came to me, she'd already reduced the price once and was considering reducing it again.
We didn't reduce it. We did something else entirely.
The real reasons homes sit on the market
The Surrey market is active right now, but there is a lot of choice out there. Buyers are taking their time, and they're making decisions quickly, often before they've even stepped through the door.
That means the way your home is presented online matters enormously.
Here are the things I look at when a property isn't moving:
Photography
This is the single biggest factor most people overlook. Dark, cluttered, or poorly composed photos will cost you viewings. Buyers are scrolling quickly, and your photos have about two seconds to make them stop. Professional photography isn't a luxury, it's a necessity.
The description
A list of rooms and measurements is not a sales tool. The write-up should tell a story, it should help a buyer picture their life in the space. Who is this home for? What does it feel like to live there? That's what stops someone clicking away.
Where it's being advertised
Are you on Rightmove and Zoopla? That's a start. But are you being actively promoted to buyers who are already registered and waiting? A smaller, more attentive agent will often have a list of qualified buyers ready before a property even goes live.
Staging and presentation
Walk through your home with fresh eyes. Better still, ask someone else to do it. Is it clear who this home is for? A family buyer needs to see themselves hosting Sunday lunch and helping with homework. A professional couple needs to feel the calm and the space. Staging isn't about making your home look like a show home, it's about helping the right buyer fall in love with it.
What to do if you're in this position
If your home has been on the market for a while without much movement, don't panic, and don't automatically reach for a price reduction.
Start by asking your agent for honest feedback. Not the polished version, the real version. What are viewers actually saying? What's putting them off?
If the answers are vague, or if you're not getting answers at all, that tells you something important.
Sometimes a fresh set of eyes and a reset, new photos, a rewritten description, a renewed push to active buyers, can completely change the momentum of a sale without changing the price at all.
I've seen it happen and I've made it happen.
If you're stuck and not sure where to turn, I'm always happy to have an honest conversation. No pressure, no agenda. Just a proper look at what's going on and what might help.
Get in touch, and let's talk it through.
