Lots of Showings But No Offers? Here’s What Might Be Going Wrong

Every real estate market and home sale is unique, but some people experience similar problems when they are trying to move. It’s not uncommon for a house to get lots of showings but no offers. There is definitely interest in the property, but there are also issues or concerns holding buyers back.  

There are usually specific, identifiable reasons why your showings don’t turn into offers, usually relating to the price, condition, or presentation of the house. Your job (and your Realtor’s) is to identify what is holding your house back and how you can remove barriers for buyers. 

Use this guide to better understand how potential buyers look at homes to better market your property to them. You don’t have to sell in a hot market to get the offer you need. 

The Psychology of Home Buyers

Before you schedule open houses and start marketing your home to buyers, it helps to get into the headspace of people considering your property. The first thing to know is that buyers make quick judgments when looking at homes. They flip through online listings and identify the top contenders that match their needs. It’s a good sign if you have several showing requests, because it means the first impression of your home meets the needs of local buyers. 

The next impression comes when buyers visit your home. They want to confirm that the listing online matches in-person expectations. This isn’t unlike online dating – if you have an excellent online presence but poor reality, buyers will walk away. Foul odors, noise, or misleading photos can all deter buyers during showings. 

Your Realtor will do their best to help you create positive impressions that help buyers picture themselves in your space. They want to evoke emotions of buyers, so they imagine what it’s like setting up holiday decorations or celebrating milestones in the house. They want to help buyers picture day-to-day life and feel comfortable in the home.  

Buying a house is similar to picking out a wedding dress: most people already have a vision for what they want, so the search is more about bringing that dream to life. Your goal with the home sale process is to align buyers’ dreams with the price point they need – and the price point you want for your house. When everything comes together, showings turn into offers.

Issue 1: Incorrect Listing Price

Pricing is often the top reason a house doesn’t sell. If buyers are touring your home but not making offers, they aren’t seeing the value in the property for its current price point. The house might seem smaller in person or might have other concerns (like being built by a busy highway) that lower its perceived value. 

The challenge for you and your real estate agent is to understand how overpriced the property is. If you aren’t even getting showing requests, the house is significantly overpriced. If you are at least getting showings but no offers, you might only be a little overpriced. 

Pricing is a significant challenge in real estate. Even Realtors who carefully comb the multiple listing service to create a comparative market analysis (CMA) might list a home for too much or too little. A house that is priced too low also might not get showings because buyers assume there is something wrong with the house. 

A properly priced home will eventually sell, but an overpriced home will simply sit on the market. Decide how flexible you are on pricing and if you are willing to make a listing adjustment to attract potential buyers. If selling quickly is important to you, pricing is one of the best tools you have.

Issue 2: Property Condition Problems

While showings indicate initial interest, a lack of offers might suggest buyers are finding issues upon closer inspection, such as outdated features, necessary repairs, or an unsuitable layout. Some of these issues are within your control (like making repairs before listing your home) while others aren’t. You can’t change the location of your house, and it’s hard to modify the layout without major renovations. 

Talk to your real estate agent about any repairs or improvements they recommend, even if your property is already active on the MLS. If you can make your house more move-in ready, potential buyers might not have as many objections to placing bids. Your home will have a higher perceived value and lower perceived risk to the people who tour it. 

Issue 3: Staging and Presentation Problem

Home staging means preparing a property for sale in a manner that showcases its best assets. Staging can highlight what living in your home would be like for potential buyers. If your house has an unusual layout, staging can provide ideas for placing furniture in a manner that creates a sense of flow. 

According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), 81% of buyers’ agents said staging a home “made it easier for a buyer to visualize the property as a future home.” The most commonly staged rooms were the living room (91%), kitchen (81%), primary bedroom (81%), and dining room (69%). 

Consider how your home is perceived and any weaknesses that could drive potential buyers away. You may want to adjust your staging to make your rooms feel bigger, lighter, or more practical. 

If your house is already on the MLS, you may want to invest in staging and potentially re-photograph your rooms to appeal to more buyers and increase the number of showing requests you receive.

Issue 4: Marketing Strategy Issues

Realtors used to follow the “3 Ps” of marketing a house: put it in the MLS, place a sign out front, and pray for buyers, but this process is no longer sufficient. Even in hot markets, properties need to stand out and attract buyers. 

Work with a real estate agent who invests in taking quality photos and presents your home in its best light. You might even hire a Realtor who takes videos and drone shots of your property. Next, double and triple check the MLS listing for accuracy. There could be incorrect information in the listings that confuses buyers once they arrive at your property. 

For example, a listing without detailed photos might intrigue buyers who want to see your house but disappoint them when they arrive. Incorrect or missing information will drive away buyers once they see the real state of the house. 

Receiving showing requests is a good sign. It means that your house is attracting interest at first. You just need to figure out why there is a discrepancy between how people perceive your house online versus what they experience in person.

Issue 5: Market Conditions and Competition

Sometimes you list the perfect house at the wrong time. Buyer interest varies depending on market conditions, economic events, and even seasonal trends. This means that demand for your home might be lower than you expect when it’s time to sell. 

For example, market analysts have started using the term “golden handcuffs” to describe the current housing situation for some homeowners. They bought when interest rates were low and don’t want to move because they would have to pay much more for their future loans. With fewer people selling their homes, the number of buyers in the current pool is lower than normal in some areas. 

That said, housing inventory is low across the country, and most real estate agents feel like it is still a seller’s market. If you are receiving requests for showing, the buyers are out there. You just need to convince them that your property is the best choice. 

One additional thing to note is that demand for houses can vary on a micro level. If there are multiple homes for sale within your neighborhood – or even on your street – then you may have tight competition in your area. Potential buyers might consider your house because they want to live in the area, but find that your neighbors have better properties. It may take longer to sell your house if you have to wait for the competition to land in your favor.

Issue 6: Agent-Related Issues

The problem could have nothing to do with your house and actually reflect the actions of your real estate agent. See if your Realtor is offering a low commission to the buyers’ agents or if they are being difficult when talking to other Realtors. 

You may decide to work with a new real estate agent and cancel the contract you have with the current one. An experienced real estate professional could bring in fresh marketing perspectives and a better listing price that makes your home more competitive. Consider talking to other agents and asking them why you are getting showings but no offers. They might have fresh insight that helps guide your actions. 

Sellers need to listen to and trust their real estate agents throughout the entire sales process, from the first showing to the last document signed at the closing table. If you are uncertain about your agent, you may want to switch to a new one.

How To Turn Showings into Offers

Identifying the issues preventing qualified buyers from submitting offers is the first step in making your home more desirable. The next step is to adjust your value proposition to win over those buyers. Here are a few things you can do to make serious buyers reconsider your home.

Pricing Solutions

If your house has sat on the market for longer than expected, consider adjusting the listing price. You may need to reevaluate the market by looking at new comparable sales reports and make a price drop if you want your house to get noticed in a competitive market. 

The longer a house sits on the market, the more buyers question if something is wrong with it. You could have a gorgeous house, but buyers will be wary if it stays available. A price reduction shows that the seller is eager to move the house and willing to provide a strong value proposition to buyers. It can also attract a fresh round of buyers who are focused on specific price ranges. 

Price is one of the easiest ways to change the interest levels of your house. You might not have to make major changes to the property if you aren’t able to renovate or repair it at this time.

Property Condition Solutions

If you have limited options to adjust your listing price, consider making upgrades and repairs that fall within your budget. Clean up your lawn and improve your curb appeal to make a positive first impression, or invest in deep cleaning before inviting people into your house. Your agent might also recommend having an open house after you make these improvements to show it off. 

Small changes and repairs can make all the difference to the right buyers. They won’t focus on the work that needs to be done on the house and instead can start imagining what life could be like in your home.  

You also might need to have a serious conversation with your real estate agent about any serious major repairs needed. Instead of dropping the asking price, it might be better to make upgrades like foundation repairs or roof replacements that make your property desirable. These changes might also help the house sell faster as it goes through the inspection process.

Staging and Presentation Solutions

If you haven’t already, declutter and deep clean your home. Consider attending open houses in your local real estate market to see what this looks like in other properties. Ask your agent about staging and the cost to do so. 

You can also review the marketing plans of your Realtor to get an idea of their target persona. Make sure the buyers you are attracting are a good fit for your home and likely to place bids on the property.

Marketing Solutions to Attract Buyers

Your agent should be able to make multiple marketing strategy adjustments to help you reach serious buyers. They might change when open houses are held to account for regional work schedules. They might invest in digital marketing tools and social media to promote your home. 

You can measure how fresh the listing is by tracking how many showings you have each week. When the number starts to drop, buyer interest is waning. Confirm that your Realtor has a plan to continuously promote your house.

Alternative Options if Your Home Isn’t Selling

Not everyone can change their pricing strategy or invest time and money to add fresh paint to each room. If your home isn’t selling, you may need to review a few alternative options that align with your financial and moving goals. Here are some considerations to keep in mind. 

• Look into cash buyers. Some investors will make cash offers and buy distressed homes that aren’t selling. This could be an option if your home needs repairs or the market is slow in your area.
• Take your home off the market temporarily. This will give you time to make repairs or evaluate demand in your area. This is a good option if you have a flexible sale schedule, meaning you don’t need to move immediately. 
• Review your sale-leaseback options. After you sell the house, you lease it back from the buyer. You would make lease payments to the buyer instead of to your mortgage lender (if you have one). This could be a good option for sellers who need more time to find their next home. 

Your Realtor can offer advice as to whether you need to change your home sale strategy or should continue planning for open houses and showings. The market value of your home can change within short periods, so their advice may shift along with it. A good idea at this moment might not be right a month or two from now.

Consider a New Real Estate Agent if You Have Lots of Showings But No Offers

Each property is unique, which means it has its own timeline to sell. Local markets could make your house receive dozens of offers or many showings, but not a single bid. Make sure you have a good agent whom you can trust and list your house for the right price. Those are the two most powerful ways to increase your chances of a home sale. 

Turn to FastExpert if you are considering working with a different real estate agent. Review different profiles and interview top contenders. FastExpert makes it easier to find Realtors who have years of experience in home selling and marketing. They can find people interested in your home who are also serious about placing bids.  

Try FastExpert today and see how it changes your home sale process. From price adjustments to small upgrades, the right changes can bring buyers through your door.