House Not Selling After 90 Days? Fix These 10 Things Before Cutting the Price
If your home has been listed for 90 days and is still quiet (few inquiries, few viewings, or viewings without offers), many owners choose to cut the price as the first solution. In practice, however, stronger results often come from fixing the “bottlenecks” in the selling process first—such as a price that doesn’t match the market, unappealing photos, a home that isn’t ready to show, or unclear information about documents and closing costs.
Key principle: A price reduction should be a last resort, after you have improved the major factors and re-launched the listing in a structured way.
Diagnose First: Where Is the Bottleneck in Your “Selling Funnel”?
Use these 3 indicators to identify the real problem:
Unusually low views → issues with distribution channels, headline/title, or the main cover photo
High views but low inquiries → issues with price, photos, and listing details
Many inquiries but few showings / showings with no follow-up → issues with property condition, odor/cleanliness, showing readiness, and clarity of closing costs and documents
Then work through the 10 fixes below.
10 Things to Fix Before Cutting the Price (Actionable Checklist)
1) Set a market-based price using CMA/Comparable (avoid pricing by feelings)
CMA (Comparative Market Analysis) is a comparative market evaluation that benchmarks your property against similar homes/condos in the same area to estimate a fair market price. Key factors include location, size, condition, and comparable properties recently sold or currently listed.
Practical recommendation: Use at least 3–5 comparable properties and price within the market range to increase the chance of inquiries and showings.
2) Retake the entire photo set—photos drive first decisions
Photos that are dark, blurry, or fail to highlight the home’s strengths make buyers scroll past immediately. Retake photos with good balance, wide angles that show real space, and clean composition.
Quick photo guidelines:
Shoot during daytime with natural light; open curtains fully
Use corner shots to show room proportions
Arrange photos to “walk the viewer through the home” (exterior → living → bedrooms → bathrooms)
3) Rewrite the listing to answer buyer questions and reduce repetitive chats
A strong listing should provide enough information for a buyer to confidently message you and schedule a viewing, including:
A 3-line opening highlight (location / condition / extras / key selling points)
Property details (usable area, number of rooms, parking, direction, year built)
Closing-cost responsibilities (who pays what)
Clear contact method and available viewing times
4) Do budget-friendly home staging to improve first impressions
Home staging is presentation-focused styling—not a major renovation. The goal is to make the home look open, bright, and easy for buyers to imagine living in.
High-impact staging actions:
Remove personal items and deep clean
Fix small issues (leaky faucet, loose handle, minor cracks)
Use neutral tones to brighten the space and create a “move-in ready” feel
5) Fix “trust killers” that stop buyers from making offers
Common reasons buyers back out:
Leaks, mold, musty odors
Uncertain electrical or plumbing condition
A general impression that the home isn’t well maintained
Recommendation: Create a short repair list and include before–after photos in the listing album to significantly increase credibility.
6) Prepare documents in advance to reduce deal failure risk
Create a “document pack” before serious showings, such as:
Title deed status and encumbrances (if mortgaged, outline payoff steps)
Outstanding common-area fees (if applicable)
Floor plans, extension permits, renovation documents (if available)
7) Clearly summarize closing costs to reduce fear of hidden expenses
Many buyers go silent because they are unsure about additional costs at transfer. Common items include:
Transfer fee (typically 2% of the appraised value)
Stamp duty 0.5% or Specific Business Tax 3.3% (depending on eligibility)
If you want an estimate, Thailand’s Land Department provides an online tool for preliminary tax and fee calculations.
8) Relaunch in channels where buyers actually are—use 2 content versions
Listing-site version: full, detailed, comprehensive
Social-media version: short hook + new photo set + clear CTA to book a viewing
9) Make the viewing process easy, fast, and professional
Small issues that often cause missed appointments or lost deals:
Slow responses, complicated scheduling, unclear availability
Recommended approach:
Set clear viewing windows (e.g., Sat–Sun 10:00–16:00)
Send location pin, meeting point, and parking info in advance
Prepare the home before showings: turn on lights, open curtains, make it bright and airy
10) Add incentives instead of cutting the price (often works well)
Before reducing the price, consider:
Contributing to some closing costs (based on item #7)
Including air conditioners, curtains, water heater
Clearing outstanding common-area fees before transfer
Flexible transfer date / terms to accommodate buyer financing
When Should You Actually Cut the Price?
Consider a price reduction only when:
You have completed items 1–10 and relaunched the listing with updated photos/details, and
Key metrics are still weak (very low views, high views but very few inquiries, or showings with no offers)
Then revisit your CMA and market-based price range again—because mispricing is one of the top reasons homes fail to sell.
Summary
A home that hasn’t sold after 90 days is often not a “location problem” alone. It is commonly a combination of fixable factors—price not aligned with the market, weak photos/listing content, a home that isn’t ready to show, and unclear documents or closing costs. If you address all 10 points before cutting the price, you can increase your chances of selling faster while protecting your asking price more effectively.
References:
DDproperty
RE/MAX Thailand
