Selling your home without an agent might seem like a way to save money. But in Chicago, where pricing can change quickly from one neighborhood to the next, it can quietly become the most expensive mistake you make.
Most homeowners who skip an agent don’t regret the paperwork.
They don’t regret the showings.
They regret the price.
Because once your home is priced wrong in today’s Chicago market, everything that follows becomes harder: fewer buyers, fewer offers, and often less money in your pocket.
That’s the real risk sellers don’t see coming.
Want to know the #1 thing homeowners regret when they sell without an agent? It’s that they didn’t price their house correctly for the current market.
According to the latest data from the National Association of Realtors (NAR), those sellers agree that pricing their home effectively was the hardest part of the process.
Top 5 Most Difficult Tasks for Sellers Who Didn’t Use an Agent
- Getting the price right
- Preparing or fixing up the house
- Selling within the desired time frame
- Handling all the legal documents
- Finding the time to manage all aspects of the sale
And that makes sense. Pricing isn’t as simple as picking a number from an online estimate or copying what your neighbor got last year. It takes real insight into:
- What buyers are actually willing to pay today
- How much competition you have in your area
- What similar homes nearby are really selling for
- How desirable your area or neighborhood is
- The condition of your house
Without that context, it’s easy to overshoot the mark, especially now that buyers can be more selective. And in today’s market, that’ll backfire.
Overpricing Isn’t a Small Mistake, It Snowballs
Your price is part of what shapes a buyer’s first impression. And when it’s too high, a chain reaction begins.
If buyers think you’re asking too much, they’re going to turn the other way. And when buyers bypass your house, you’ll get fewer showings. Fewer showings lead to fewer offers. And fewer offers usually mean making a price cut to try to draw buyers back in.
And that’s happening a lot lately, especially on homes sold without a pro.
The same NAR report shows most homes sold without an agent (59%) had to reduce their asking price at least once (see the orange in the graph below).
The Part Sellers Don’t See Coming
The trouble is, price cuts don’t always fix the problem. They can attract bargain hunters rather than strong, confident buyers. That’s because many buyers see a price drop as a sign there’s something wrong with the house. And that assumption can turn buyers away too.
By the time your house finally sells, you may net less than if you’d priced it correctly from the start. Again, the data backs this up.
NAR shows that homes sold with an agent sell for nearly 8% more than homes sold without one.
That’s not because agents magically add value. It’s because they have the expertise needed to get it right. The price. The prep. The presentation. And the paperwork.
Nail all of that from day one, and you’ll be set up to get as much money as you can out of your sale.
So, even though you thought selling without an agent meant saving money, that’s not necessarily true. The facts show selling on your own can mean selling for less in the long run. And that may be enough to totally change your perspective.
Want to Avoid Pricing Regret? Start With the Right Strategy.
In Chicago, pricing your home correctly isn’t guesswork. It’s a strategy. It’s knowing your neighborhood, your competition, and what buyers are actually willing to pay right now.
The biggest mistake sellers make isn’t choosing to sell independently. It’s choosing a price without professional market insight.
Before you list, let’s have a simple pricing conversation. No pressure. Just clarity.
Because when your price is right from the start, everything else becomes easier:
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More buyer interest
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Stronger offers
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Better final numbers
And fewer regrets later.
