Flippers: How Are Your Listings Moving Right Now?

Question

I’m seeing a pattern right now— properties (including flips) hitting the market and just… not getting immediate traction. And a lot of people assume something’s wrong with the house. Most of the time, it’s not - it’s positioning.

Buyers are still active, but they’re a lot more selective. They’re comparing everything, and if a deal doesn’t make sense immediately, they just move on.

A few things I’m seeing:

First—pricing misses.Not wildly overpriced… just off enough. And here’s what a lot of people overlook: buyers search in ~$25K increments online. So if you’re at $329,900 instead of $324,900, you might be sitting in a completely different search pool—or missing one entirely.

Second—presentation gaps.Not saying every flip needs to be top-of-market finishes, but if it feels like a project without a clear payoff, buyers won’t even book the showing.

Third—submarket awareness
What works in one pocket doesn’t translate to the next—even a few blocks over. Obviously it's best to know what hits with your particular buyer pool pre-renovation so you don't over improve or invest in the wrong things.

Different buyer pools value different things. Some will stretch for finishes, others care more about layout, parking, or just getting into the area at the right number.

If you’re pricing based on your renovation cost or what should make sense—instead of how buyers in that specific submarket actually behave—it sits.

If a flip isn’t getting showings right now, I’d look at it like this:

It’s not that buyers aren’t there… It’s that your listing isn’t winning the 5-second test.

The challenge for me talking with sellers is persuading them to price strategically (not aspirationally) so we do not end up chasing the price even further down.

Curious what others are seeing on the resale side—what are you adjusting right now?

Kevin Ivey · Answer

We saw very little viewing anything during Dec Jan and then a flurry of showings in February.
Buyers have heard it's their market and looking to take full advantage. Both properties we had listed went under contract for 15k less than list, but then both came back after inspection asking for another 10k with no legitimate concerns one didn't even have a list of any fixes. We told both NO and within 12 hrs they both had accepted no fixes or concessions and moved to closing.

I hate concessions buy downs or any of those kick backs at the closing table as it gives false comps and makes nailing the ARV harder.  Also a lot of my costs get falsely inflated as a percentage of the inflated closing number.

Alicia Sierra · Answer

Agreed - and the AS IS space is highly overpriced right now.  It's crazy - like they are riding the wave of a market that no longer exists.  It's a waiting game.

Bo Smith · Answer

Alicia and Kevin are both onto the real dynamic here. The market didn't break, your presentation has to work harder. That 5K search window thing is legit -- I've seen buyers literally stop looking after they hit their price threshold, so the first thing I do is audit the listing price against recent comps in that submarket. If you're at 29K and the buyer searches "under 325K," you're invisible.

The other move I'm seeing work right now is positioning for "as-is" or "investor-friendly" on properties that need more work than they look. Buyers are looking hard at inspection items, so if you know the flip is going to come back asking for credits, you might as well price low enough that when inspections happen, there's room to negotiate without killing the deal. Kevin's experience with double-request negotiations is becoming the norm -- buyers are trained to ask.

Last thing: I watch which properties are moving fast in a given pocket and work backward. Are they all 3 bed/1 bath renovated to bone-simple finishes? Are they all move-in ready with updated kitchens? The market tells you what it wants. Price it right, position it honest, and it sells. Overfinish or misprice and it sits until you give.

What's your typical markup on the finishes -- are you upgrading to market top or staying clean and simple?

Alicia Sierra · Answer

This is true, but I have seen instances where the recent comps say one thing, the reality another reflecting a market shift.

I tell my buyers that two weekends are going to tell us what the market is saying and often sellers push for the 'aspirational pricing' but I tell them that is precisely what it is.  I am not a fan of chasing the price down to be sure!

Peter Mckernan · Answer

The market is off in all areas as you mentioned pricing and condition. Really those two are the lead indicators of winning and losing. First, check the average days on market in that area, and that could be 100 days, or it could be 60 days. That first needs to be taken into calculations on hold times, and making sure you have that factored into the numbers. The other thing is what is the true ARV, and that is really the biggest leading factor of places sitting. Someone maybe seeing an ARV of $350,000 when it truly is $325,000 due to the market, condition, actives on the market and everything combine.

This really unfortunately comes down to a pricing issue. An example, there are 30 properties in the 2 mile to 3 mile radius and they all look the same, it's price. The property is fully fixed up and looks amazing, but the functionality of the property is not great, it's price. The property is listed higher then other options on the market, but it's in great condition and it is still siting, it's price. Price will fix it all and knowing the market (comps, what is on the market) is another big thing that you need to have in your back pocket when listing properties!

Bo Smith · Answer

Alicia nailed it on the pricing granularity. The 5K search bucket thing is real, and a lot of flippers still don't account for it. You can be ,900 away from hitting a completely different buyer pool, and people think I'm overthinking it until their property sits for six weeks and then moves in two days after a price drop.

But the piece I'd add: "Presentation" doesn't mean magazine-worthy finishes. It means your flip doesn't leave questions unanswered. If you put in a 5K kitchen but the flooring is cheap laminate and the bathrooms feel dated, the buyer sees the disconnect and moves on. Buyers don't want to wonder if you cut corners. That kills conversions faster than being a bit overpriced.

The submarket point is equally critical. A buyer in one pocket might want open-concept and modern; three blocks over, they want separate dining room and closed-off kitchen. You're not reading the market right, you're building for the last flip you did, not the one you're doing now. That's expensive.

What's your timeline looking like on the market for the flips you've got listed right now? Are you seeing the showing velocity pick up, or still sluggish?

Cody Waller · Answer

SA has been hit or miss the last 6 months. My stuff in the 240-280K range usually moves in 3-4 weeks if I price it right, but I had one sit for almost 45 days last year because I listed too high. Dropped 8K and it went under contract the next week. Should've just priced it there from the start.

DFW has been a little faster for me when I list there. Buyers seem less picky about finishes and more focused on getting into the neighborhood at the right number.

The pricing bracket thing is real. I price everything to land inside the most common search filter, not based on what I put into the deal. If my comps say 275 I'm listing at 269,900 not 279,900.

Bo Smith · Answer

Alicia's hitting on something real here. I've seen this exact issue in my own flips -- pricing at 29K versus 25K isn't just a 1% difference, it's a completely different search result pool for online buyers. The 5K search increment thing is legit, and most sellers don't realize how much that impacts days on market.

What I'm seeing in my markets right now is that inventory is moving, but only the ones priced to sell on day one. If you're off by even 3-5%, the property sits for weeks before the price drops anyway. Better to nail the entry price and get cash out fast than to be aspirational about it.

The presentation gap is the other killer. Buyers aren't looking for magazine-ready anymore -- they want finished. If you've got exposed studs, incomplete finishes, or anything that reads as "still a project," showings dry up. It's not about luxury finishes, it's about complete finishes.

In what price range are you seeing the biggest struggle right now -- is it in the 00-350K range or are even higher-end flips seeing the same slowdown?

Alicia Sierra · Answer

Thank you for the feedback - I am also seeing where we have to 'hold the line' more

I think it makes pricing a bit tricky as you really do not want to list too low and just get low balled more -but not so high that it's **crickets **. Definitely it was brutal from October until late January in certain pockets of our market here in St Louis.  We are a more 'steady' market overall but have areas that are more seasonal to be sure.

Flippers: How Are Your Listings Moving Right Now?

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