The real estate market moves in cycles, and successful buyers and sellers understand how to adapt their strategies accordingly. Graham Smith, an experienced real estate expert, shares four essential strategies to help you maximize your success in any market phase.

1. Pricing: Price Low to Sell High

One of the most critical factors in selling real estate is pricing it right from the start. According to Graham Smith, if your home isn’t getting any showings within the first week, it may be priced about 5% too high. If after two weeks, showings remain absent, the house could be overpriced by as much as 10%. Although these percentages are industry observations rather than strict rules backed by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) data, they align with common market wisdom: overpricing reduces buyer interest and extends time on market, often forcing price cuts that can hurt final sale value. Proper pricing attracts serious buyers quickly, potentially sparking multiple offers and selling the home for top dollar.

2. TNAS and Cancel/Relist Strategies

When properties are active but receive no offers, and sellers hesitate to reduce the price, two strategic moves come into play:

• TNAS (Temporarily Not Available for Showing): This tactic removes the property from all public listing sites but keeps it active in the real estate system. Interested buyers must contact the agent directly, creating a captive audience. This encourages buyers to come out of the shadows and shows serious interest. It leverages exclusivity to create urgency without publicly lowering the price.
• Cancel and Relist: Instead of simply reducing the price, cancel the old listing and place the property back on the market as a new listing. This refresh draws attention because it appears as a new opportunity in buyers’ searches. Changing the cover photo to highlight different features can further enhance the effect, making the property feel fresh and attracting renewed interest.

Both approaches can be more effective than straightforward price reductions because they re-engage buyers psychologically and algorithmically on real estate platforms.

3. Homes in Need of Work: Building Sweat Equity

In today’s market, many buyers need to embrace homes requiring repairs or updates. The pool of buyers prepared to take on work is growing, as brand-new homes often come with prohibitively high prices. To become a homeowner without a kick-ass job or trust fund, buyers should consider:

• Purchasing a fixer-upper at a reasonable price.
• Investing time, effort, and money (sweat equity) into improving the property.

Sweat equity means adding value to a home through your own labor—like painting, landscaping, or renovating—rather than paying others. This builds equity faster while often avoiding higher loan amounts and interest costs.

Buyers should align with lenders and programs that help free up capital for renovations. This strategy makes homeownership more accessible and helps build wealth over time through property improvements.

4. Make Offers on Homes with 30+ Days on Market

Properties lingering on the market for over 30 days without a price reduction can be overlooked goldmines. Sellers may be considering a price drop but haven’t acted yet. By spotting these opportunities early and making offers before price reductions, buyers can beat the market to the punch and negotiate favorable deals.

These homes might be priced unrealistically at first, but with patience and strategic offers, buyers can capture value others miss.

Final Thoughts

Graham Smith’s real estate cycle strategies emphasize smart pricing, creative listing tactics like TNAS and cancel/relist, embracing fixer-uppers with sweat equity, and targeting stale listings for deals. In any market condition, these approaches help buyers and sellers optimize outcomes while navigating market dynamics efficiently.