The Top 5 Mistakes San Antonio Sellers Make - And How to Avoid Them
Selling your home in San Antonio? Avoid these five common mistakes that can cost you time and money:
Overpricing Your Home: Homes priced too high get ignored. Competitive pricing attracts buyers and helps you sell faster.
Skipping Home Prep and Staging: Clean, declutter, and stage your home to appeal to buyers. Small fixes and curb appeal matter.
Weak Marketing and Bad Photos: Professional photos and a strong online presence are essential - 92% of buyers start their search online.
Poor Timing and Lack of Preparation: Listing at the right time (spring is best) and being ready for showings can make or break your sale.
Selling Without an Agent: FSBO homes sell for 13% less on average. An agent brings market expertise, better offers, and smoother transactions.
Quick Tips:
Price competitively based on local data.
Stage your home to highlight its best features.
Invest in professional marketing and photography.
List during peak buying seasons like April.
Work with a local real estate agent for better results.
Selling a home is one of your biggest financial decisions. Avoid these mistakes, and you’ll increase your chances of a faster, more profitable sale.
1. Setting the Wrong Price
Getting the price wrong is one of the biggest reasons homes in San Antonio linger on the market. With 14,716 active listings as of March 2025 - up 18% from last year - buyers have a lot of options to sift through. If your home is overpriced, it’s likely to get overlooked while well-priced properties grab attention and offers.
What Happens When You Price Too High
Overpricing your home can quickly backfire, especially during the crucial first two weeks when listings see four times more traffic than during the rest of their time on the market. If you miss this window because your price is too high, you lose your best shot at attracting buyers.
Right now, homes in San Antonio are averaging 87 days on the market - the longest stretch since January 2013. Overpriced homes often take even longer, becoming "stale" and raising red flags for potential buyers.
"Selling a house is like running a marathon, and when you choose to price too high, you have let every other runner get 20 miles ahead of you before you even take your first step. It's almost impossible to catch up."
– Toni Zarghami, co-founder and director of business development at Zarghami Group
Pricing too high creates several specific challenges:
Search invisibility: Buyers often set maximum price filters when searching online. If your home is overpriced, it won’t even show up in their results.
Appraisal problems: Even if you get an offer, the home might not appraise for the inflated price, potentially causing the deal to fall through.
Agent avoidance: Real estate agents may steer their clients away from overpriced properties.
These hurdles make it clear why setting the right price is essential before diving into other selling strategies.
How to Price Your Home Right
Use recent sales data from your neighborhood as a starting point. For example, San Antonio’s median home price reached $315,499 in March 2025, but prices can differ significantly between areas like Alamo Heights, Stone Oak, and the Historic District. A Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) helps you compare your home to similar properties sold within the last three to six months.
Factor in current market trends and work with a knowledgeable local agent who understands the nuances of San Antonio’s real estate landscape. With homes selling on average 2.21% below their asking price and 31.7% of listings seeing price cuts, overpricing is no longer an option. Agents like Scott Peck from JBGoodwin can provide valuable insights to fine-tune your pricing.
"Today's sellers would be wise to listen to feedback they are getting from the market."
– Danielle Hale, Realtor.com Chief Economist
Timing matters, too. As homes take longer to sell, setting a realistic price from the start is more important than ever.
Price Comparison: High vs. Fair Pricing
Here’s how pricing impacts your sale:
Pricing Strategy
Market Response
Time on Market
Final Sale Price
Overpriced
Fewer showings, limited online visibility, agent avoidance
87+ days (often much longer)
Likely to sell below market value after reductions
Competitively Priced
Strong initial interest, multiple showings, serious offers
46–52 days average
At or near the asking price
"If you overprice your home, it's going to sit on the market, and it's going to get stale, and then you're going to be chasing the price down to what the market's willing to pay for it."
– Brian Stephens, real estate agent
Homes priced competitively not only sell faster but also tend to secure better final prices. In a market where inventory is rising and buyers have more options, your pricing strategy can make the difference between a quick sale and months of frustration. This sets the foundation for the other selling strategies to come.
2. Skipping Home Preparation and Staging
Once you've nailed the right price for your home, the next big step is making sure it leaves a lasting impression. While pricing grabs buyers' attention, what they see when they visit can make or break their decision to submit an offer. In San Antonio’s competitive market, where inventory is climbing, many sellers underestimate the importance of preparation and staging. Ignoring this step can hurt both your home's appeal and its selling price.
Why Home Preparation Matters
Unresolved repairs can be a red flag for buyers. Peeling paint, outdated fixtures, or visible maintenance issues immediately raise concerns. Buyers start tallying up repair costs in their minds, often leading to lower offers to offset the work they'll need to do.
Curb appeal is another critical factor. Your home’s exterior is the first thing buyers see, and it sets the tone for the entire showing. Neglected landscaping or a worn entry door can turn buyers off before they even step inside. On the other hand, well-maintained landscaping can boost home value by up to 28%.
Cluttered or overly personalized spaces can also be a dealbreaker. Family photos, personal collections, or too much furniture make it harder for buyers to imagine themselves living in the space. Rooms can feel cramped and less inviting, which diminishes your home’s overall appeal.
Carmen Bean, a leading agent in San Antonio, often advises her clients:
"The first thing I say to my sellers is, 'Please don't do anything to your house until I see it.' That's because a lot of sellers overspend on fixing and upgrading things that don't make a difference to the home's value."
This is why having an experienced local agent is essential - they can guide you on what updates are worth your time and money.
Easy Staging Tips That Make a Difference
A little effort can go a long way when it comes to staging your home. Here are some simple yet effective tips:
Declutter, deep clean, and depersonalize. Create an environment where buyers can picture their own lives and belongings.
Refresh walls with neutral paint. Bold colors might not appeal to everyone, but neutral tones make spaces feel move-in ready and well-maintained.
Maximize natural light. Open curtains, clean windows, and strategically place mirrors to brighten rooms and make them feel larger.
Define each room’s purpose. If your dining room doubles as a home office, return it to its original function. Buyers need to see how each space is intended to be used.
Focus on high-impact areas. Prioritize staging in spaces like the living room, kitchen, and main bathroom, as these are typically the most memorable for buyers.
Boost curb appeal. Simple fixes like maintaining the lawn, adding flowers, or painting the front door can create a welcoming first impression.
For expert advice tailored to San Antonio’s market, consider working with Scott Peck | JBGoodwin’s staging services.
Scott Peck | JBGoodwin's Staging Services
Staging your home isn’t just about looks - it’s about results. In Texas, staged homes sell 73% faster and often receive offers that are 1%-5% higher. With staging costs ranging from $500 to $2,500, the return on investment can be as high as 881%.
In San Antonio, prepping a home for sale typically costs between 1.5% and 2.7% of the final sale price. Based on the current median price, that’s about $4,732 to $8,518. This investment covers everything from minor repairs to professional staging, and the payoff often includes quicker sales and better offers.
Scott Peck and the JBGoodwin team specialize in understanding what San Antonio buyers are looking for. They’ll help you decide which updates are worth the effort and connect you with trusted local professionals to get the job done. By partnering with them, you’ll avoid overspending on unnecessary changes and focus on what truly makes a difference in your home’s sale price.
3. Weak Marketing and Poor Photos
Even if a home is perfectly staged and priced right, it can still fall flat if buyers can't find it - or worse, if they don't like what they see online. In today’s world, where 92% of buyers start their home search on the internet, the importance of an online presence can’t be overstated. In fact, 89% of buyers say photos are the most important factor when browsing listings. Poor marketing and low-quality images can derail even the most promising sale. Once you've nailed the pricing and staging, creating a strong digital presence is the next critical step.
How Weak Marketing Can Cost You
Bad marketing doesn't just reduce interest - it can directly lower your sale price. Subpar photos, for instance, can make your home look dated or unappealing, leaving potential buyers uninterested before they even consider a showing. Worse, poorly taken images can misrepresent your property, causing buyers to lose trust in the listing. Here’s a telling stat: listings with 20 or more high-quality photos get 15 times more views than those with fewer images. When buyers scroll through dozens of options, they’re making quick judgments, often within seconds.
The ripple effect of weak marketing is undeniable. Homes with amateur photos tend to sit on the market longer, often forcing price reductions just to draw attention. On the flip side, homes with professional photography sell for 32% more and move off the market 32% faster than those with lower-quality images. Limited online exposure - whether due to poor placement on websites or a lack of targeted advertising - means missing out on the majority of buyers who rely on the internet to guide their search.
Crafting a Standout Listing
Creating a listing that grabs attention requires more than just snapping a few quick shots with your phone. Properties with videos, for example, generate 403% more inquiries, showing just how much buyers value detailed visuals. Professional photography is no longer optional - it’s essential. High-quality photos should be bright, well-composed, and edited to highlight your home’s best features. Tools like wide-angle lenses can showcase the full depth of a room, while aerial shots provide a bird’s-eye view of the property’s size and surroundings.
But a great listing doesn’t stop at photos. It needs a compelling description that paints a picture of the lifestyle your home offers, not just a laundry list of features like square footage and bedroom counts. To maximize exposure, your home should be listed across multiple platforms - after all, 43% of buyers start their search online. Adding extras like virtual tours, floor plans, or 3D walkthroughs can help buyers feel more confident about booking a showing, while also weeding out those who aren’t serious.
A polished, attention-grabbing listing is the foundation for successful marketing - and it’s a key part of the process when working with Scott Peck | JBGoodwin.
Marketing Done Right with Scott Peck | JBGoodwin
Expert marketing can make all the difference in your final sale price. Scott Peck and the JBGoodwin team know that 75% of people judge a business’s credibility by its website design - and the same principle applies to your home listing. Their strategy includes professional photography, prime online placement, and targeted social media campaigns to reach the right buyers. Considering 54% of agents say social media generates the most quality leads, having someone who knows how to leverage these platforms effectively is a game-changer.
Scott Peck’s approach goes beyond simply uploading photos. His team creates engaging content that tells your home’s story, optimizes your listing to show up in relevant searches, and runs customized advertising campaigns to attract buyers in your price range and area. It's not just about being seen - it’s about being seen by the right people.
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4. Bad Timing and Being Unprepared
Once you've nailed down pricing, staging, and marketing, the next big hurdles are timing and being ready for buyer interest. Even with competitive pricing and top-notch presentation, listing your home at the wrong time or not being prepared for inquiries can slow down the process and lower your chances of getting strong offers. In San Antonio's current market, bad timing can make a listing seem "stale", raising doubts among buyers and leading to lower offers. Let’s break down the best timing and preparation strategies for sellers in San Antonio.
When to List Your Home
San Antonio's real estate market tends to follow seasonal trends. The week of April 20, 2025, is expected to be the sweet spot for sellers. Homes listed during this week typically get 23.7% more views and sell a full eight days faster than average. Even better, properties listed then often sell for 4.8% more - about $16,000 extra for the average home. Spring and summer generally see more active buyers, but April 20 stands out due to 13.7% fewer competing listings and 18.7% fewer price reductions. For example, in May 2025, 3,229 single-family homes were sold - a 34% jump in sales volume from February to May.
Reagan Williamson, chair of the San Antonio Board of Realtors, highlights the competitive nature of this period:
"Buyers have more homes to choose from, and sellers must remain strategic with pricing to stand out in a more competitive landscape."
Getting Ready for Buyers
Preparation goes beyond just making your home look good. Even small repairs - like fixing leaky faucets, patching up wall holes, or replacing broken tiles - can make a big difference and prevent buyers from using them as bargaining chips. Professional staging and high-quality photos are also key to attracting serious offers.
Don't overlook the details. Gather important documents such as appliance warranties, HVAC service records, and user manuals. Make sure your home's address is easy to spot, and clear any obstacles from walkways. Even if your current paint job seems fine, consider a fresh coat - it’s a relatively small investment that can make a big impression.
Using Local Market Knowledge
To fully prepare, it’s smart to tap into local market insights. In May 2025, 16,482 homes were on the market - a 20% increase, signaling more competition for sellers. Scott Peck | JBGoodwin uses their deep understanding of the San Antonio market to help sellers avoid common pitfalls, especially in a market that’s now more balanced after years of volatility.
If your listing isn’t attracting at least five private showings a week, it might be overpriced. Danielle Hale, Chief Economist at Realtor.com, explains:
"The rising share of price reductions suggests that a lot of sellers are anchored to prices that aren't realistic in today's housing market."
Toni Zarghami, co-founder of Zarghami Group, adds:
"Selling a house is like running a marathon, and when you choose to price too high, you have let every other runner get 20 miles ahead of you before you even take your first step. It's almost impossible to catch up."
5. Selling Without an Agent
One of the biggest mistakes San Antonio homeowners make is attempting to sell their property without professional representation. While the "For Sale By Owner" (FSBO) approach might seem like a way to cut commission costs, it often results in costly errors and missed opportunities that outweigh any savings.
The Risks of Selling Solo
FSBO homes typically sell for about 13% less than those sold with an agent. In San Antonio's market, that difference could mean leaving tens of thousands of dollars on the table. A 2024 survey by the National Association of Realtors revealed that FSBO homes sold for an average of $380,000, compared to $435,000 for homes sold with an agent’s assistance.
Beyond pricing, FSBO sellers often encounter legal and logistical challenges. About 36% of recent FSBO sellers admitted to making legal mistakes because they didn’t work with a real estate professional. These missteps can lead to expensive fixes and delays. In fact, 80% of FSBO sellers later regretted their decision.
Joel Carson, a real estate agent, summed it up perfectly:
"It's one of life's largest transactions. Without having a professional, a lot of that is lost."
Selling a home on your own means taking on tasks that many are unprepared for, including marketing, managing showings, negotiating offers, and navigating legal complexities. In Texas, while hiring a real estate attorney isn’t mandatory, many FSBO sellers end up needing one anyway - at an average cost of $188–$368 per hour.
FSBO sellers also lack access to the in-depth market data and pricing expertise that professionals rely on. Without these tools, it’s easy to misprice a home, leading to missed opportunities or a prolonged time on the market.
The Value of a Skilled Agent
A good real estate agent does far more than just list your home. They bring detailed market insights tailored to San Antonio’s trends, helping you maximize your profit. Agents can recommend repairs or upgrades that provide the best return on investment. They also take care of time-consuming tasks like showings, paperwork, inspections, and negotiations, giving you the freedom to focus on your next steps.
Homes sold with an agent often receive higher offers than those sold without professional help. This is thanks to their ability to negotiate effectively, manage repair discussions, and ensure the closing process goes smoothly. Agents also have extensive networks of professionals - like stagers, contractors, and photographers - that can make your home stand out. Perhaps most importantly, they offer personalized guidance, adapting their strategies to fit your unique needs.
Why Choose Scott Peck | JBGoodwin
If you're looking for a trusted professional, Scott Peck | JBGoodwin offers the expertise and local knowledge needed to make your sale successful. Their personalized service ensures every aspect of your sale is handled with care, from strategic pricing based on current market trends to professional staging and marketing with high-quality photography.
Scott Peck | JBGoodwin takes the stress out of selling by managing negotiations, coordinating with all parties, and ensuring a smooth transaction from start to finish. Their proven strategies and deep understanding of San Antonio’s market can help you avoid common pitfalls and achieve your goals.
Selling a home is a big undertaking, and working with a professional like Scott Peck | JBGoodwin means you’ll have someone in your corner to handle the complexities. This allows you to focus on what comes next - whether that’s finding your dream home or starting a new chapter. In a market where timing and presentation are everything, having the right agent can make all the difference.
Conclusion: How to Sell Successfully
Selling your home in San Antonio means steering clear of five major pitfalls: overpricing, skipping preparation and staging, lackluster marketing, poor timing, and going it alone without professional guidance.
The San Antonio market demands a thoughtful approach to pricing and presentation. In early 2025, over 80% of homes sold for less than their original listing price, highlighting the importance of getting the price right from the start. Today’s buyers are well-informed and have higher expectations, making every misstep costly in terms of both time and money.
Take this example: a homeowner in Alamo Ranch struggled to sell their property due to overpricing. After revising the price based on a professional market analysis, the home sold in just two weeks.
The key to success? Start with a professional market analysis, address necessary repairs, invest in staging, and work with a local expert who understands the San Antonio market. Scott Peck | JBGoodwin specializes in tailored strategies, from pricing to marketing, ensuring your home stands out and sells for its maximum value.
Your home is one of your biggest investments. When timing and presentation matter, teaming up with professionals who know the ins and outs of San Antonio's market can help you close the chapter on your sale with confidence and profit.
FAQs
How can I price my home competitively in San Antonio's real estate market?
To price your home competitively in San Antonio, start with a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA). This involves looking at recent sales of homes similar to yours in the neighborhood. By doing so, you can set a price that aligns with local market data - high enough to reflect your home's value but not so high that it scares off potential buyers. Striking this balance is crucial to attracting serious offers.
Pay attention to market trends, such as seasonal shifts or price changes, and adjust your pricing strategy accordingly. For instance, if the market is slowing and prices are dipping, you might need to lean toward a more conservative price point. Working with a knowledgeable local real estate agent can make a huge difference. They bring valuable expertise to help you determine the right price, increasing your chances of selling quickly and at a favorable price.
What home improvements and staging efforts offer the best return on investment when selling my house?
When selling your home, getting the best return on your investment often comes down to focusing on improvements that buyers care about most. Energy-saving upgrades, like installing smart thermostats or replacing old windows, not only reduce utility bills but also attract environmentally conscious buyers. Kitchen and bathroom updates - even smaller changes like swapping out fixtures or applying fresh paint - are known to provide excellent returns. And don’t overlook curb appeal! Simple updates like landscaping, a new front door, or a fresh coat of exterior paint can create a lasting first impression.
When it comes to staging, let your home shine by decluttering, removing personal items, and arranging furniture to make rooms feel open and inviting. Stick to neutral colors and understated decor so potential buyers can imagine their own lives in the space. Focus on upgrades that enhance functionality, style, and energy efficiency to meet market demands and increase your home’s value.
Why should I hire a real estate agent instead of selling my home on my own (FSBO)?
Hiring a real estate agent can make all the difference when selling your home. They bring in-depth knowledge of the local market, which helps you set the right price to attract buyers while ensuring you get the most value for your property. Without their expertise, you could risk pricing your home too low or too high, either missing out on potential profit or leaving it sitting unsold for too long.
Real estate agents also provide access to top-notch marketing tools and strategies. From high-quality photography to staging tips and listing your home on multiple listing services (MLS), they ensure your property gets the attention it deserves. On top of that, their negotiation skills and experience with contracts can save you time, reduce stress, and help you avoid expensive mistakes. Selling a home involves many moving parts, and having an agent by your side ensures the process stays on track and leads to a successful sale.