The 3 Biggest Lies Sellers Believe in 2026

If your agent told you any of these three things, it could cost you tens of thousands of dollars. I see it happen all the time in the Twin Cities, and it’s one of the reasons I wanted to put this out there. These aren’t small mistakes. They’re the kind of advice that sounds reasonable until you’re sitting on a home that won’t sell or leaving money on the table because the strategy was wrong from the start.

Lie number one: overpricing leaves room to negotiate. This is probably the most common one, and it’s the one that does the most damage. The thinking goes, “Let’s list it high so we have room to come down.” But that’s not how buyers behave. When a home is overpriced, buyers skip it. They don’t see it as a starting point for negotiation. They see it as overpriced, and they move on to the next one. Meanwhile, your home sits on the market, accumulates days, and starts looking stale. By the time you drop the price to where it should have been from the beginning, you’ve already lost the momentum of that first week when the most eyes are on your listing. The result is usually a lower final sale price than if you had priced it right from day one.

Lie number two: you can time the market perfectly. You can’t. Nobody can. The market rewards preparation, not guessing. Sellers who wait for the “perfect” moment often end up watching conditions shift while they sit on the sidelines. The truth is, the best time to sell is when your home is ready, your pricing is sharp, and you have a plan in place. Trying to predict where rates or inventory will be three months from now is a gamble, and it’s one that usually doesn’t pay off. What does pay off is being prepared when the opportunity is there.

Lie number three: buyers will waive everything. This one was true for about 18 months during the peak of the market, and some agents are still selling it like it’s 2021. But serious buyers in 2026 are protecting themselves. They’re getting inspections. They’re including contingencies. They’re not throwing caution to the wind just because they like the house. And sellers who expect buyers to waive everything are setting themselves up for a rude awakening when the offers come in with real terms attached. The smart move is to prepare for buyers who are going to do their due diligence, because that’s what a serious, qualified buyer looks like.

Smart sellers win by controlling three things: price, preparation, and positioning. Not by hoping. Not by guessing. Not by relying on strategies that worked three years ago. The market has changed, and the sellers who adjust to what’s actually happening right now are the ones who come out ahead.

If you want facts instead of myths, let’s talk. Call me at 952-222-9000, email me at john@johnschustergroup.com, or visit johnschustergroup.com. I’d love to help you put together a real strategy.