In the United States, for the most part, homes are not sold by auction. Yet, talk to any buyer over the past couple of years and they would argue that the real estate purchasing process feels more like an auction than the conventional way of buying a home. There once was a time when homes generated only one or two offers and the overall temperature of the market was much different than today. With today’s extremely limited inventory and throngs of buyers interested in every home that comes to market, a bidding war develops. The asking price can be seen as the “reserve price,” the minimum bid acceptable to a seller. Often, offers that come in at the asking price do not excite many sellers, resulting in delays in response times until “better” offers come along.
Current demand is at 1,683 pending sales. Demand is 413 higher than the active listing inventory. The three-year average for demand prior to COVID was 2,160, significantly lower than the three-year average for the active inventory of 4,843 homes, 2,683 lower to be exact. That illustrates how demand is normally a lot lower than the inventory, not the other way around, as is shown in the chart above.
In January, 60% of all closed sales in Orange County sold above their asking price. And, it is not isolated to the lower end. If a home is priced right, regardless of
price range, a bidding war follows. The auction-like atmosphere will continue if inventory remains at ultra-low levels. Higher rates are not yet deterring buyers from purchasing, but if they continue to rise, it will be a totally different story down the road.
A WARNING TO SELLERS:
Carefully pricing a home is crucial to obtaining the best outcome regarding price and terms. Pricing at or slightly above the last comparable pending or closed sale will expose the home to the largest buyer pool. The auction that follows will have buyers competing against each other to achieve success. This results in sales prices above their asking prices, and in many cases, way above their asking prices. Stretching the initial asking price considerably above the comps may still result in achieving the ultimate goal in selling; HOWEVER, it will be at the expense of not obtaining the highest and best price and terms.
