What “price on request” really costs a seller

Every few weeks a seller asks us to list without a price. The logic is understandable: keep buyers guessing, let the market decide, avoid “leaving money on the table.” We always say no, and here's why.

Buyers filter, then they skip

Almost every home search starts with a price filter. A listing with no price drops out of every one of those searches. The buyers who do see it tend to assume one thing — that it's out of their range — and move on. In large buyer surveys, roughly seven in ten say they skip unpriced listings altogether.

A hidden price doesn't create mystery. It creates a smaller audience.

The viewings get worse, not better

Without a number, the people who book viewings are the curious rather than the qualified. Sellers end up hosting more tours and receiving fewer offers — and the first offer becomes an anchor for everything that follows.

What we do instead

• Price from three to five truly comparable sales, shown to the seller in full.
• Publish the price on day one, and the price history alongside it.
• Disclose known issues upfront so the price already reflects them.
• Review after 14 days with real data on views, saves and tour requests.

Our median time from launch to accepted offer this year is 18 days. Transparency isn't a sacrifice — it's the strategy.