How I price and market a home when the sale matters to two people

When a home is sold as part of a separation, the price is never just a price. It is a number two people have feelings about, and it often feeds into bigger decisions. I can't take the feelings out of it. What I can do is make sure the number comes from the same place every time: the market.

I come to real estate from more than 20 years in sales, marketing and advertising. That shapes how I price a home and how I put it in front of buyers.

Who decides what a home is worth?

A buyer does. A home is worth what a willing buyer will pay for it in the current market. Neither of you decides that, and I don't either.

What I do is read the market for you. My opinion of value comes from market evidence, and I'll show you the evidence behind it. An appraisal is something else: a formal valuation by a licensed appraiser. Sometimes a lawyer or mediator asks for one. If you need that, they'll tell you, and I'll give them whatever market information they ask for.

How do I work out a listing price?

I start with what has happened and what is happening now.

• Homes like yours that have sold nearby, and what made each one similar or different.
• Homes like yours that are for sale today, because those are the homes buyers will compare you to.
• The condition of your home, its updates and what a buyer notices in the first minute.
• How buyers in your part of the city are behaving right now. That can change from one season to the next.

Then I put it together as a range, with the reasoning behind it, and I show you every step. I don't hand over a number and ask you to trust me. Trust is earned by showing the work.

Where we list inside that range is a decision for the two of you, with my advice. I'll tell you plainly what I would do and why.

What if we disagree on the price?

It can happen, so I plan for it. Neither of you needs to win the argument. Look at the same evidence side by side and ask the same question: what will a buyer pay?

If you each want a different number and the evidence doesn't settle it, a second opinion is a reasonable step, and I'll welcome one. If the disagreement is really about something bigger than the price, that is a conversation for your lawyers or your mediator. I'll step back and wait for it.

How do I market a home?

Marketing doesn't change what a home is worth. It makes sure the right buyers see it, and see it clearly.

• Who the buyer is. A family needs to see different things than a first-time buyer or someone downsizing. I plan around the buyer most likely to want your home.
• What gets shown. Photographs, a floor plan and a description that says what the home is, plainly and accurately. No spin.
• Where and when it's seen. The timing of the launch, and putting the home where those buyers are looking.
• What the response tells us. Showing feedback and the level of interest tell us whether the price and the presentation are working.

What happens after we list?

The market answers, and we listen. If interest is strong, good. If it isn't, we look at the evidence: price, condition, presentation and exposure. Then we change what the evidence points to, not what feels best.

Before we list, agree on when we'll review. A date on the calendar means nobody has to reopen the price conversation every time the phone goes quiet.

How do offers work when there are two of you?

Every offer goes to both of you, at the same time, in full. I'll explain each term, not just the price, and tell you how I read it. Decisions then follow whatever the two of you have agreed, and your lawyers see what they need to see before anything is signed.

What I won't do

I won't promise a price. I won't tell either of you what you want to hear. I won't take sides, carry messages, or advise you on support, property division, taxes or the law. Those belong to your lawyer, your mediator or your financial professional.

What I will do is give you an honest read of the market and a plan to sell into it.

Questions to ask any realtor before you hire one

• How do you set a price, and will you show me the sales behind it?
• How will you communicate with the two of us?
• What happens if we disagree?
• What is your plan for marketing this home, specifically?
• What will it cost, and when? Fees should be clear before any negotiation starts.
• How do you work with our lawyers or mediator?

Pay attention to how the answers feel. You'll be sharing confidential details with this person, so trust matters as much as skill.

This guide is general information from a real estate sales representative. It is not legal, tax, mortgage or financial advice, and it does not tell you what your rights or obligations are. Decisions about your home in a separation belong with your lawyer, your mediator and your mortgage professional. What I describe here is how a sale or a move usually works in practice, and your situation may differ. FairWell can connect you with family law professionals through the professional directory.