On the opposite end, an initial asking price 10 percent to 20 percent higher than comparables can yield a slight gain – $117 to $163 – in sales price.
The study, based on analysis of nearly 15,000 property deals in Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania over a four-year period, pointed to “anchoring” as reason for the final sale price difference.
“Anchoring” refers to people’s tendency to rely on the first piece of information offered – the anchor – and to interpret additional information that follows based on the data they heard first.
In terms of real estate, “buyers (who heard that a seller wants a bit more money than similar nearby homes) will turn to the good attributes that justify the high price,” explains Grace Bucchianeri, a former University of Pennsylvania professor and co-author of the study.
She and former Penn lecturer Julia Minson also discovered that real estate agents usually recommend underpricing, in part to reach a deal earlier – an approach that saves the agent time and money.
The study, however, did not look at a listing’s time on market based on whether the seller overpriced or underpriced the property.
Source: Wall Street Journal (08/09/13) P. M3; Tanaka, Sanette
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