That “free estimate” on your phone? It’s costing people thousands. Here’s what I see all the time:

Someone sees a number online. It feels good. They start telling friends, making plans, spending money in their head. Suddenly, it’s not just a number—it’s THEIR number.

But the market? It doesn’t care about your number.

It only cares about:

What your neighbor’s house sold for
How long competing homes are sitting
Where buyers stop shopping
What the appraiser will back up

When you ignore all that and chase the shiny online price, here’s what really happens:

Months drag by. Carrying costs pile up. Price reductions chip away at your negotiating power. And by the time you sell, you’ve actually lost far more than if you’d priced right in the first place.

Here’s the irony: pricing with the market often makes you more. Well-priced homes create competition AND competition drives offers up.

And instead of waiting 120 days, you’re packing boxes in 30.

So what’s that app on your phone good for?

Dreaming. Browsing. Kitchen-envy.

What it’s not good for? Setting the value of your largest asset.

The difference between an algorithm and an agent?

An algorithm feeds your screen time.

An agent gets you to the closing table.