Home Not Selling? When to Reduce Your Price (and Whether It’s Time to Change Realtors)

No showings. No offers. A whole lot of nothing. If that's your listing right now, you might be thinking: should I reduce my price? Is it time to fire my realtor? Those are fair questions, and a lot of sellers ask them. Before you change anything, let me share what I look at first.

If your home has been on the market for weeks or months with few showings and no offers, I want to start with this: you might not have done anything wrong. I wasn't part of your first conversation with your realtor, and I'm trusting they didn't just tell you what you wanted to hear to get the listing. Either way, you're not alone, and nobody knew the market would correct the way it did. So here's the scoop.

I'm Jake Frisson, a REALTOR® with Royal LePage Wolstencroft serving Maple Ridge, Langley, Mission and the Fraser Valley. I'd rather tell you the truth than tell you what you want to hear, so this post walks through what the data usually says, how to read your own listing, and what your options are.

What the Fraser Valley Market Is Telling Sellers Right Now

According to the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board's September 2026 statistics (released October 5, 2026):

• There were 922 sales in September, 4% fewer than a year earlier.

• There were 9,763 active listings, which is 31% above the 10-year seasonal average.

• The composite Benchmark price was down 1% from August and 7% from a year ago.

• The Board says the region has spent most of the last two years in a buyer's market.

• Homes that sold took an average of 45 days for detached homes, 38 days for townhomes and 46 days for condos.

In plain terms, buyers have plenty of choice and they're taking their time. When that happens, the homes that sell are the ones that look like the best value in their price range. That's not a judgment about your home. It's simply the environment it's competing in.

(Source: FVREB, "More choice, lower prices giving hesitant Fraser Valley homebuyers options," September 2026 statistics package.)

The Three Real Reasons a Home Sits

Most of the time, it comes down to one of these:

1. It's priced above what buyers are paying right now. That's not the price it was worth last year or what a neighbour got at the peak. It's what buyers are paying today.

2. It isn't what buyers want right now. This could be the layout, condition, the number of bathrooms, the lot, or the location. Some of it can be fixed and some of it can only be priced for.

3. Buyers can buy brand new just down the road. If a new build with a warranty is close to your price, many buyers will choose it.

Here's a question worth sitting with: if you were a buyer today, with everything else that's for sale, would you pick your home at this price?

How to Read Your Own Showings, Feedback and Offers

Your listing is already giving you data. Here's how I read it.

No showings, or very few. Buyers are filtering your home out before they ever see it. That usually points to the price, or to the marketing: the photos, the description, or which price bracket the listing shows up in.

Showings but no offers. People are interested enough to walk through, but something stops them. It's usually price compared with the competition, condition, or a nearby home that offers more for the same money.

Showings with consistent feedback. If several buyers mention the same thing, like dated kitchens, a busy road or a missing bathroom, that's your answer. Either fix it or price for it.

Offers that come in low. That's still information. Buyers are telling you where they think the value is.

A Checklist Before You Cut Your Price

Before reducing, make sure the basics are covered:

• Are the photos bright, current and showing the home at its best?

• Is it easy to book a showing? Are access and timing flexible?

• Have you compared your home with the active listings and recent sales, not just with older sales?

• Have you looked at what new construction nearby is offering at a similar price?

• Are there inexpensive fixes (decluttering, paint, a small repair) that buyers keep mentioning?

• Is your listing sitting just above a common search bracket, so buyers who filter by price never see it?

If all of that is handled and the home still isn't moving, the market is telling you something.

When a Price Reduction Is the Right Call (and How to Do It)

I'll be honest: I hate having hard conversations. But there are two ways to talk about a price reduction. One is cold: "You need to drop." The other is to sit down together, look at the data, and decide what's best for you.

A reduction usually makes sense when your showings and feedback point to price, when the competing homes are better value, and when the market is still softening. In a falling market, waiting can cost more than adjusting.

I've seen this first-hand. I helped a client sell two properties while the market was falling. A nearby competing home had listed about a year before ours. It sold about 7 months after we sold, for around $100K less than we got. The other was a complete tear-down, and it was the only sale of its kind in its criteria in 6 years. That was because of how we positioned it up front. Eight months later, livable homes were selling for less than we got.

If you do reduce, do it once and make it meaningful. A real adjustment that brings your home into a new search bracket gets fresh attention. Several small cuts can look like chasing the market.

Other Options Besides Cutting the Price

A price drop isn't the only path. Depending on your situation, you could:

• Wait. If you don't need to sell, holding off may be the right move. Just be honest with yourself about what the market might do in the meantime.

• Take it off the market and relist later with fresh photos, a fresh strategy and a fresh start.

• Improve the home if the feedback points to something fixable.

• Rent it out and use your equity. I've helped clients who bought at the 2022 peak rent out their home and use the equity to buy a second home. It's not easy, but it can be done.

Already Listed With Another Agent?

I'll never step on someone else's listing. If you're under contract and unhappy, you can ask your current brokerage for a conditional release, or simply wait until your agreement ends. In the meantime, I'm happy to have an off-the-record chat about what's going on, with no pressure either way.

FAQ

How long should a home be on the market before I worry?
Compare your listing with the local average. In September 2026, FVREB reported an average of 45 days to sell a detached home, 38 days for a townhome and 46 days for a condo across the Fraser Valley. If you're well past that with little activity, it's time to review your strategy.

When should I reduce the price of my home?
It depends on whether you need to sell and on where prices are heading. In a softening market, waiting can mean selling for less later. Let's look at your numbers together.

Is it the photos or the price?
If you're getting no showings, check both. If you're getting showings but no offers, it's usually price, condition or competition.

Should I fire my realtor if my home isn't selling?
Not before you know why it isn't selling. Often the issue is price, condition or competition, not effort. Ask your agent for the showing numbers, feedback and comparable sales, and ask what they'd change. If you still want a different agent, you can switch only once you have a conditional release from your current brokerage or your listing agreement has ended. Respecting that process protects you, and I'm always happy to have a no-pressure conversation either way.

Let's Talk It Through

If your home isn't selling and you want an honest second opinion, with no pressure, I'm here.

Book a call with me here! https://calendly.com/jakefrisson

Or call or text me at 778-238-3463.

Jake Frisson, REALTOR® | Royal LePage Wolstencroft | Serving Maple Ridge, Langley, Mission and the Fraser Valley

Sources

• Fraser Valley Real Estate Board, September 2026 Statistics Package (Oct 5, 2026): https://www.fvreb.bc.ca/statistics/Package202609.pdf

• News release: https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/10/05/3374593/0/en/more-choice-lower-prices-giving-hesitant-fraser-valley-homebuyers-options.html