The 5 Ps of Selling Your Property

Every successful sale comes down to five key factors. These apply whether you're selling a residential home, a commercial unit, or an investment property. Together, they create the foundation for a smooth and profitable process.

Product

Your property is the product you're offering to the market. It’s important to focus on the features that actually matter to buyers. These include location, layout, condition, lot size, and functionality. While custom touches or unique details may mean a lot to you, they don’t always add value in the eyes of the average buyer. You want to present a property that aligns with what today’s market is looking for, not just what makes it personally appealing to you.

Buyer Preference

The market responds best to properties that are clean, updated, and move-in ready. Buyers often walk into a showing expecting minimal work after possession. If your property is dated, cluttered, or in need of repair, even great underlying features may get overlooked. Buyers are more likely to make strong offers on properties that feel ready to go. If your property doesn't meet those expectations, many buyers will move on or come in with lower offers.

Preparation

Preparation is one of the easiest ways to increase buyer interest and perceived value. That means cleaning, organizing, completing repairs, and improving how the property presents visually. We’ll walk you through everything with a detailed checklist. For some properties, professional staging may be worth considering, depending on the type of space and the target buyer.

Promotion

Marketing is how we get buyers to the door. That includes photography, video tours, listing syndication to platforms like Realtor.ca, social media advertising, and much more. But keep in mind, marketing works best when the property is prepared properly and priced correctly. If the price is too high, no amount of exposure will create offers. Marketing creates attention. Price and presentation create results.

Price

Of all the factors that influence the success of a sale, pricing is the most important. If your property is priced too high for what it offers and how it compares to other listings, interest will slow down. If it's priced in line with recent comparable sales and current buyer expectations, it will attract more attention, more showings, and better offers. A good pricing strategy is based on facts, not feelings.

What Is Fair Market Value, and What Determines Price

Fair market value is the amount a buyer is willing to pay and the amount a seller is willing to accept, based on recent sales of similar properties. It's not about what you paid for it, what you want for it, or how much you've invested in it. It's based entirely on what the market says it's worth today.

Buyers are not guessing. They have access to the same data we do. They can see what comparable properties have sold for. They can see what else is currently available and how your property stacks up. Most buyers are also working with a Realtor who is advising them based on sales history and fair market value.

If your property is priced above what similar properties are selling for, buyers will notice right away. They will compare and move on to a better-priced option. They are not going to pay more simply because you or I think it's worth it. They will pay what the market supports.

If you're not open to accepting what the market is telling us, or if you don't need to sell and are just testing the waters, it may not be the right time to list. Listing high without a plan to adjust will only help other sellers who are priced more competitively. Real estate is not a guessing game. It’s a business decision that requires strategy and accuracy.

This is not about talking your price down. In fact, I often find myself in tough conversations with buyers trying to justify fair value and bring their expectations up. My job is to position your property where it stands a real chance of selling, not where we hope it might.

The Importance of Pricing Right From The Start

The first week your property is on the market is your best opportunity to make a strong impression. That is when most buyers and agents are watching closely to see what’s new. If a listing hits the market and is priced well, it can create immediate urgency and sometimes even attract multiple offers. If it is priced too high, that attention fades quickly.

Roughly 60 percent of buyer activity happens in the first seven days of a listing. That number drops off sharply by the second and third week. If the price is off, even slightly, buyers will often skip the property entirely or assume there is room to negotiate. In many cases, they won’t even bother seeing it in person.

If your listing sits too long, buyers begin to wonder what’s wrong with it. A property that stays on the market without activity can develop a reputation that is hard to shake, even if you eventually lower the price.

Pricing properly right from day one protects you from that risk. It puts you in control of the process and positions you to negotiate from a place of strength rather than chasing interest after it’s gone.

If It’s Not Selling... It’s the Price, Not the Marketing

We know how to market properties. This is what we do every single day, and we use the same proven formula for every listing. It doesn’t matter if it’s a small condo, a commercial building, or a luxury property—the process is the same. Every listing we take on is professionally photographed, marketed across all major platforms, and actively promoted through MLS, Realtor.ca, social media, and our internal database.

We treat every property the same, and we apply the same strategy each time. That’s why our listings get results. Out of our last 120 listings, our listing's median time to sell was just 13 days. That is not a guess or an estimate. It is based on real numbers and a process that works.

So when a property has been properly listed, fully marketed, which ours always are, and is still not receiving showings or offers, it is not because the marketing failed. It is because the price does not match what the market is willing to pay. Buyers have already seen the listing. They have compared it to others, and they are choosing better value elsewhere.

That is not something to take personally. It is simply market feedback. And if we ignore that feedback, the property risks sitting too long, going stale, and eventually selling for less than it could have if priced right from the start.

Marketing creates attention. Price is what creates action. If buyers are not stepping forward, it means they saw the listing and moved on. They are not waiting for more promotion. They are waiting for the price to make sense.

My role is to read the signals the market is giving us and guide you through the necessary steps. That may include a price adjustment based on what the data tells us. Everything we do is with one clear goal in mind: to help you sell your property quickly, confidently, and for the best possible result.