You ever scroll listings and think "why is this still here?" Nine times out of ten, it's overpriced by about 3%. Tiny gap, big difference.

Here's the thing about pricing homes in Las Vegas. Our market moves fast. Really fast. When something's priced right, it gets snatched up quicker than a poolside cabana on a 115-degree day. But overprice it by just a few thousand dollars? Suddenly you're watching tumbleweeds roll through your open houses.

Let me break down why this happens. Imagine you're shopping for a home in Henderson with a budget of $450,000. You set your search filter to max out at exactly that number. Your neighbor lists their house at $464,000—just 3% over your budget. Guess what? You'll never even see it. The algorithm already kicked it out of your results.

That's problem number one.

Problem number two is psychological. Buyers aren't dumb. They're comparing everything. When they see a house listed at $464,000 sitting next to a comparable home at $450,000, they're going to wonder what's wrong with the expensive one. Even if nothing's actually wrong, that doubt creeps in. Nobody wants to overpay, especially in this economy.

I had a client in Summerlin last year who insisted on listing at $625,000 when I recommended $605,000. "It's only $20,000," they said. Sure. But that 3.2% difference meant fewer showings, zero offers for six weeks, and eventually accepting $595,000 after the listing went stale. They lost money and time.

Here's what actually happens when you overprice. The first two weeks are critical. That's when your listing gets maximum exposure on Zillow, Redfin, and Realtor.com. All the serious buyers see it during that window. If they pass because of price, you've already burned your best chance.

Then your house sits. Days on market start climbing. Buyers get suspicious. "What's wrong with it? Why hasn't it sold?" Even when you eventually drop the price to where it should've been, you're now competing with fresh listings that haven't been sitting there looking desperate.

The sweet spot for pricing? Right at or slightly below market value. Sounds scary, I know. But pricing aggressively often creates competition. Multiple offers. Bidding wars. I've seen "underpriced" homes in Northwest Las Vegas sell for 5-8% over asking because buyers felt urgency.

So how do you price correctly? Look at comparable sales from the last 30-60 days in your specific neighborhood. Not three months ago. Not what someone hopes to get down the street. Actual closed sales. Factor in your home's condition, upgrades, and lot size.

And please, for the love of desert landscaping, don't price based on what you need to pay off your mortgage or fund your next move. The market doesn't care about your personal finances. It only cares about value.

Bottom line? That 3% might seem like nothing on paper. But in Las Vegas real estate, it's often the difference between sold in a week or stuck for months. Price it right the first time, and you'll thank yourself later.