We still have a few things to discuss.

Sometimes a seller sits across from me with a figure in mind that makes me think: we still have a few things to discuss.

Don't get me wrong.

I understand.

You've lived in your home for years. You've invested time and money in it, perhaps renovated or improved it, and created wonderful memories along the way.

To you, it's much more than bricks and mortar.

But a potential buyer sees things differently.

They don’t see your memories. They compare your property with other homes currently on the market. They look at the location, the condition, the finishes, and what else they could buy for the same amount of money.

That's exactly where my work begins.

At CPM Real Estate, I don’t simply suggest an asking price because it happens to suit the seller.

I want to be able to explain why I recommend a particular price.

What comparable properties are available? What is the market telling us? How does your home stand out from the other properties on offer? And which buyers can we reach with this particular property?

Sometimes this leads to a conversation in which a seller adjusts their original asking price slightly.

And sometimes the price is reconsidered entirely.

Not because I enjoy debating the value of someone's home, but because I believe a seller should understand the reasoning behind my advice.

Ultimately, it's their home and they make the decision.

My job is to give them sound advice, even when it's not exactly what they had hoped to hear beforehand.

Because having an ambitious asking price on paper is one thing.

But what really matters in the end is what a serious buyer is actually willing to pay for the property.

That's why, for me, a successful sale doesn't start with the question: what do you want to get for it? It starts with the question: how do we arrive at a price that we can also justify to the market?