Why Patience and Clarity Matter More than Chasing Every Listing

Recently, I was helping clients purchase their next home, and the experience reminded me how much the right approach matters in this market.

We looked at several properties. When homes were priced correctly, we did not lowball. We made clean, respectful offers in the range of ninety five to ninety seven percent of asking. In some cases, those offers were accepted. In others, they were not. And that was fine.

One situation stood out.

We placed an offer on a home listed at seven hundred ninety nine thousand. The listing agent was also one of the owners of the property. After reviewing the comparables and the condition, we offered around seven hundred seventy thousand.

The response came back quickly. They wanted eight hundred forty thousand.

At that point, we walked away.

About a week later, the same home was relisted at six hundred ninety nine thousand with an offer date. That strategy did not work. It was then relisted at seven hundred fifty thousand. Still no luck.

Not long after, the agent reached out asking if my clients were still interested. By that point, we had already moved on and placed an offer elsewhere. I did not engage further. Shortly after, the home was relisted again in the eight hundred range, and then dropped back into the seven hundreds. It is still on the market today.

That back and forth is not strategy. It is hesitation.

Meanwhile, my clients found another home. The sellers were realistic. Their agent was communicative and grounded in the current market. We negotiated properly, addressed inspection items thoroughly, and came to an agreement that made sense for everyone involved.

That difference matters more than people realize.

Here are three things this process reinforced.

First, good offers are based on data, not emotion or ego.

Second, markets reward realism and cooperation far more than stubbornness.

Third, walking away from the wrong deal often creates space for the right one.

This market does not reward chasing. It rewards clarity, patience, and working with people who understand where things actually stand.

Essam

P.S. The right deal rarely feels forced. It usually feels calm, aligned, and well supported.