Hidden Truths Santa Clara Sellers Need To Know Now
Timothy Alston | Broker
Aegis Luxury Real Estate · DRE# 01328224
Published
August 23, 2022
Sports, tech, and community
What sellers need to know right now is straightforward: the Santa Clara housing market has shifted, but serious buyers are still active. Homes priced correctly for today’s conditions are selling quickly. Homes priced too high are sitting. The difference between those two outcomes often comes down to one decision made before the sign goes in the yard.
You know how it was almost impossible not to hear stories about homes selling the same weekend they listed, with multiple offers over asking price? And how that created the sense that every home would sell itself, no matter what number you put on it? A lot of sellers in Santa Clara are still operating with that mindset. But here is the part most people have not stopped to think about yet: the market that created those stories is not the market you are entering today.
So before you list, it is worth asking yourself one honest question. What do you actually know about today’s housing market conditions, and how much of what you know is based on what the market looked like one or two years ago?
What Sellers Need To Know About Pricing in Today’s Housing Market
What does your current thinking about your home’s value look like? Is it based on what a neighbor sold for eighteen months ago? Or is it grounded in what buyers with today’s mortgage rates can actually afford to offer?
Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist at the National Association of Realtors, put it plainly: homes priced right are selling very quickly, but homes priced too high are deterring prospective buyers. That is not a soft warning. That is a description of exactly what is happening in markets across the country right now.
Have you ever stopped to think about what happens to a listing that sits too long? Buyers start to wonder what is wrong with it. Days on market become a signal, and not the signal you want to send. A home that launches at the wrong price and then chases the market down with reductions often ends up selling for less than it would have if it had been priced correctly from the start.
Can you see how that works? The strategy that protects your equity is not the aggressive one. It is the accurate one.
The Market Has Changed, But Motivated Buyers Are Still Here
Here is what the current data actually shows. According to the National Association of Realtors Confidence Index, roughly 39 percent of homes are still selling above list price. That number is down from 51 percent the previous month and 50 percent the year before, but it is not zero. Serious buyers are still in the market. They are simply more selective now.
The same data shows that the average home is selling in just 14 days when it is priced to reflect actual market conditions. Fourteen days. That is not a slow market. That is a market with real activity for sellers who understand where pricing needs to land.
Selma Hepp, Deputy Chief Economist at CoreLogic, described it this way: buyers remain interested, which is keeping the market competitive, particularly for attractive homes that are properly priced. The key phrase there is “properly priced.” That qualifier is doing a lot of work in today’s housing market.
If you are thinking about Santa Clara homes for sale and what your own property might compete against right now, the inventory picture matters. More homes are sitting longer. That creates an opportunity for the seller who gets pricing right from day one, because well-priced homes in Santa Clara continue to stand out in a way they simply did not need to two years ago.
What Happens If You Wait for the Old Market To Return?
This is the consequence question worth sitting with for a moment. What if nothing changes? What if you hold the property waiting for bidding wars to return, and instead, mortgage rates stay elevated, buyer purchasing power stays compressed, and the window you have right now gradually closes?
Where does that leave you in three years? Still in the same house, having watched your neighbors sell at prices that were still strong, just not the peak prices of two years ago. Sellers who understand today’s housing market recognize that waiting for yesterday’s conditions is not a neutral decision. It is a decision with a cost attached to it.
What would it mean for your timeline, your next move, or your financial plans if you priced strategically and sold in the next 60 to 90 days? Is that a better outcome than holding indefinitely for a market that may not return on the schedule you are hoping for?
3 Things Sellers Need To Adjust Right Now
Trend #1: Pricing Expectations
The bidding war era pushed list prices well above what the home would have appraised for in a normal market. Today, buyers have options and tighter budgets. Pricing at or slightly below market value now generates more showings, faster offers, and cleaner contracts than an aspirational number that sits and stalls.
Trend #2: Condition and Presentation
When buyers had fewer choices, they overlooked deferred maintenance and outdated finishes. That tolerance has shrunk. In the current Santa Clara real estate environment, buyers are comparing your home against competing listings more carefully. Small investments in preparation now protect your net proceeds later.
Trend #3: Negotiation Flexibility
Sellers in the peak market rarely offered concessions. Today, a buyer may ask for closing cost help or a credit toward repairs. Understanding where you can flex without materially changing your net is what separates a seller who closes from one who loses the deal at the finish line.
Trend #4: Buyer Demand Is Selective, Not Gone
Demand in Santa Clara has not disappeared. It has become more discerning. Buyers who qualified at lower mortgage rates are now shopping with sharper pencils. The homes capturing attention are the ones that check condition, location, and price simultaneously. Miss any one of those three and you are looking at extended days on market.
Trend #5: Local Data Beats National Headlines
National housing market reports describe averages across millions of transactions. What matters for your decision is what is happening specifically in your neighborhood, your property type, and your price range. Hyper-local data on current inventory, average days on market, and recent comparable sales is what should anchor your pricing strategy, not a cable news headline.
The sellers who will do well in this market are the ones who stop comparing it to two years ago and start asking the right questions about today. Does that make sense as a starting point?
If you are thinking about listing and want a straightforward read on where your home fits in today’s market, a quick conversation with Timothy Alston, Broker (DRE# 01328224) at Aegis Luxury Real Estate, is a good next step. Not a pitch. Not a pressure call. Just an honest look at what the numbers say for your specific property and situation. How would you like to proceed? You can reach Timothy directly at (408) 207-4593.
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Broker · DRE# 01328224
Aegis Luxury Real Estate
Harvard Business School Online, Certified Master Negotiation
23+ Years Silicon Valley Real Estate Experience
Retired Military Veteran
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The data relating to real estate for sale on this display comes in part from the Internet Data Exchange program of the MLSListings™ MLS system. Real estate listings held by brokerage firms other than Aegis Luxury Real Estate are marked with the Internet Data Exchange icon and detailed information about them includes the names of the listing brokers and listing agents.
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Aegis Luxury Real Estate · Timothy Alston, Broker, DRE# 01328224 · 10080 N. Wolfe Rd Ste SW3-200, Cupertino CA 95014 · (408) 207-4593
Last updated: July 11, 2026 | Data reflects July 2026 MLS statistics
