THE DOG DAYS OF SUMMER

WELCOME

Hey, y’all! Happy Wednesday!

Welp… the headlines have been pointing to what we’ve already been seeing and feeling. We knew that what went up would have to come down—that’s just basic physics. (I think it’s physics? Please do not make me try to remember science class; it’s been a minute.)

Anyway, we’re in the throes of the slowest spring selling season in more than a decade. The good news is that all is not lost. There are buyers out there, but with all the uncertainty, they’re waiting for the right price. Meanwhile, sellers still seem to think it’s 2021 and they’re the only home in the neighborhood with an in-ground pool. Until we close that gap, we can expect to be stuck on pause. So figuring out how to close that gap is our topic today. Let’s get right into it!

@glenndabaker

Why is there a pause in the real estate market? #GlenndaBaker #RealEstate #AtlantaRealEstate #RealEstateMarket #GoogleGlennda #GlenndaTok

YOUR FACE. YOUR VOICE. YOUR BRAND… ELEVATED

I love hearing from agents who are ready to step into their spotlight, because that’s exactly how I got started. (Only difference? I didn’t have half the resources y’all do now.)

Now, if you missed it, let me catch you up: The Estate Media Agent Growth Program isn’t just another content bundle. This is your brand glow-up. We take powerhouse agents and turn them into the stars they were born to be—with short-form video that doesn’t just look good, it builds trust, drives leads, and gets those phones blowing up.

This isn’t fluff. This is brand fire. You're working with the same team behind some of the loudest, proudest voices in real estate. So if you’re ready to stop fading into the feed and start turning heads? This is your moment!

STORY TIME WITH GLENNDA

Why My Listings Aren’t Selling

Let me say this loud enough for the agents in the back to hear: PRICE. DOES. NOT. SOLVE. UNCERTAINTY. (At least that’s what I told the Bloomberg reporter.)

If you’re still telling your sellers that a price cut is the magic bullet, you’re falling behind. This market isn’t about price. Instead, the market is driven by psychology. It’s about fear. What do I mean by that? Well, not long ago, when high school graduates were trying to figure out what to study in college, everyone advised them to learn coding. “You’ll write your own ticket with coding!” they said. “You’ll have everyone trying to hire you!” they promised.

And that was true… until it wasn’t. Until very recently, being a software engineer (which encompasses coding, along with other disciplines) was a golden ticket. These folks were the belles of the ball and everyone wanted to dance with them. Today? Not so much. Of the major tech layoffs lately, 35% of those who lost their jobs have been software engineers… who are likely still paying their student loans on that degree.

We all know that AI is here to stay, and I have sung its praises about how much easier it’s made my life. But it’s not making life easier for those who just lost their jobs to a damn robot. And for just about forever, people thought government jobs, while not exciting, were a sure thing. Even those jobs are evaporating. So now, coupled with the terrible carnival ride that is interest rates, everyone has to be thinking, “What if I lose my job next?” Mind you, this is not a political post so much as it’s a post calling out the market’s uncertainty. People need to feel a solid footing beneath them and we’re not there yet.

I’ve got 21 listings on the board right now. I’ve been selling real estate since Jesus was a baby, and let me tell you, even the prettiest house in the best school district, with every box checked, is sitting. Not because it’s overpriced, but because buyers don’t trust the market. This isn’t about comps. It’s about consumers having confidence in the future, and right now, it’s in short supply.

You can cut the price till it bleeds red ink, but if buyers don’t know what’s coming tomorrow—if they’re scared about jobs, interest rates, AI, their kid’s college fund—they’re not going to pull the trigger. Fear trumps FOMO every time. And yet the unrealistic pricing? Also isn’t helping.

I sat with some of my sellers last week. This is the sweetest family, with three adorable kids and house straight out of House Beautiful. They did everything right: top-tier pricing, stunning presentation, and a pre-listing appraisal with the very best appraiser in Atlanta. I promise you, no one is better than the foremost expert they hired. Yet we have no bites.

Why?

There are a few issues at play here. First of all, for those of you in Gen X, think back to when you were in high school. The pool of who you could date was fairly shallow. You knew people in your school, and maybe a few in a neighboring districts. Supplies were limited. You dated who was available to you. But now in terms of dating, it’s a damn smorgasbord. If you’ve got an internet connection, you can meet anyone from anywhere. It’s the same thing with houses.

With the advent of virtual work, people can live anywhere, so buyers don’t get nearly so fixated on a single house anymore. If they don’t get 123 Banana Street, they are no longer shit out of luck. Heck, they like 123 Pineapple Street just as much because it’s so similar. And if 123 Pineapple Street doesn’t work out, they can also go to Tampa, to Tucson, to Tempe. Their options are limitless.

Complicating matters, today’s buyers aren’t shopping like it’s 2020. The data is stale before the ink dries. You’ve got to future-cast. We can no longer use historical data to price today because the market is changing too quickly.

And as for my sweet sellers, let me tell you, nothing throws a wrench in a pricing strategy like a foreclosure on Banana Street a few doors down from them. In their gated million-dollar neighborhood, no less. You think that doesn’t make people clutch their pearls and rethink that offer? Honey, it absolutely does. Because if Bitsy and Chad can lose their house, anyone can.

Here's your agent-to-agent gut check: Are you ready to have that hard conversation? Are you showing up with data and strategy, or are you just hoping the phone rings? Are you pricing based on last year’s appraisals, or are you future-casting where the market is headed?

One of my sellers said, “What are you going to do to drive more traffic?” I told him, “I could walk down the street nekkid with a sandwich board, and it wouldn’t matter if we’re overpriced by $100K.” Possibly harsh, but absolutely true. (The worst part is, I’d probably be willing to do it if I knew it would work.)

We’re not in a “throw it on Zillow and pray” market anymore. We are in the market of truth. The truth is that you need to know when to walk away from a listing that’s delusional. Because the longer that overpriced listing sits, the more damage it does to your brand and your bottom line. What’s funny is I was headed out on an appointment a few days ago and Evelyn called after me, saying, “The last thing we need is an overpriced listing.”

That’s why every Monday, I pick up the phone and have what I call my “come-to-Jesus” calls. I’ll ask my sellers, “Are we relaunching? Repricing? Or releasing?” If you’re not leading with clarity and confidence, you’re just babysitting bad decisions. While pricing won’t fix the uncertainty, pricing right may be enough to get a few of those buyers on the fence off of it and into a new home.

This market is tough, y’all. But so are we. So buckle up, tell your sellers about the new reality, and remember: price doesn’t solve uncertainty. But professionalism and being a trusted advisor can go a hell of a long way in bridging the gap.

glenndabaker

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GLENNDA’S GURU

Welcome Back, Carl Gambino

I had such a great chat with Carl Gambino a few weeks ago that I wanted to share the rest of the footage. As y’all know, Carl is the real estate whisperer to the stars. (Think A-list deals with off-the-market discretion.) When Carl steps into the room, those contracts practically sign themselves, so I hope everyone is as inspired by him as I am!

Thanks so much, Carl!

GLENNDAISM

Today’s Words of Wisdom

GLENNDA BAKER & ASSOCIATES

What’s Better Than Good? How About Great?

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