We often meet homeowners who are simply curious about the value of their property. Sometimes they’re planning ahead for a future sale; other times, they just want to get a feel for the current market. And that’s completely fair — understanding your home’s worth is an important part of making confident decisions.
But unfortunately, not all agents approach this process with transparency or integrity. Some will use your curiosity as a lever to get your property listed — even when you’ve made it clear you’re not ready to sell.
The Tactic: “We Have a Buyer for You”
It often starts with a phone call or message:
“We have an active buyer looking in your area who’d love a home just like yours.”
This gets your hopes up – and understandably so. Who wouldn’t want to skip the open homes and marketing and go straight to a great offer?
But here’s the reality: in many cases, there is no real buyer. Or if there is, they’re not seriously engaged yet. The goal of this tactic is to get your property listed – even unofficially – so the agent can start building momentum for themselves, not necessarily for you.
What Happens Next: Conditioning
Once you’ve agreed to “test the market,” the agent may encourage you to list your property at an inflated price – often the same number they planted in your head from the start.
But over time, they begin what the industry calls “conditioning.”
This is the slow process of talking you down from that high figure. Week after week, they might say things like:
- “The market’s softened a bit.”
- “We’ve had interest, but buyers are cautious.”
- “We might need to adjust to get more traction.”
Eventually, you find yourself considering offers well below where you started – not because your home isn’t valuable, but because you’ve been worn down.
This is a manipulation strategy, and sadly, many sellers fall into it. The agent succeeds in getting a sale (and a commission), while you walk away wondering what just happened.
The Hidden Cost: Your Property’s Digital Footprint
What many sellers don’t realise is that once your property is marketed – even briefly – it leaves a digital footprint. Whether it’s on realestate.com.au, through buyer’s agent networks, or even quietly circulated via email, it becomes public knowledge that your home was “for sale” and didn’t sell.
That creates a perception problem for future campaigns. Buyers and agents start asking:
- “Why didn’t it sell?”
- “Was there something wrong with it?”
Even if the only issue was that you weren’t ready, the stigma sticks. Your chance to make a strong first impression is gone.
Buyer’s Agents Don’t Forget
Some agents also try to quietly circulate properties to buyer’s agents as a way to generate “free marketing.” But here’s the catch:
If you’re not genuinely ready to sell, and those buyer’s agents get excited buyers on board — only to find out you’re not serious — they remember that. And they may be hesitant to show those buyers your property in the future.
That can directly impact your eventual result when you are ready to sell.
The Bottom Line
If you’re curious about your home’s value, the best thing you can do is get a genuine, obligation-free appraisal from an experienced agent who will tell you the truth – not just what you want to hear.
Selling your home is a big step. It deserves a thoughtful, well-planned approach that protects your price, your peace of mind, and your long-term goals.
If you’d like to have a confidential, no-pressure conversation about your property, I’m always happy to help.
Call Kath on 0458 912 906 for more info.
