Ed Neuhaus 
Ok, lets have an honest conversation. If you’re trying to sell your West Austin home in 2026, the playbook from 2021 is worthless. That market is gone. What we’re in now is a market that rewards realistic pricing, punishes overconfidence, and gives sellers who prepare properly a clear advantage over the ones who don’t.
I’m not going to sugarcoat this. Over half of all Austin listings are cutting their prices. The close-to-list ratio is 90.9%, which means sellers are closing at roughly 9% below asking on average. Days on market is at 88, the highest since 2011. But homes are still selling. Nearly 30,000 closed in 2025. The difference between the ones that sold well and the ones that sat? Pricing strategy.
The First 14 Days Rule
This is the most important thing I tell my seller clients right now: your best showing activity happens in the first 14 days on market. That’s when your listing is “new” in buyer searches, when agents are most excited to show it, and when the urgency is highest.
If you’re overpriced during that window, you miss it. And once you miss it, you’re chasing the market down with price reductions that signal desperation to the remaining buyers. Every price cut after the first two weeks makes the next offer lower, not higher.
This isn’t theory. I see it in the data every week. The homes that sell in 30 days or less are the ones that priced right from day one. The ones sitting at 90, 120, 189 days? Almost always started too high.
Where You Really Stand: The Close-to-List Gap
The 90.9% close-to-list ratio means if you list at $1,000,000, you should expect to close around $909,000. That’s the market average. Some price tiers and neighborhoods do better, some do worse.
Budget for a 5-9% gap between your list price and your final sale price. If your list price already reflects that gap (meaning you priced it where you actually expect to sell), you’ll sell faster and often for more than the seller who listed $100K too high and had to chase it down over three months.
Seems counterintuitive. But pricing slightly below market often generates more interest and can result in a higher final sale price than overpricing and watching the listing go stale. I wrote about the psychology behind this in this piece.
It Depends on Where You Are
Not all sellers in West Austin are in the same position. And I think honesty about this is more useful than generic advice.
If you’re in Westlake Hills or Rollingwood: You have the luxury of patience. If you don’t get your price, you can wait or move to the private market (off-MLS). The buyer pool at $3M+ is selective but the demand is real. You’re not in a rush unless you want to be.
If you’re in Lakeway: 60% of listings have taken price cuts. If you need to sell, price it right from day one. The market will find you if your price is realistic. If it’s not, you’ll sit and watch neighbors cut before you do too.
If you’re in Dripping Springs: The 24-day DOM shows that well-priced homes still move fast. But you’re competing against a wave of new construction that’s offering buyer incentives you can’t match. Price accordingly.
If you’re in Barton Creek: 189 days on market is the longest in West Austin. If you’re selling here, patience and staging are everything. The buyer pool is narrow but the lifestyle is unique. Price for where the market is, not where you wish it was.
For the full neighborhood-by-neighborhood pricing data, see my price comparison.
Concessions That Actually Work
In this market, smart sellers are offering concessions that help the buyer’s bottom line without necessarily dropping the sale price.
Rate buydowns are the most effective concession right now. You fund a 2-1 buydown that reduces the buyer’s rate by 2% in year one and 1% in year two. On a $750K home, this might cost you $8K-$12K but it can make your property compete with new construction that’s offering similar incentives. The buyer’s monthly payment drops significantly in the crucial first two years.
Closing cost credits of $10K-$25K are common. This helps buyers who have the income to qualify but are tight on cash for closing.
Home warranties give buyers peace of mind and cost you $500-$700. Small expense, disproportionate impact on buyer confidence.
Condition Matters More Than Ever
In a seller’s market, buyers take what they can get. In a buyer’s market with lots of choices, move-in-ready wins. Every time.
I’m not talking about a $100K renovation. I’m talking about the basics: fresh paint, clean landscaping, functioning systems, no deferred maintenance that shows up on inspection. The homes that sell fastest in 2026 are the ones that don’t give buyers a reason to negotiate further after the inspection.
If your home needs work, consider doing a pre-listing inspection so you know what’s coming before the buyer does. Fix the easy stuff. For the big stuff, price it in rather than trying to hide it.
And if your home didn’t sell the first time, this piece walks through the most common reasons and how to fix them. Don’t forget the hidden costs of selling when you’re doing your math.
When to Sell: Is H2 Better?
Most forecasters expect the Austin market to bottom somewhere in Q3-Q4 2026, then stabilize. If that plays out, selling in H2 2026 could mean slightly better conditions than early 2026.
But “slightly better” doesn’t mean dramatically different. We’re talking about the difference between 88 days on market and maybe 75. The difference between a 90.9% close-to-list ratio and maybe 92%. It’s marginal.
My advice: if you need to sell, sell. Don’t try to time the bottom. Price it right for where the market is today, not where you hope it’ll be in six months. I wrote about what slipping markets mean for sellers in more detail.
For the full market forecast and what’s ahead, see my 2026 Austin market forecast. And for buyers reading this to understand the other side of the table, my buyer’s guide has the data on what they’re getting.
The Luxury Market Is Different
If you’re selling in the $1M+ range, the dynamics shift. Luxury is actually outperforming the broader market. December 2025 luxury median was $1,350,000, up 3.8% year-over-year. But ultra-luxury ($2M+) has 16.74 months of inventory. The full breakdown is in my luxury market analysis.
Ready to Talk Strategy?
Selling in this market requires a different approach than what worked even two years ago. I’ll give you an honest market analysis, a pricing strategy based on real data, and a plan that gets your home sold without leaving money on the table.
Contact Ed Neuhaus at Neuhaus Realty Group for a no-obligation conversation about your home’s value and the best strategy for your situation.
