When you're selling a home that looks similar to many of the properties around it, comparable sales can help tell the story.
But what happens when the home is anything but typical?
That was the challenge facing CITIEA agent Gayla Brown when she was asked to discuss selling a home on W Summer Star Drive in Sun City West, Arizona.
The sellers were preparing to leave Arizona and move to another state to be closer to family.
They had plenty of choices when it came to selecting a real estate agent.
Both were deeply connected to the Sun City West community. They golfed. The wife belonged to an art club. The husband played softball. They attended a local church.
Between the two of them, they knew several real estate agents who expected an opportunity to list the property.
Gayla had to earn the business.
Then she had to prove that this particular Sun City West home should not be marketed or priced like an ordinary one.
Case Study at a Glance
Community: Sun City West, Arizona
Representation: Sellers
Agent: Gayla Brown, CITIEA
Seller Goal: Relocate out of state to be closer to family
Pricing Challenge: A highly remodeled and expanded home with few truly comparable nearby properties
Pricing Strategy: Approximately $45,000 above another agent's recommended price
Marketing Strategy: High-exposure campaign including agent outreach, email marketing, broker tours, neighborhood mailers, professional video and social media
Time to Contract: 24 days
Offer: Full price with an escalation clause
Inspection: Successful
Appraisal: Waived
Outcome: Smooth closing
First, Gayla Had to Win the Listing
Before there was a pricing challenge, there was another challenge.
Getting hired.
The sellers had extensive relationships throughout Sun City West. Both were golfers, the husband played softball, the wife participated in the art community, and they were active in a local church.
That meant they knew plenty of real estate agents.
Gayla estimates that each seller had approximately three Realtors who thought they might receive the listing.
Rather than relying on a personal relationship alone, Gayla spent time explaining her approach, the benefits of the program she could provide, her connections within the community, and her knowledge of Sun City West housing.
The sellers made their decision that afternoon.
They chose Gayla.
Then came the harder question.
What was this home actually worth?
The Problem With Comparing a Home That Isn't Typical
Sun City West presents an interesting pricing challenge.
Many homes throughout the community share common floor plans and characteristics.
That can make comparable sales useful.
But it can also create a problem when a particular property has evolved far beyond its original design.
The Summer Star Drive property was one of those homes.
Although it was not among the newest homes in Sun City West, two previous owners had extensively expanded and remodeled it.
The property included features that differentiated it from more typical homes nearby, including an extended three-car garage and a casita.
Then there was the primary closet.
Gayla described it as unlike anything she had seen before in a home of this size.
The question was no longer simply, "What did another house nearby sell for?"
The more important question was:
What properties would buyers actually consider comparable to this one?
Looking Beyond the Closest Comparable Sales
Gayla believed the immediate neighborhood did not provide adequate comparisons for the home's condition, size and improvements.
Instead, she looked more broadly at how buyers valued larger, more modern and extensively updated properties.
In her assessment, the home had characteristics more comparable to properties in Corte Bella Country Club, a newer community nearby, than to many of the homes immediately surrounding it.
Her experience in the Sun City West market also told her something important.
Buyers were willing to respond differently to homes that offered modern updates, additional space and desirable improvements.
That influenced her pricing recommendation.
Another agent had recommended a price approximately $45,000 lower.
Gayla recommended going higher.
The sellers trusted her judgment.
Preparing the Home Before It Hit the Market
Pricing was only one piece of the strategy.
The sellers also took steps to reduce potential buyer objections before listing.
They had the HVAC system inspected and replaced one of the units before the property went on the market.
They also completed several smaller repairs.
Once showings began, they consistently kept the property in show-ready condition.
That gave Gayla the foundation she needed for the next part of the plan.
Exposure.
The Marketing Strategy: Get Buyers Through the Door
Gayla's theory was simple.
If she could get qualified buyers inside, the property could demonstrate why it deserved to be treated differently.
So she built the marketing strategy around maximum exposure.
Professional photography became the foundation for multiple email campaigns.
Gayla personally contacted agents in her network.
The property was featured on two broker tours with different groups, receiving Best in Tour recognition.
She sent mailers to surrounding homeowners.
A videographer produced a lifestyle video.
Additional video content was distributed through social media.
Together, those efforts were designed to accomplish one thing:
Get more of the right people to experience the home.
Full-Price Contract in 24 Days
The strategy produced the result Gayla and her sellers wanted.
The property went under contract in 24 days.
The offer was for full asking price.
The buyers even included an escalation clause in their offer.
Interestingly, they were not newcomers to the area.
They already owned a home in Sun City West and were looking to upgrade.
The buyer also knew the seller because the two men had played softball together.
That meant the buyers did not need to be convinced about the broader Sun City West lifestyle. They already understood the community and its amenities.
What they needed was the right home.
This one stood out.
A Smooth Transaction From Contract to Closing
After the home went under contract, the transaction proceeded smoothly.
The property performed well during inspection.
The appraisal was waived.
The sale then moved to closing without significant problems.
For Gayla, the transaction validated the decision not to price this home solely according to the more conventional properties around it.
The sellers had chosen a price approximately $45,000 higher than another recommendation they had received.
Twenty-four days later, they had a full-price contract.
What Sun City West Sellers Can Learn From This Sale
This transaction illustrates an important distinction between having comparable sales and understanding what makes a property comparable.
Two homes can be located near each other and still appeal to buyers very differently.
A substantial remodel can matter.
Additional living space can matter.
A casita can matter.
Garage configuration can matter.
Modern finishes can matter.
The quality of previous renovations can matter.
For owners of highly improved Sun City West homes, the question should not simply be, "What did the house down the street sell for?"
The better question may be, "Which properties compete for the same buyer?"
That does not mean every remodeled home should automatically be priced above nearby sales.
It means the pricing strategy should account for the specific property, its improvements, current competition, buyer demand and market conditions.
Marketing a Unique Sun City West Home
The case study also demonstrates why marketing and pricing should work together.
A seller can believe a home deserves a premium, but buyers still have to understand why.
That is where presentation and exposure become important.
Gayla did not rely on a single listing launch.
She combined photography, email marketing, direct agent outreach, broker tours, neighborhood mailers, lifestyle video and social media.
The goal was to create enough exposure for buyers and agents to experience what made the property different.
In this case, the strategy resulted in a full-price contract in 24 days.
The Compliment Gayla Remembers Most
For Gayla, however, the most meaningful result was not the full-price offer.
It came from the seller.
Before closing, he told Gayla why he and his wife had ultimately chosen her to represent them.
The seller was a retired Border Patrol agent who had also trained other agents. He explained that part of his career involved evaluating people and determining whether someone was being honest or hiding something.
After meeting Gayla, he had made his assessment.
He believed she was genuine.
For an agent who had just successfully competed against several other Realtors, recommended a substantially different pricing strategy, executed an extensive marketing campaign and secured a full-price contract in 24 days, that was the compliment that mattered most.
Because real estate decisions are ultimately built on trust.
The sellers trusted Gayla when she told them their home was different.
They trusted her when she recommended a higher price.
They trusted the marketing plan.
And 24 days later, they had a full-price contract that allowed them to continue with their plans to move closer to family.
Sometimes the most important part of pricing a home is knowing the numbers.
Sometimes it is recognizing when the home in front of you deserves a different comparison.
And sometimes winning the opportunity to tell that story begins with being genuine.
