First, the bad news. There’s so much bad advice out there regarding buying and selling homes that I couldn’t cover everything in one article. However, the good news is that two (long) articles are sufficient to dispel most of the major erroneous information you may have read or heard and possibly considered implementing. If you’re trying to buy or sell a home, the new year is a great time to re-evaluate homebuying and selling advice that could actually be roadblocks to your success.
It’s important to note that some of these flawed theories haven’t always been wrong. “What might have been good advice and a better bet for homebuyers looking to win bidding wars during post-COVID frenzied markets is increasingly bad advice in 2025 and 2026,” according to Bill Golden, realtor/associate broker at Keller Williams Realty Intown Atlanta. He tells me that markets are shifting and most are still not bad, but generally speaking, buyers are more cautious, and inventory is sitting longer.
Below is Part 1 of all the terrible homebuying and selling advice to leave in 2025.
Wait Until Spring To List Your Home
Spring is widely considered the best time to purchase a new home. However, Ricky Carruth, chief housing analyst at RLTYco, thinks it’s a terrible idea to wait until then to list your property. “Yes, you’ll have more buyers, but you’ll also be competing against three times the inventory, instead of taking advantage of historically low winter inventory in most markets right now,” he tells me.
If you’re selling your home because of life changes like relocating for a job, getting a divorce, or trying to downsize, waiting around for a specific point in time may not be the best idea. “Trying to time the market is always a losing battle that costs you money and creates unnecessary stress,” Carruth says. In fact, he shares that he’s watched sellers get premium prices in January simply because their home was one of three options instead of one of thirty.
Carruth’s view is shared by Krista Nickols, associate real estate broker at SERHANT, who tells me there isn’t a perfect time to buy or sell. “There’s only the right time for your financial and lifestyle needs, and the people who win are the ones who act when the move supports their life, not the headlines,” she says.
Buy Now, As Home Prices Will Keep Rising Forever
Real estate remains a solid investment, but there was a cool down in 2025. According to Golden, shifting mortgage rates, inflation, economic uncertainty, and slower demand in some markets may cause buyers to feel that they need to buy now because home prices will continue to rise indefinitely, maybe forever.
“I don’t believe the cooling market will or should keep most buyers from moving ahead if they can and want to, but I’m a relationship realtor, so I want clients to make the best decision for their individual circumstances in the long haul,” Golden explains. And if a buyer wants to take a step back and pause their plans to move from where they are and purchase a new home, his advice is to trust your gut feeling.
“I’d rather buyers don’t listen to the ‘sure thing, never-any-risk’ mantras,” Golden tells me.
The Market Is Still Hot Enough To Skip Due Diligence Or Waive The Inspection
If you’re trying to purchase a house that has multiple offers on it, there’s a tendency to do whatever you think will make your offer more attractive. However, Jason Gelios, a realtor serving the Southeast Michigan market, tells me he’s heard it’s ok to waive a home inspection when there are multiple offers on the table.
“This is terrible advice; even if there are multiple offers, I feel a home inspection should never be waived,” he says. And if it’s your real estate agent advising you to waive it, Gelios warns that you should run as far from that individual as possible.
You’re The Person Best Qualified to Determine Your Home’s Worth
You’ve lived in your house for 10, 15, 20 or more years, so who knows it better than you do? Yes, but knowing your house doesn’t equate to you being the person best qualified to determine what your home is worth.
In fact, Vickey Barron, a broker at Compass, tells me that she calls this delusional ownership. “An example is when buyers think their home is worth $20 million, but it is worth half.” Barron says that you hire brokers/realtors for a reason, and they’re pricing your house according to the market, so trust those experts.
Price High So Buyers Can Negotiate Down
Admittedly, we’ve all heard that you should price your home artificially high so buyers can negotiate the price down, and then you’ll meet somewhere in the middle. However, Nickols (who specializes in luxury homes) tells me it’s time to retire that idea.
“Luxury buyers, in particular, don’t bargain with inflated listings, they skip them, so this is a strategy that drains momentum, not maximizes value,” she says.
Make The Home Look Much More Attractive In Photos
You want to present your home in the best light, but you shouldn’t cross the line into making the home’s photos look significantly better than the home itself. Barron strongly warns against what she calls trying to camouflage the home.
“Nothing is more frustrating to prospective buyers than photos that do not represent the product, so don’t overpromise and underdeliver.”
You may be thinking that if the home looks particularly attractive in the photos, it will lead to more interest and foot traffic, and that may be the initial, short-lived result. But when reality sets in, the effects can be quite detrimental.
“This will lead to losing the trust of the buyers, losing credibility, lower offers or no offers at all, and legal/ethical risks,” Barron warns.
Considering what’s at stake, it’s not worth it to exaggerate your home’s appearance in the photos. Paint is one of the easiest ways to make your home more attractive. Check out these paint colors that can help your home sell for more money, as well as the paint colors to avoid when selling your home.
Wait For The Market To Crash Before You Buy
This logic is so wrong on so many levels. First, do you really want to cross your fingers and hope that the market crashes, so you can scoop in and get a property at a good price from homeowners who are possibly facing foreclosure?
According to Carruth, there are other reasons you should leave this piece of homebuying advice in 2025. “Some people are continuing to pay rent that builds someone else’s wealth instead of their own, while they’re sitting around waiting for home prices to crash,” he explains. “People who waited for another 2008-style crash have been sitting on the sidelines for 16 years while home prices doubled, rents increased 40%, and their dream neighborhoods became completely unaffordable.”
On the other hand, Carruth explains that the buyers who purchased in 2019 at what they probably thought were high prices now have hundreds of thousands of dollars in equity, and they’re enjoying 3% mortgage rates compared to the people still renting and still hoping for a crash.
Santiago Arana, principal at The Agency, agrees, telling me that perhaps the biggest piece of advice we should leave in 2025 is the idea that buyers should wait it out. “That guidance made sense when the market was correcting, but we’ve already hit the bottom,” he says. “The belief that prices will drop further or that something significantly better will come along is no longer aligned with current market conditions.”
Instead, Arana says we are now in the early stages of a bounce-back period. “Inventory remains limited, demand is strengthening, and pricing is beginning to stabilize and trend upward in many areas.” In this environment, he warns that those who wait may miss out on opportunities.
“Buyers should be prepared to act decisively, rather than relying on outdated assumptions about a continued buyer’s market.”
Wait For Interest Rates To Drop
Even if you’re not waiting for the market to crash, per se, you may be losing out if you’ve been advised to wait for interest rates to drop.
“Looking back over the past several decades, thirty-year fixed mortgage rates peaked in the early 1980s at over sixteen percent,” says India Headley, state managing broker at Epique Realty in Connecticut. She adds that many homeowners proudly bought at those rates.
Admittedly, today’s rates feel high compared to recent history, but she tells me that they’re still far from historic extremes. “If rates drop significantly, prices often surge again, creating bidding wars that push buyers out, so waiting can easily cost more than it saves,” Headley concludes.
There’s a Buyer Who Will Pay Any Price
If you’re a seller, it’s true that some people will appreciate your home more than others. However, there’s a danger in romanticizing your home’s appeal during the selling process.
“One of the worst pieces of advice is believing there is one special buyer who will pay any price simply because they see the charm in your home,” Headley says. In fact, she says that most of the time, that buyer does not exist. “Homes must work with market conditions, not against them, and when a home sits on the market collecting days, it begins to look less desirable, not more,” she warns.
You Should Use The Lender That The Realtor Recommends
You may not know a lot about mortgage lenders, but it’s a good idea to start the learning process so you can make an informed decision.
“Another piece of bad advice I have come across is when a buyer feels pressured to use the lender that the realtor recommends,” shares Gelios. It’s great to get a referral, and Gelios admits that is a good place to start. However, he recommends speaking with at least two different lenders.
“This allows you to see the differences between the two, and then make a sound decision,” Gelios explains.
