Don’t Be Fooled By These 3 Real Estate Myths
2026
Avoid These 3 Real Estate Myths
New buyers and sellers often come into the real estate market with assumptions about how it works. They may get their ideas from TV reality shows, their parents, or co-workers. The problem is, the new buyer or seller’s assumptions are often based on outdated or uninformed real estate myths.
Here are three such myths you shouldn’t buy into.
1: Spring is the best time to sell.
Historically, real estate seasons were tied to summer and the end of school. Families were the typical buyers or sellers, and they wanted to move during the summer so their kids could start fresh in September. That’s how spring became the prime selling season. There are still more homes for sale in the spring, which means there’s a lot of activity and buzz.
The reality is, spring isn’t necessarily the best time to sell a home anymore. Today, more than half of the buyers aren’t married, and their decisions aren’t based upon school schedules. Instead, the best time to sell a home is in November, December and January.
Most sellers assume buyers aren’t seriously looking during the long holiday season. And yet, many buyers are in fact looking at properties right up until Christmas Eve. After New Year’s Eve, they jump back into the market. The net effect is, savvy sellers face less competition for a still-strong pool of buyers during this period.
2: Always start with your lowest offer.
There’s no generalized strategy for making an offer on a home anywhere, ever. A seller may have overpriced or underpriced a property on purpose. Some markets may be more competitive than others or have certain customs that work.
A buyer in today’s strong, tight-inventory real estate market would be wasting time making low offers right from the beginning. A better strategy: Work with a good local agent and understand the market. You’ll quickly learn that starting low won’t get you anywhere.
3: Cash offers trump all.
Many buyers assume that a seller, considering two different offers, will always go with the cash offer. As a result, buyers who hear they’re competing with a cash offer assume they won’t get the home. They may not even make a formal offer. At the same time, many cash buyers assume that because they’re paying cash, they can make an offer below asking. They think that because there’s much less risk with a cash offer, they’ll have the upper hand against other offers.
The reality? A seller may not necessarily go for the cash. For example, imagine consider a home priced at $399,000. The seller receives two offers: one is $375,000 paid in cash. Another is for the full asking price, with 25 percent down, a bank pre-approval letter, and swift contingency periods.
A good buyer’s agent, upon learning their client is competing with a cash offer, will give the seller lots of data about their client’s finances. The agent may even arrange a call between the seller and the buyer’s lender.
Information, Not Assumptions
When you’re a first-time buyer or seller, the most important thing is to learn your market. Talk to a savvy local agent. Don’t make assumptions based on what you think you know. The reality is, every market is different. If you believe there are general rules for real estate that always apply, you’ll likely be disappointed.
