Usually not. Buyers search with firm price limits, so an overpriced home is invisible to the buyers it's actually right for, and looks weak next to the homes it's competing with. You waste your first two weeks, the most important ones, and the home starts to sit. That's when lowball offers and price drops come, often netting you less than if you'd priced it right on day one.
So you want to price your home high to leave some room to negotiate. I get it, it sounds smart. But it's actually one of the most costly mistakes I see sellers make. Here's what really happens.
The right buyers never see it
Serious buyers set firm price limits on their searches. Say your home is worth $800,000, and you list it at $850,000 to leave some wiggle room. The buyers searching up to $800,000, the exact people your home is right for, never even see it.
The buyers who do see it compare it to better homes
Meanwhile, buyers shopping at $850,000 tour your home, compare it with homes that actually justify that price, and pass. Your home ends up making the competition look good.
Your best two weeks get wasted
A new listing gets the most attention in its first couple of weeks. That's when every active buyer in your price range looks at it. Overpricing burns that window, and the listing starts to sit.
Then the lowball offers start
Once a home sits for 30 days or so, buyers start assuming something is wrong with it. That's when the true lowball offers come in, and you end up chasing the market down with price reductions. Often you net less than if you had just priced it right from the start.
What works instead
In my experience, the homes that sell for the strongest net return are priced at fair market value from day one, based on recent comparable sales and what's competing with them right now. That creates urgency, and sometimes more than one interested buyer, instead of crickets.
Curious what the right price is for your home? Request a free home evaluation. I prepare every one personally, and you'll see exactly how I got there.