Katie got into real estate in 2013, starting on the title and escrow side, where she learned how deals actually come together, the fine print, the timelines, and the small things that can make or break a transaction.

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Have you ever noticed how one home in a neighborhood sells almost overnight, while a nearly identical one down the street sits for weeks? A lot of the time, the difference isn’t the house at all. It’s timing, and specifically, how much competition a seller is facing the moment they list.

I saw this play out recently in a neighborhood of about 300 homes. When my seller was ready to list, there were no other active listings in the entire neighborhood. That gave us something powerful: the chance to set the price for that specific market instead of reacting to what everyone else was doing. We positioned the home correctly, created real urgency, and sold it in 24 hours.

“Instead of competing against several similar homes, your property becomes one of the only options.”

Then something interesting happened. A neighbor two houses down reached out and told me he wanted to sell his home just as fast. Because the first home was already pending, it had actually created more demand. Buyers who missed out still wanted to be in that neighborhood, and they were ready to move. So instead of waiting, my next seller acted quickly. We used the activity from the first sale, the local trends, and the buyer demand we already had lined up. With so little competition, we got roughly 15% more than that seller likely would have seen if several other homes had been on the market. And we sold it without ever needing to go live on the internet.

Those two sales are a clean lesson in how timing works, so here are the things I want you to understand about it.

Low competition gives you leverage. When your neighborhood has few or no listings, buyers have fewer choices, which exactly puts sellers in a stronger position. Instead of competing against several similar homes, your property becomes one of the only options for buyers who specifically want that location. That scarcity is real, and it shows up in how quickly serious buyers move when the right home finally appears.

The first listing sets the tone. When the first home in a neighborhood sells quickly, it sends a message to everyone watching. It shows buyers there’s demand, and it gives nearby homeowners a much better read on what the market will actually support. In this case, that first fast sale is what created the urgency that carried the second one.

Waiting can quietly cost you. After those first two homes sold, more neighbors decided to list. But by then, there were multiple homes competing for the same attention, and those later listings started to sit longer because the market had shifted. The sellers who waited were no longer the only option. Watching your neighbors and holding off to see what they do can feel cautious, but it can just as easily work against you.

There’s one more piece that ties all of this together: local expertise. A local agent who really knows the neighborhood can be the difference between selling in 24 hours and sitting for a month. This isn’t about pulling up broad market data. It’s about knowing which neighborhoods have demand, which buyers are already waiting, and how to price a home based on what’s happening right there on your street. An agent from outside the area may have no idea that certain buyers are specifically holding out for a home in your neighborhood. That kind of knowledge helps you price correctly, create urgency, and sometimes bring buyers to the table before the home ever goes public.

So if you’re thinking about selling, don’t just watch the market from the sidelines. Pay attention to your own neighborhood. If there are few or no homes for sale near you, you may have a window right now to stand out, attract more serious buyers, and sell before more competition shows up.

If you want to know what’s happening on your street and what your home could realistically sell for in today’s market, I’d love to help you look at the local numbers together. Call or text me at 503-621-6832, email me at katie@movewithdewitt.com, or visit movewithdewitt.com. I’m happy to walk through it with you and see if your neighborhood is giving you a window worth acting on.