Recent sales give me the clearest reality check for sellers deciding how far to stretch.
If you're selling in Lee's Summit, MO and trying to decide which number deserves the most trust, I give the last word to closings. A typical home closed at $397,450 recently, and that matters more to me than any asking price that has not been tested by a real buyer yet.
The most useful number for a pricing strategy is still where homes are actually finishing. In Lee's Summit, MO, a typical closed price was $397,450 last month, compared with a typical asking price of $499,950 and a typical estimated value of $409,410. I use those other figures for context, but I let closings keep the strategy honest.
A seller can absolutely price with strength in a market where supply is 2.09 months. Still, strength without proof turns into resistance, and resistance costs time. I would rather position a home to attract decisive buyers early than ask the market to spend weeks correcting an unsupported number.
Use recent closings as your baseline. Let active competition help with positioning, not with fantasy. Decide before launch how you will respond if showings come in but offers do not. The market speaks through closings, and I listen there first.
