If you’re thinking about selling your home in Gilbert or Queen Creek this summer, you need someone to be straight with you: the market has changed.
That’s not a reason to panic. It’s a reason to prepare.
Over the past 12 to 18 months, the East Valley real estate market has shifted meaningfully in favor of buyers. Inventory is up 15 to 20% compared to this time last year. Homes are sitting on the market for 45 to 90+ days in some neighborhoods. Price reductions are showing up on more than 25% of active listings. And seller concessions – covering closing costs, buying down rates, offering repair credits – have gone from rare to expected.
This doesn’t mean your home won’t sell. It means how you sell it matters more than it did two years ago.
Here’s what I’ve been telling my sellers in Gilbert and Queen Creek right now, and what I’d tell you.
Pricing Is the Strategy
In a market where buyers have options, the listing price isn’t just a number. It’s a signal. If it’s too high, buyers move on before they ever request a showing. If it’s calibrated to the current market, you attract the right buyers at the right time – and that’s when you get offers.
The biggest mistake I see sellers make right now is pricing at what their neighbor got two years ago, or what their home would have been worth at peak. That price becomes a ceiling your listing never breaks through. The home sits. Days on market climb. Buyers start to wonder what’s wrong with it. And then you have to reduce anyway – but now with the stigma of a stale listing.
The better path is pricing correctly from day one based on where the market actually is, not where it was.
What does that look like in practice? It means pulling the most recent comparable sales – not six months ago, but the last 60 to 90 days. It means factoring in the active competition you’re going up against, including new construction. And it means having a real conversation about what your home will most likely sell for, not just what you hope it will sell for.
I know that’s not always easy to hear. But getting there first saves you time, money, and a lot of stress.
Presentation Matters More Than Ever
When buyers are comparing your resale home against a new-construction community with a model home, fresh paint, and builder incentives, your home has to show up.
This doesn’t mean you need a full renovation. But it does mean being honest about what a buyer will see when they walk through the door.
The things that consistently move the needle: fresh neutral paint if yours is dated, clean landscaping (especially in the front – it’s the first thing anyone sees), professional photos that actually represent the home well, and a clean, uncluttered interior for showings. I always tell my sellers: you’re selling the lifestyle of living in this home, not just the square footage. Help the buyer imagine themselves there.
Staging doesn’t have to be expensive. Sometimes it’s as simple as removing furniture to make rooms feel larger, adding a few intentional touches to the primary bedroom, and making sure every light fixture works and every faucet doesn’t drip. The small stuff adds up, and buyers notice.
Competing With New Construction Is a Real Factor
If you’re in Gilbert or Queen Creek, you’re probably aware that there are new construction communities all around you. Builders like Richmond American, Toll Brothers, Taylor Morrison, and Lennar are actively marketing in this area – and they come with incentives. Rate buydowns. Design center credits. Closing cost assistance. Sometimes they’ll contribute $20,000 to $30,000 to help buyers afford the home.
You can’t always out-incentivize a builder. But you can offer things a new build can’t: an established neighborhood, mature landscaping, a specific lot or location, and a home that’s ready now without a 6 to 12 month build timeline.
Your job – and mine – is to know your strengths and lead with them. If your home backs to open space, is within walking distance of a top-rated school, or has upgrades that would cost $50K to add in a new build, those are real selling points that deserve to be front and center.
Concessions Are Part of the Conversation Now
I want to normalize this: offering concessions doesn’t mean your home is a problem. It means you’re a smart seller reading the market.
Right now, many buyers are rate-sensitive. A 30-year fixed rate at 6.625% adds up fast on a $550,000 or $650,000 home. If you can offer a rate buydown concession that brings a buyer’s payment down meaningfully, you may attract offers you wouldn’t have otherwise.
The most common forms of seller concessions I’m seeing in Gilbert and Queen Creek right now:
Closing cost contributions. Many buyers – especially first-time buyers or those who’ve just relocated – are stretching to get to their down payment. Contributing 2 to 3% toward their closing costs can be the difference between a signed contract and a buyer who keeps searching.
Rate buydown credits. A temporary 2-1 buydown, for example, lowers the buyer’s rate for the first two years. Sellers fund it at closing. It’s become one of the most effective tools in the current market.
Repair credits or as-is concessions. If your home has deferred maintenance or an older roof, consider offering a credit rather than doing the repairs yourself. Buyers often prefer the flexibility, and it keeps the deal moving.
Not every seller needs to offer all of these. It depends on your price point, your timeline, and what the market feedback tells us once you’re listed. But being open to the conversation puts you in a much stronger position than going in with a take-it-or-leave-it posture.
What Timing Looks Like Right Now
Summer in Arizona is slower than fall and spring – buyers with kids are often waiting until school starts to make a move, and the heat keeps casual lookers off the roads. But the buyers who are active in July and August are serious. They have a reason to move. They’re not just browsing.
That can actually work in your favor. You may get fewer showings than you’d get in March, but the buyers who come through are motivated. Your job is to be ready for them.
If you’re thinking about selling in the fall, now is the time to start preparing. Get the pre-listing inspection done if you want to know what you’re working with. Start the declutter process. Talk to an agent who can give you an honest picture of what your home is worth and what you’ll need to do to stand out.
If you’re ready to list now, price it right and present it well. Those two things will carry you further than anything else.
A Final Thought
I’ve been a real estate agent in the East Valley for years, and I’ve seen different versions of this market. What I know for certain is that homes sell in every market when they’re priced and presented correctly. The sellers who struggle are usually the ones who wait too long to adjust, or who go into the process with expectations that don’t match where things actually are.
The sellers who succeed are the ones who get good information early, make clear-eyed decisions, and work with someone who’s going to be honest with them even when it’s not the most comfortable conversation.
If you’re thinking about selling your home in Gilbert or Queen Creek and you want a real conversation about what that looks like right now, I’m happy to sit down with you – no pressure, no pitch. Just honest information so you can make the best decision for your family.
Cheri Smith
REALTOR® | eXp Realty
480-298-5551
cherismithrealtor.com
@cherismith.azrealtor