Selling a home anywhere is challenging, but New York City’s complex real estate market can make it even harder. More buyers means more competition, and more competition can mean selling your home at a higher price. And in today’s market, where some real estate brokerage companies are attempting to hide listings from buyers, full public exposure matters more than ever — for buyers and sellers alike.
Analysis shows that determined buyers have joined the NYC market in force, with more homes selling — and selling faster. Whether you’re thinking about selling your home or have a listing that is lingering on the market, these data-backed tips can help you move toward the next chapter. Bring these to your agent to guide a selling strategy that will get you the most visibility and best price possible.
1. Maximize exposure to get your listing in front of the most buyers
In today’s NYC market, some listings are being marketed only within a single brokerage’s network — limiting who sees them before they ever hit the broader public market. Even for the largest of brokerage companies, that’s still a limited audience. For sellers, that means fewer buyers, less competition, and potentially less money. Simply put, a listing marketed to some buyers should be available for all buyers to see and access freely.
It’s no surprise that listing your home on a public marketplace, where buyers can view your listing for free, is the best way to get your home sold — and fast. A survey found nearly all NYC sellers agree that a home is more likely to sell quickly (94%) and at a desirable price (93%) if more prospective buyers can view it.
Listing data also shows that homes with more views are more likely to find a buyer. In 2025, buyer demand signals like views, clicks, and saves were what differentiated the top 10% of homes in their likelihood of selling, as scored by the Performance Pulse model. Moreover, another survey found 1 in 3 NYC sellers who listed privately experienced seller’s remorse.
2. Choose the right agent
Ultimately, choosing the right agent is the best way to help your home sell fast at the highest price. Many NYC sellers struggle to properly vet their agent before hiring them, foregoing important steps like checking references and understanding how the agent’s selling strategy applies to their unique needs and situation. Asking questions like “Am I foregoing anything with this marketing strategy?” is critical to ensuring you have all the information you need. Skipping a thorough interview process can often lead to regret, or time and money left on the table.
When hiring an agent to sell your home, be sure to interview several candidates. Read testimonials, request references, and ask the agent about their plans for pricing, marketing, and selling your property. Insist on a signed agreement that includes listing your home as widely as possible to help you get the maximum price for your home. Importantly, ask your agent directly whether your listing will be publicly available from day one. If they recommend a private network first, ask them to show you the data on how this strategy has performed for their previous sellers.
3. Price right – and adjust quickly
Real estate — like all things in NYC — moves fast, and the sales market this year has been no exception. Sellers have been strategically adjusting prices to account for changes in borrowing costs for buyers: a wise move in a rapidly shifting market. Rather than letting your listing languish, it may be time for a price cut.
Price adjustments and associated marketing activities can quickly drum up buyer interest in your home. A strategic price improvement, combined with activities like additional open houses and agent social media posts, resulted in a 60% increase in saves and 40% increase in views over the subsequent two weeks.
However, the timing of a price adjustment is important. In 2024, sellers of homes that sold with a price cut waited a median of 49 days before dropping their prices. Meanwhile, sellers of price-cut homes that did not sell waited a median of 132 days before lowering prices. Therefore, reacting quickly to adjust pricing and marketing strategy is key.
Visibility into price changes also provides crucial information to sellers and high-intent buyers about comparable homes on the NYC market, helping you price your home strategically. Furthermore, early price changes can signal that you’re serious and motivated to sell your home, allowing you to attract buyers who are also serious about purchasing.
4. Focus on digital curb appeal
In an age when nearly all home shoppers are starting their search online, it’s all the more important to create an eye-catching listing. Beyond appealing photos, additional forms of media — like floor plans, videos, and 3D tours — can attract more buyers to your listing. These features give buyers a sense of the space virtually, and if they like what they see and ask to see the home in person, you can be confident in their level of interest.
5. Take advantage of listing boosts to further maximize exposure
Listing platforms offer tools to help sell your home faster, such as Featured Listings, which showcase a property prominently above others on search result pages. Featured Listings see up to 96% more search views and 77% more inquiries compared to non-featured listings. By securing a top spot in search results, these listings gain a competitive edge, ensuring they’re noticed and considered by eager home shoppers over other listings.
6. Make upgrades that count
Amenities are becoming increasingly important to NYC home searchers looking to get more out of their time spent at home. While you can’t control whether your home has outdoor space or your building has an elevator, the most-searched amenity among home shoppers in 2025 was an upgrade that may be easier to make: in-unit laundry. An increasing number of buyers are searching for homes with this feature, which means adding a washer/dryer to your unit can get more eyes on your listing. And if your home already has in-unit laundry and you’re not advertising it in the listing, you’re likely missing out on added visibility among high-intent buyers.
So, how do you sell your home for more money in less time? Get the most New Yorkers’ eyes on it. Buyers can’t spot opportunities they can’t see, and sellers and home shoppers alike deserve full visibility into what’s really out there.
About the author
Abul Hasan Molla
Licensed Real Estate Salesperson with EXIT Realty DKC, helping New Yorkers buy, sell, rent and invest with clear, personal guidance.
