What Should a Seller Hear From Their Agent in the First Week?
The first week on the market tells you more than any other. What real reporting looks like (views, saves, showings, feedback, offers), and why a seller deserves the honest read right away.
In the first week, a seller deserves the real numbers and an honest read on what they mean: how many people viewed and saved the listing, how many toured, what they said, and whether offers are coming. The first week is when buyer attention is highest. If something's off, that's the cheapest moment to find out.
What should the week-one report include?
- Online activity. Views and saves on the main sites, and how they compare with similar listings.
- Showings. How many, and how many were second showings.
- Open house traffic. Visitors, and who came with an agent.
- Feedback. Actual words from buyers and agents, not "they liked it."
- Offers or signals of offers. Disclosure requests, questions about the deadline, lender calls.
- The read. What it all suggests, and what (if anything) to change.
Why tell sellers the hard part early?
Because waiting is expensive. Every week a home sits at the wrong price or with the wrong presentation, it gets a little more stale. Clients deserve real reports, not a highlight reel. It's much easier to make a smart adjustment when everyone is looking at the same evidence.
And if the offer count is zero, I want my seller to see that. Especially then.
What does a healthy first week look like?
Strong views and saves, showings turning into second showings, consistent and specific feedback, and agents asking about the offer process. If you have views but few showings, look at the photos and price. If you have showings but no offers, look at the feedback, condition and price.
Questions people actually ask.
How often should my agent update me?
At least weekly, and the day after any open house. More often in the first two weeks.
What if my agent only says "it's slow"?
Ask for the numbers. Every agent can pull views, saves and showing counts.
Should I change the price after one week?
Rarely. One week is for reading the market. Change the price when the evidence clearly says to, usually after two to four weeks of real data.
This article is general information about Massachusetts real estate, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Every property and transaction is different. For advice on your situation, talk with me and, where appropriate, an attorney, lender, or tax professional.