Why your property is not selling: price, presentation or terms

The selling process moves through several stages: people see the listing, some send an inquiry, a smaller number come to view, and only some make an offer. Diagnosis means tracking at which stage interest 'leaks' most relative to what you'd expect.

• Few listing views → a visibility or photo/headline problem
• Many views, few inquiries → a price or description problem
• Inquiries but few viewings → a communication or availability problem
• Viewings but no offers → a price-versus-condition problem

As a hypothetical example: a listing gets 400 views in a month, 12 inquiries, 6 viewings and no offers at all. These numbers alone do not prove anything — for diagnosis it is more useful to compare the same listing on the same platform over a similar past period, and to check how many inquiries were actually followed up with a response and a booked viewing, before assuming the problem lies at the final stage.

If the listing gets few views, the usual cause is weak photos, an incomplete headline, or too narrow an audience because of the publishing channel. Quality photos with good light and a clear, specific headline usually improve visibility far faster than a price change.

Also check whether the listing is being refreshed periodically — on most platforms, regularly renewed listings rank better in search results, while a stagnant listing gradually sinks lower regardless of its quality.

When people open the listing but do not write in, the most common reason is a price that looks high relative to what is described, or missing key information — floor, maintenance fee, lift availability. Check carefully whether the price is realistic compared with similar properties in the area.

An incomplete description pushes a potential buyer on to the next listing instead of asking a question — particularly if it is missing information about parking, the year of construction or the heating type, which often decide whether a viewing is even worth arranging.

If there are inquiries but few viewings actually happen, the problem is often a slow or vague response, a difficult viewing schedule, or a mismatch between the listing's expectations and the first conversation. A quick, specific response to an inquiry keeps interest alive while it is still 'warm'.

This is the clearest signal — buyers reach the property but do not make an offer. It usually means the condition they see does not match the expectations set by the photos and the price. As a hypothetical example: an apartment listed at €110,000 gets five viewings over two months but no offers — this is usually a sign to review both the price and the condition covered in preparing the property.

Beyond stage-by-stage diagnosis, a handful of recurring mistakes slow a sale down regardless of the market.

• A price set by feel rather than by comparable sales in the area.
• Photos taken in a hurry, without decluttering the space or with poor lighting.
• A listing left unchanged for months despite a lack of results.
• Viewings only scheduled at times inconvenient for most buyers.
• No clarity on real running costs — maintenance fee, property tax, upcoming works on the entrance.

Track the number of views, inquiries, viewings and offers over the past few weeks and work out at which stage the process stalls — this points to whether the problem is presentation, price or terms. For help with the diagnosis, you can also look at our services.