Sellers are cutting prices at rapid pace

It’s all in the presentation

As our first story shows, inventory is up to its highest levels in five years. That means more options for buyers, and a lot of competition on the market.

If you’re representing sellers, it’s so crucial to give them every leg up, and so much of that comes down to staging.

That’s our second story. We give you the key stats from a survey which shows how staging affects the home sale process, and what buyers are looking for when they walk inside that house for the first time.

This data can truly help agents really get buyers moving.

With that, let’s move into today’s Blueprint!

- James and David

Nearly one-quarter of listings saw price cut in April

24.5% of listings had a price cut in April, the highest share for this time of year since at least 2018, according to Zillow’s update. This is a result of several factors: more inventory on the market and economic uncertainty keeping buyers on the sidelines. Here are key data points from Zillow’s report:

• New listings were up 9.8% month-over-month and up 7.6% year-over-year, pushing inventory up 19.6% annually, the highest supply since 2020. 

• Newly-pending listing sales were up 3.4% from March, but they’re still down 2.5% YOY. 

• Markets in the Northeast and West Coast remain hot due to limited supply, while Southern metros like Tampa and Jacksonville have cooled, giving buyers more leverage.

Our take

These are all positive signs. The spring market isn’t booming, but it’s far from dead. Inventory is up, buyers have more options, and sellers are getting into the market, and getting aggressive with pricing too. Though the season started slowly, improved affordability and increased choices point to a healthier market ahead.

How staging homes is helping sellers

According to NAR’s latest report, well-staged homes not only sell faster but also command higher offers. Here are the five key stats from the report:

• 29% of seller agents said staging increased offers by 1% to 10%.

• 49% of seller agents said staging cut time on market.

• Buyers agents said the top spaces buyers want staged are the living room (37%), primary bedroom (34%), and kitchen (23%) 

• Buyer agents said the most often staged areas are the living room (91%), primary bedroom (83%), dining room (69%), and kitchen (68%).

• 73% of buyer agents say quality photos are critical, followed by physical staging (57%), listing videos (48%), and virtual tours (43%).

Our take

The data confirms what seasoned agents already know: staging isn’t fluff, it’s leverage. Buyers form quick impressions, and staging helps them envision the space as their own, making it a powerful tool for agents looking to get top dollar for their listings. Whether it's a modest decluttering or full-scale design work, the return on investment is real and measurable.

Foreclosures spiked compared to last year

There was a 40% year-over-year jump in housing foreclosures in Q1 2025, but that’s still 13% below pre-pandemic 2019 levels, according to the New York Fed Household Debt and Credit Report. 61,660 U.S. housing foreclosures occurred in the first quarter. Typically, foreclosure activity is preceded by a rise in 90+ day mortgage delinquencies, but those remain historically low at 0.86%, well below the 1.00% seen in 2019 and the 2.08% in 2016.

Here are the numbers of housing foreclosures by quarter, and the percentage of household mortgage balances 90+ days delinquent:

Our take

Economic anxiety and uncertainty are high right now, and in moments like these, your clients need calm, clarity, and context. Be wary of both Chicken Littles and “everything-is-fine” Pollyannas. Just stay focused on the data. Yes, foreclosures are rising, but those numbers are largely driven by the expiration of the VA foreclosure moratorium, not deep structural risk. This isn’t 2008. Mortgage delinquencies are still below pre-pandemic levels. Still, it’s worth watching closely. Foreclosures are an early sign of economic distress, so agents must be vigilant. Share the data to steady the nerves of any jittery clients.

Schematics

The news that just missed the cut

• Here’s how agents can 10X their income with AI

• Little chance of rate cuts in the current economy

• C.A.R and CRMLS come out in favor of transparency

• The new real estate-based deals cities and sports teams are making

• Billionaire Donald Bren plans to convert Newport Beach office space into homes

Foundation Plans

Advice from James and David to win the day

In today’s edition, we conclude our two-part series summarizing and commenting upon the terrific advice from Tim and Julie Harris in their excellent new resource, which helps agents build a better, more efficient business. You can read part one of our series here. 

1. Create a daily success schedule – Achieving success in real estate often means pushing yourself to tackle tasks you may not always enjoy, especially when the timing isn’t ideal. It’s never easy to negotiate tough deals, ask sellers to lower their prices, call FSBOs, or inform buyers they’ve lost out on a property. To make all these tasks more manageable, develop a daily success routine filled with actions that will move your business forward, and commit to completing them consistently.

Here are some recommended daily activities proven to drive real estate success:

• Review your finances.

• Engage in meaningful real estate conversations with as many people as the number of transactions you aim to close this year.

• Practice immediate, thorough follow-up on 100% of your leads.

• Show appreciation to those who matter to you.

• Schedule a new, prequalified appointment before noon.

• Knock on doors or call at least one expired listing.

• Provide transaction updates to all pending clients.

• Dedicate at least one hour to exercise.

• Meet three new people and discuss real estate.

Your schedule should never be a mystery to you. You should know what you are doing each day. Have a plan of attack and energetically execute from the get-go. 

2. Develop mental toughness – Success in any business demands mental resilience, but in real estate, where no two days are the same, unexpected challenges always arise. It’s so crucial to learn how to stay grounded when stress, frustration, or uncertainty try to take over. This is truly one of the keys to long-term success in our industry.

3. Use the best scripts & presentations – You may think scripts make you sound less authentic, but instead of viewing them that way, think of them as training tools. Many people can’t come up with things to say and presentations to pitch on the fly, especially new agents thrust into unknown situations. Scripts are a useful way to prepare yourself for any situation. Just as firefighters prepare by simulating difficult scenarios, agents need to rehearse for any conversation they might have, especially the more difficult ones. As Tim and Julie say, “Scripts work. Every professional you know uses one, from the pilot on your plane to the doctor you’re seeing next week to your kid’s teacher starting out their day, scripts are there to keep you on track. To make your scripts work for you, memorize, internalize, and personalize them.”

To learn more, have a look at the entire resource.

Just in Case

Keep the latest industry data in your back pocket with today’s mortgage rates:

“The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Taking ownership of your life is demanding, but it's also liberating. Instead of being pushed around by circumstances you can't control, you get to chart your own course. Embrace the responsibility of building the life you want. Decide to become the person you want to be

- James and David