Pricing a Luxury Kirkland Home This Fall: What Changed Since Spring

Many sellers I talk to this fall have the same number in their head. It is the price a neighbor got last spring, or the figure a website showed them in March. I understand why. But the Eastside market today is not the market of six months ago. If you are thinking about selling a luxury home in Kirkland or nearby, your list price is now the most important decision you will make. Here is what changed, and how I help my clients get it right.

What Changed on the Eastside This Year

The short version: buyers have choices again.

In August, King County had 7,703 active listings. That is 30% more than a year earlier. New listings were up 21%, while closed sales fell almost 14%. The county now sits at about 4.3 months of supply. A year ago, it was closer to 3.

Kirkland looks similar. The city had 539 active listings in August and 4.5 months of supply. The typical home took 31 days to sell and closed at about 97.5% of its list price. The median sale price was $1,250,000.

A quick note on that last number. One month’s median moves with the mix of homes that sold. It does not mean every home lost value. What it does tell us is that buyers are comparing more homes, taking more time, and negotiating more.

Rates matter too. The 30-year fixed rate averaged 6.95% in mid-September, up from 6.26% a year earlier. On a $1.25 million home with 20% down, that is roughly $450 more per month in principal and interest. Your buyer is doing this math. You should be doing it, too.

Why the First Two Weeks Matter More Now

When homes are scarce, a buyer may wait for yours. When there are more homes, they compare yours to everything else in the price range, often on the same weekend.

The first two weeks on the market are when interest is highest. Active buyers and their agents see the listing, book showings, and decide quickly. If your price feels high next to the other homes they toured, many will not make an offer. They will simply wait to see if the price drops.

When a price does drop, the conversation changes. Buyers start to ask what is wrong with the home. That is the opposite of the story we want to tell.

I always tell my sellers: the market does not pay you for the price you list at. It pays you for the price buyers believe in.

How I Build a Price for a Luxury Home in Kirkland

Pricing a $1M+ home is not about one number from a website. Homes in this range are more unique, so online estimates can miss by a wide margin. Here is what I review with every client:

• Recent closed sales. The last 90 days, same area, similar size, lot, and condition. Spring sales are a reference, not a promise.
• Active competition. These are the homes your buyer will tour the same weekend as yours. This is your real competition.
• Pending sales. They show where buyers are saying yes right now, before the closed data catches up.
• Search price bands. Buyers search in ranges, like $1.25M to $1.5M. List at $1,510,000, and you may disappear from the search of a buyer whose limit is $1.5M.
• Condition and presentation. Two homes with the same square footage can feel very different. Updates, staging, and photos change what buyers will pay.

Then we talk about your goals. A seller relocating for a new role may care most about timing and certainty. Another seller may have time to wait for the right buyer. Both are valid. The plan should fit the person, not just the property.

Use Every Tool You Have Before You Go Live

Sellers have more ways to prepare than they used to. Since September, the NWMLS First Look status lets a listing be marketed publicly for up to 21 days before it goes Active. You can use that window to finish projects and gather early buyer feedback on price, before the public days-on-market count starts.

For many luxury homes, I also recommend a pre-listing inspection. It helps us fix small issues early and price with fewer surprises later. And at this level, professional staging and photography are not extras. They are how your home wins the first click, and then the first showing.

Three Pricing Mistakes I See This Fall

1. Pricing off last spring. The spring market had less inventory and more urgency. Today’s buyer has seen more homes and has more time to decide.

2. “Leaving room to negotiate.” A high list price does not create room. It usually creates fewer showings, and fewer showings mean less leverage.

3. Waiting too long to adjust. If the first two weeks bring showings but no offers, the market is giving you feedback. A small, early adjustment often works better than a large, late one.

Your Next Step: A Simple Pre-Pricing Checklist

Before you settle on a number, take 30 minutes for these four steps:

1. Know your bottom line. Write down what you need to net after costs, and your ideal move date. (Your CPA can help you understand any tax impact of the sale.)
2. Ask for the full picture. Request every home that closed near you in the last 90 days, not just the best one.
3. Shop your competition. Look at the active homes in your price band, online or in person. Ask yourself honestly: would you choose yours?
4. List your deferred projects. Write down the repairs or updates you have been putting off. We can decide together which ones are worth doing before you list, and which ones are not.

This gives us a clear, calm starting point, and it keeps the decision based on real numbers instead of headlines or a neighbor’s story.

Let’s Look at Your Numbers Together

Every home and every seller is different. If you are thinking about selling this fall or early next year, I would love to walk you through the numbers for your home and your street. No pressure, just a clear plan and a team to get you to the finish line.

Book Your Free Home Value & Strategy Call

Amanda Aguiar
eXp Luxury Realtor® | Seattle WA 📍
Concierge Real Estate for Athletes & Executives

Broker, eXp Realty | WA License #22006593