Answers by Juan Moreno

It’s completely reasonable to want a fair price for your home and to feel comfortable with your agent’s strategy. Pricing is a balance between attracting buyers and maximizing your net proceeds. Too low and you risk leaving money on the table; too high and you risk sitting on the market, which can hurt your leverage over time. If you’re feeling the suggested price is too low, here’s what I’d recommend: 1. Ask for the data behind the price. Request a detailed CMA (comparative market analysis) showing recent sales, active listings, and pending sales in your area. This will show how they arrived at the suggested range. 2. Discuss different pricing strategies. For example: • Market value pricing to attract strong offers quickly. • Slightly aspirational pricing to leave room for negotiation, while still being competitive. • Tiered or staged pricing where you start higher but with a specific timeline to adjust if needed. 3. Talk about your priorities. If your goal is to net the most money and you’re willing to risk a longer time on market, that’s important for your agent to know. 4. Get a second opinion. If you still don’t feel aligned and haven’t signed a listing agreement, speaking to another agent can help you compare approaches. Ultimately, you want an agent who explains their reasoning clearly, listens to your goals, and works with you on a pricing strategy you’re confident in — because a good partnership is key to getting the best outcome

It’s a fun idea — but raffling your home is usually not as simple as it sounds, and in many cases, it’s not legal without going through a very specific process. • Gambling & lottery laws: In most U.S. states, raffles are considered a form of gambling and are heavily regulated. Generally, only registered nonprofits are allowed to hold raffles — and they need permits. • Real estate laws: Selling a property this way must still follow state real estate transfer laws, disclosures, and tax rules. • Federal implications: If ticket sales cross state lines (like selling online), you could run into federal lottery regulations. • Taxes: You (and the winner) could face significant income, gift, or capital gains taxes. For a homeowner in the U.S., it’s rarely practical or legal to just ‘raffle off’ your own home.

Yes, a pocket listing will limit your home’s online exposure — and in most cases, that includes Zillow and other major real estate sites. • What a pocket listing is: It’s when your home is marketed privately (often just to an agent’s personal network or brokerage) rather than being entered into the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). • Why Zillow may not show it: Zillow and most other consumer home search sites pull their listings from the MLS. If your home isn’t in the MLS, it usually won’t appear there — unless your agent manually creates a ‘coming soon’ or non-MLS listing on Zillow, which not all agents or brokerages will do. • Other sites: Realtor.com, Redfin, Trulia, etc., work the same way — no MLS entry means no automatic posting. • Pros of pocket listings: Privacy, exclusivity, and the ability to test a high price without a public price drop history. • Cons: You greatly reduce buyer exposure, which can mean fewer showings and potentially less leverage. If your goal is to test the market at the high end without recording price reductions publicly, there are other strategies — like listing in the MLS with a “coming soon” status or doing an off-market marketing phase — that can give you more visibility than a pure pocket listing while still protecting your price history.