The situation
The home had been on the market 155 days without success. There was nothing wrong with the house itself. What was wrong was the gap between what it was asking and what buyers in that price band were actually paying. The photos were not doing it any favors either.
At 155 days the listing had also picked up a reputation. In The Villages buyers compare carefully, and a home that has been sitting for five months gets read as a home other people have looked at and rejected.
Repricing against reality, not against hope
The price was not set against what was closing on comparable homes. It was set against what other sellers were asking, which is a completely different and far less useful number.
I went back to actual closed sales in the surrounding 90 days and adjusted for the things that genuinely move a number here: bond balance, cart accessibility, roof age and which square you can reach. That produced a real figure rather than an aspirational one.
Reshooting it
Then we had the home reshot. The photos are the entire first impression for a buyer scrolling on a phone from another state, which is most of the buyer pool here. If the photography is flat, the home is flat, regardless of what it is like in person.
Same house, same street, same square footage, presented as what it actually was.
The result
Under contract in 14 days at $262,500.
The seller’s own words, in a verified review: “Our home sat on the market for 160 days with no success. Once Mo stepped in, it was under contract in just 14 days.” (Max Leetzow, The Villages, FL)
The review is quoted exactly as the seller wrote it. The MLS history shows 155 days on market.
Check it yourself. This sale appears under “Listings and sales” on Mo’s realtor.com profile. In the Lake County Property Appraiser’s property search, alternate key 3284046 (1202 Del Toro Dr) shows the $262,500 sale with a deed date of January 9, 2026. Checked October 25, 2026.
“It was frustrating that we had what we thought was a good price on the house and we were wrong, but no one would point that out. Mo did.”
Peggy, one of the sellers, in the video
Read what she says (transcript)
Mo: Hey guys, today I’m here with Peggy, one of my sellers. Before we worked together, her home was on the market for 155 days. Peggy, how was that experience like for you?
Peggy, the seller: It was frustrating that we had what we thought was a good price on the house and we were wrong, but no one would point that out. Mo did.
Mo: Thank you, Peggy. And after Peggy and I started working together, her home was under contract in 14 days. This is how business should be done.
Two things account for most stalled listings here: a price set against other people’s asking prices rather than actual closings, and photography that does not survive being viewed on a phone. Both are fixable in a week. Dropping the price repeatedly without fixing the second one just teaches buyers to wait for the next reduction.
Questions this raises
My home has been listed for months. What do I do first?
Look at what actually closed nearby in the last 90 days, not what neighbors are asking. Asking prices tell you what sellers hope for; closed prices tell you what buyers did. Most stalled listings are priced against the wrong number.
Do photos really make that much difference?
In The Villages, enormously. A large share of your buyer pool is out of state and scrolling on a phone before they ever fly down. Flat photography means they never get to the point of flying down.
Should I just keep reducing the price?
Repeated small reductions are usually the worst option. Buyers learn to wait for the next one, and days on market keeps climbing. It is generally better to fix presentation and make one decisive, well-reasoned adjustment.
How quickly can you tell if the new approach is working?
The first ten to fourteen days tell you almost everything: showing requests, saves and inquiries. If those numbers are not moving, I will tell you early rather than let it sit and go stale again.
Want the same review for your home?
Listed for months without the result you expected? Send the address and I’ll compare it with what actually closed nearby in the last 90 days, not what nearby homes are asking. Free, with no obligation to list. If your home is still under a listing agreement with another brokerage, talk to that agent first. For how market time and contract time work here, read how long it takes to sell a house in The Villages.