Start high or launch near the likely sale price for a Jakarta apartment?

[rue_numbers]

Two agents have valued my Jakarta apartment quite differently. The higher proposal is tempting, but I have noticed similar listings start ambitiously, sit for roughly 21 days, then reduce.

I am deciding whether to test the higher price or launch closer to the likely sale price and make better use of the first-week interest. What evidence should I ask each agent to provide? I am particularly interested in recent completed sales rather than optimistic asking prices.

 

[jade_deals]

I would lean toward the realistic launch unless the higher-valuing agent can support the figure with genuinely comparable completed sales. Ask for the original asking price, any reductions, final sale price and time on market for each example. Also check that “similar” means the same building or a genuinely comparable part of Jakarta, with equivalent condition and unit characteristics.

 

[rue_numbers]

That is a useful distinction. I had been looking mainly at current advertisements, which does not show whether those sellers achieved anything close to the displayed price. I will ask both agents to use the same neighbourhood boundaries and separate completed sales from active listings. What else would reveal whether the listings sitting for 21 days are normal stock or simply overpriced?

 

[jade_deals]

Ask how many competing apartments were newly listed during that period and how many older ones disappeared. A vanished advertisement is not necessarily a completed sale; it may have been withdrawn or moved to another agent. For the reduced listings, note when the first cut happened and whether interest appeared before or only after the new price.

 

[jade_deals]

One more factor is buyer financing. A price can look defensible against asking listings but still meet resistance if likely buyers cannot obtain financing at that level. I would ask each agent what buyer profile they expect, how they reached that conclusion, and whether their comparable completed deals involved financed or cash buyers—if they actually know.

 

[emery_repairs]

I would not automatically treat a high launch as a mistake. If this apartment has materially better condition or features than the apparent comparables, pricing from the average completed sale could leave money behind. Equally, the 21-day pattern alone does not prove the initial prices caused the delay. Poor presentation, narrow neighbourhood comparisons or heavy new-listing volume could also explain it. The higher agent still needs evidence, though, not just confidence.

 

[anika_west]

Set the strategy before choosing the agent. Agree on the launch price, what feedback will be recorded, and a specific date for reconsidering it. During the first week, distinguish enquiries from viewings and viewings from credible offers. If there is traffic but no offers, condition or presentation may be the issue; if there is little qualified interest, price is the stronger suspect. Do not wait until day 21 merely because other sellers did.

 

[tennisAndMeter]

Seller motivation should decide how much testing is sensible. Someone able to wait may accept the risk of launching high, while a seller with a firm timeline may value early competition more. Give both agents the same request: relevant completed sales, active and withdrawn stock, reduction histories, expected buyer financing and an explanation of condition adjustments. Then compare the evidence and proposed response to weak interest, not just the headline valuations.