Tucson, AZ – September 22, 2026
Only about 60 percent of homes are selling in Tucson’s current residential market. The homes that are not selling are not losing because of location or condition alone. Most of them are losing in the first week, before a single buyer walks through the door, because they were priced wrong from the start.
Tony Ray Baker, owner and team leader at REMAX Fine Properties in Tucson, Arizona, has been listing and selling residential real estate across the Tucson metro for over 30 years. His position on overpricing is direct: in the current market, it is the fastest way to leave money on the table.
When a home hits the market, it gets one window of peak attention. Buyers and their agents are scanning listings online, comparing photos and prices, and deciding which homes make the tour. A home priced above comparable listings does not attract more serious buyers. It gets skipped. And once a seller starts dropping the price, a new problem emerges. Buyers begin asking what is wrong with it.
“If they’ve seen several homes that already look better than yours and yours is priced higher, they’re going to either put you on the end of the list or not put you on there at all,” Tony Ray says.
The mindset Tony Ray encounters most often from sellers right now is a 2021 mentality applied to a 2026 market. During the pandemic buying frenzy, sellers could price aggressively and still attract multiple offers. That dynamic is gone. Homes in Tucson are currently selling within two to three percent of listed price on average, but that figure only holds when the home was correctly priced from the start.
“We’re in a market where things are leveling. We’re not in a market where people are bidding up. So you have to anticipate the next 90 to 180 days. That’s what the appraisers are doing, and we have to do the same,” Tony Ray says.
Tony Ray’s process for arriving at the right number begins with a physical visit to the property before any price is quoted. He compares the home against competing listings based on how it will actually show, not just what the paperwork says. The goal is for the home to be the strongest available option in its price tier, correctly positioned against everything else a buyer in that range is considering.
He also draws a clear line between concessions that work for both parties and offers designed to extract value from a seller under pressure. A buyer who offers full price and asks for closing cost contributions creates a genuine win-win. A buyer who opens low, then asks for concessions, then asks for repair credits, then pushes for a price reduction before the inspection period even begins is a different situation entirely.
Tony Ray points to a recent example. A $400,000 listing received a $350,000 offer. He advised his client not to counteroffer. Within 24 hours, a second offer arrived that netted the seller $40,000 more. The right buyer was already on the way.
“It really is about trusting that red flags mean don’t accept the offer. That’s what a good agent is here to do – help you see those red flags,” Tony Ray says.
Tony Ray Baker and his team at REMAX Fine Properties serve buyers and sellers across Tucson, Oro Valley, Marana, Sahuarita, Vail, Catalina, and Green Valley.
Media Contact:
Heather Hook
Content Studio Lead, KeyCrew Media
[email protected]
Disclosure: Individuals or companies mentioned may have a commercial relationship with KeyCrew.
