5 Costly Mistakes First-Time Home Sellers Make (And How to Avoid Them)

Kendra Fisher
Jan 12
3 min read

Selling your home for the first time can feel exciting… and overwhelming. I see it all the time here in Costa Mesa, Mesa Verde, and across Orange County — homeowners who do everything right with their home, but make a few strategic mistakes when it comes to selling it.

These mistakes don’t just cause stress. They cost real money.

Here are the five biggest mistakes first-time home sellers make — and how to avoid them.

1. Overpricing the Home

This is the #1 mistake I see in Costa Mesa.

Many sellers assume:

“Let’s list high and see what happens.”

But in reality, overpricing is one of the fastest ways to lose momentum. In neighborhoods like Mesa Verde, the Westside, and Eastside Costa Mesa, buyers are extremely educated. They watch the market. They know comps. And when a home sits too long, it becomes a red flag.

Overpriced homes don’t get “better offers later.”They get price reductions, fewer showings, and weaker negotiating power.

The best homes in Costa Mesa sell quickly because they are:

Priced strategically
Marketed aggressively
Positioned to create urgency

That’s how you get multiple offers — not by chasing the market.

2. Skipping Staging

Buyers don’t buy square footage.They buy how the home makes them feel.

In competitive Orange County markets, especially in family-driven neighborhoods like Mesa Verde, staging isn’t optional anymore — it’s a sales tool.

Empty rooms look smaller.Cluttered rooms feel chaotic.Outdated furniture distracts from the home.

That’s why I pay for professional staging for my sellers. When buyers walk through a staged home, they emotionally connect — and that leads to higher offers and stronger terms.

A beautifully staged home in Costa Mesa can sell for tens of thousands more than the same home left vacant or cluttered.

3. Hiring an Out-of-Town Agent

Not all real estate is local — but Costa Mesa absolutely is.

Mesa Verde buyers shop differently than Newport Heights buyers.Westside buyers have different expectations than Eastside buyers.

An agent who doesn’t deeply know:

Costa Mesa micro-neighborhoods
Buyer behavior
School districts
Local price ceilings
What actually moves the needle

…will miss opportunities.

I grew up here. I live here. I run community events here.When buyers walk into one of my listings, they’re not just seeing a house — they’re being sold on a neighborhood.

That local advantage matters.

4. Cheap or No Professional Marketing

This one hurts sellers the most.

Your home is competing online before anyone ever steps inside. That means:

Professional photography
Video walkthroughs
Drone footage
Targeted social & buyer marketing
Listing placement that actually gets seen

Using cell phone photos or skipping video is like putting a luxury home in sweatpants.

At Torelli Realty, we invest heavily in high-end photography, videography, and marketing because it directly impacts:

How many buyers see your home
How emotionally connected they feel
How competitive the offers become

More exposure = more demand = more money.

5. Thinking the Agent Is Just There to “Put It on MLS”

This is the biggest misunderstanding.

The real value of a great listing agent is:

Pricing strategy
Vendor coordination (repairs, paint, landscaping, hauling, staging)
Marketing
Negotiation
Creating urgency
Protecting your bottom line

When I list a home in Costa Mesa, I’m not just putting it online — I’m running a full-scale sales campaign designed to get my seller the highest possible price with the least amount of stress.

The Bottom Line

Selling your home is one of the biggest financial moves you’ll ever make. Getting it right matters.

If you’re in Costa Mesa, Mesa Verde, or anywhere in Orange County and thinking about selling — even just in the next year — I’m always happy to walk you through: