It’s Not Always the House. Sometimes It’s the Strategy.
You’ve probably seen it happen. A Vermont home hits the market on Thursday, there’s a steady stream of showings over the weekend, and by Monday it’s under contract. Meanwhile, another property just down the road, perhaps with more square footage, more acreage, or even a better view, has been sitting on the market for months.
What gives?
As a Vermont Realtor, it’s a question I hear frequently, especially from homeowners who have watched their neighbors sell quickly while other listings linger. And while it’s tempting to assume that the homes selling immediately are simply more desirable, the reality is considerably more complicated.
Sometimes it’s price. Sometimes it’s condition. Sometimes it’s the location, the timing, or the way a property has been presented to potential buyers. More often, it’s a combination of factors that influence how buyers perceive value.
I’m Erin McCormick, a Realtor with Keller Williams Vermont and the founder of Travel Like a Local® Vermont. I’ve spent years studying real estate markets, marketing properties, and working with top-producing agents across the country. One thing I’ve learned is that the difference between a home that sells and one that sits often comes down to how effectively the property is positioned in the market.
And in Vermont, where no two properties are quite alike, that strategy matters even more.
Vermont Doesn’t Have One Real Estate Market
Let’s start with something that often gets lost in conversations about Vermont real estate: there isn’t one uniform housing market across the state.
A three-bedroom home in South Burlington isn’t competing with the same buyers as a ski property in Stowe, a historic farmhouse in Woodstock, or a remote cabin in the Northeast Kingdom.
Even within the same town, different price points and property types can perform very differently.
A move-in-ready home close to employment centers, shopping, and schools may appeal to a broad group of buyers. A large property with extensive acreage, unusual architecture, or specialized features may appeal to a much smaller audience.
That doesn’t make one property better than the other. It simply means their buyer pools are different.
When I evaluate how quickly a property might sell, I don’t start with the statewide average. I look at comparable properties, the number of competing listings, recent sales, pending transactions, and buyer activity within that specific market segment.
For context, Realtor.com’s September 2026 data reported a statewide median of 64 days on market for Vermont listings. But that figure masks significant differences between communities and property types.
A statewide statistic can tell us something about the overall market. It can’t tell us exactly how buyers will respond to your home.
1. The Price Has to Make Sense to Buyers
Let’s address the most obvious factor first.
You can have a beautifully maintained Vermont home, professional photography, exceptional marketing, and a desirable location. But if the asking price is significantly higher than what comparable properties support, buyers may decide to look elsewhere.
This is where I believe sellers deserve more than an agent who simply agrees with the number they have in mind.
I rely on actual market data, including recently sold properties, active competition, pending sales, price reductions, and the characteristics that distinguish one property from another.
And I look beyond the basics.
A renovated farmhouse on ten acres isn’t necessarily comparable to another farmhouse with the same square footage and acreage. One might have a modern septic system, updated mechanicals, usable open land, and beautiful mountain views. The other might have significant deferred maintenance, limited access, or a layout that doesn’t work for today’s buyers.
The data provides a starting point. Understanding the property provides context.
I also pay attention to price thresholds and how buyers search online. A property priced just outside a common search range may miss some potential buyers entirely.
The goal isn’t to price a home as high as possible. It’s to choose an asking price that makes sense relative to the competition and supports the seller’s goals.
Sometimes that means pricing at the market’s demonstrated value. Sometimes there’s a strategic reason to position a property differently. But there should always be a rationale behind the number.
And no, listing high just to see what happens isn’t much of a strategy.
2. Vermont Buyers Pay Attention to Things You Can’t See in the Photos
Here’s where Vermont gets interesting.
Imagine two charming country homes with similar square footage, acreage, and asking prices.
One is located on a town-maintained road, has a newer septic system, a reliable drilled well, efficient heating, and high-speed internet.
The other is accessed by a private road with an informal maintenance arrangement, has an older septic system with limited documentation, relies on a wood-burning heating system, and has uncertain internet options.
Both might photograph beautifully. Both might have the same mountain views. But they can represent very different ownership experiences.
If you’ve ever driven through deep mud ruts during Vermont’s fifth season, you know that a scenic dirt road isn’t always as romantic in April as it is in October.
And if you’ve ever been responsible for plowing a long, steep driveway after a heavy snowfall, you know that privacy sometimes comes with a price.
These considerations matter to buyers.
I encourage sellers to think about the questions buyers will ask and address as many of them as possible before the property goes on the market. Having available permits, maintenance records, utility information, and other relevant documentation can help buyers evaluate the property with greater confidence.
A home with unusual features or additional maintenance responsibilities isn’t necessarily difficult to sell. But it may require more education, more targeted marketing, and a different pricing approach.
3. Presentation Matters More Than Many Sellers Realize
Before a buyer walks through your front door, they’ve probably already formed an opinion about your property.
They’ve looked at the photos, studied the layout, compared the asking price with other listings, and decided whether it’s worth scheduling a showing.
And in a state like Vermont, where many buyers are searching from outside the immediate area, that online presentation can be especially important.
According to the National Association of Realtors’ 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, 81% of buyers who used the internet in their home search found listing photos very useful, while 57% said the same about floor plans.
Those numbers reinforce something I’ve believed throughout my career in marketing: how you present a product influences how people perceive its value.
I don’t believe in taking shortcuts with listing presentation.
Professional photography should be an expectation, not an upgrade. Detailed floor plans help buyers understand how a home lives, especially when they’re considering a property from a distance. Drone photography and video, when appropriate, can illustrate acreage, setting, proximity to surrounding features, and views that simply can’t be captured from the ground.
And then there’s the listing description.
If your property has custom craftsmanship, a thoughtfully designed kitchen, a permitted guest space, or an exceptional setting, those details deserve more than a generic paragraph about a charming home with endless possibilities.
A property needs to be presented in a way that helps buyers understand what makes it distinctive.
Because if buyers don’t recognize the value, they’re unlikely to pay for it.
4. Exposure Matters, But Not All Exposure Is Equal
There’s a difference between putting a property online and actively marketing it.
Listing a home in the MLS is an essential part of the process, but I don’t believe the marketing strategy should end there.
My background is in marketing, and I’ve spent years helping businesses build their brands, communicate their value, and reach the right audiences. I approach real estate the same way.
One of the advantages I bring to my sellers is the organic audience I’ve built through Travel Like a Local® Vermont.
For more than a decade, I’ve been sharing Vermont’s communities, landscapes, restaurants, small businesses, and experiences with an audience that extends across the state, throughout New England, and beyond.
That audience wasn’t purchased. It was built through consistent content creation, original photography, and years of showing people what makes Vermont worth visiting and living in.
When appropriate, I can incorporate property promotion into that established Instagram presence, reaching people who may not be actively searching Zillow or another real estate website.
Sometimes the most compelling way to introduce a property isn’t simply to show the house. It’s to show the village down the road, the nearby recreation, the local restaurants, or the landscape that makes the location appealing.
That’s particularly relevant in Vermont, where the lifestyle surrounding a property is often part of what attracts buyers in the first place.
Of course, a large audience doesn’t guarantee a sale, and exposure alone can’t compensate for an unrealistic asking price.
But thoughtful marketing can help the right people find a property, understand its appeal, and decide whether it’s worth pursuing.
5. Some Homes Have a Smaller Buyer Pool
One of the biggest misconceptions about days on market is that a home taking longer to sell must have something wrong with it.
That’s simply not always true.
A conventional three-bedroom home in a popular price range may attract a broad pool of buyers. A multimillion-dollar lakefront property, a converted barn, an off-grid cabin, or an architecturally distinctive home may appeal to a much narrower audience.
The right buyer may be willing to pay a premium for a property that’s difficult to replicate, but finding that buyer can take time.
I see this frequently with properties that have unique features or unconventional layouts. They may be exceptional homes, but they don’t necessarily fit neatly into the criteria buyers use when searching online.
This is where marketing becomes especially important.
Rather than trying to appeal to everyone, I want to identify who is most likely to appreciate the property and develop a strategy that speaks to those buyers.
A luxury mountain retreat and a village starter home shouldn’t be marketed identically, and they shouldn’t be evaluated against the same expectations for time on market.
6. Condition and Preparation Can Influence Buyer Confidence
Vermont has no shortage of older homes, and I happen to love the character of our historic properties.
Original woodwork, wide-plank floors, exposed beams, stone foundations, and generations of architectural details can make a home incredibly appealing.
But buyers also want to understand what they’re taking on.
A historic farmhouse with updated electrical systems, a newer roof, and documented improvements may inspire more confidence than a similar home with substantial deferred maintenance.
That doesn’t mean every seller should undertake major renovations before listing.
In fact, I often advise clients against spending money on improvements that are unlikely to produce a meaningful return.
The key is identifying which issues may influence buyer perception, financing, insurance, inspections, or the property’s overall marketability.
Sometimes a fresh coat of paint, thoughtful decluttering, landscaping, and professional cleaning are enough to make a meaningful difference.
Other times, addressing a more significant issue before listing can remove uncertainty that might otherwise discourage buyers.
And occasionally, the best approach is to sell a property in its existing condition, with appropriate disclosures and a pricing strategy that reflects the work a buyer will need to complete.
There’s no universal answer. It depends on the property, the market, and the seller’s circumstances.
7. The Season Can Change How Buyers Experience a Vermont Property
Vermont is a four-season state, and those seasons can have a real influence on the way a property is presented and experienced.
A home surrounded by gardens, open fields, and mountain views may look entirely different in June than it does in February.
A ski property might benefit from being marketed when winter recreation is top of mind. A lakefront home may be easier to appreciate when the docks are in, the shoreline is accessible, and buyers can understand how the outdoor spaces function.
Then there’s mud season.
If a property has a long dirt driveway or is located on a road that becomes difficult to navigate during the spring thaw, timing and access deserve consideration.
But I don’t believe there’s one universally perfect month to sell a home in Vermont.
Buyers relocate, change jobs, expand their households, downsize, and make lifestyle decisions throughout the year. Inventory levels and competition may matter more than the calendar alone.
Sometimes listing when fewer competing properties are available can be advantageous. Other times, waiting until the property can be presented at its best makes sense.
It’s another decision that should be informed by data and the specifics of the home.
8. The First Few Weeks on the Market Deserve Special Attention
When a home first hits the market, there’s an opportunity to capture the attention of buyers who have been actively searching and waiting for the right property.
They may have saved searches, email alerts, or agents monitoring new inventory on their behalf.
If the property is priced appropriately and presented well, those buyers may respond quickly.
But if the asking price doesn’t align with their expectations, they may simply move on to the next listing.
As days on market accumulate, buyers sometimes begin to wonder why a property hasn’t sold. They may assume there’s an issue, anticipate a price reduction, or feel less urgency to act.
That doesn’t mean every home needs to sell in its first weekend. It means the initial launch deserves thoughtful planning.
I want the photography, property information, pricing strategy, and marketing plan ready before a listing goes live.
I’d much rather put the work in upfront than spend the first month trying to correct avoidable mistakes.
9. Buyer Feedback Is Information, Not an Insult
One of the more challenging parts of selling a home is hearing what buyers think about it.
After years of living in a property, making improvements, and building memories, it’s understandable that sellers have an emotional connection to their homes.
Buyers don’t share that history.
They’re evaluating the property based on their needs, preferences, alternatives, and budget.
If buyers consistently comment on an awkward layout, an aging heating system, or a perceived lack of value, that feedback deserves consideration.
But not all feedback carries equal weight.
One buyer disliking a paint color doesn’t necessarily mean anything. Several qualified buyers independently raising the same concern may indicate a pattern.
I look at showing activity, online engagement, buyer comments, competing properties, and changes in market conditions together.
For example, a home receiving very few showings may have a different problem from one attracting steady showings but no offers.
The first situation may suggest that the price, presentation, or audience isn’t compelling enough to get buyers through the door. The second may indicate that buyers are interested initially but discover something about the property that changes their perception of value.
Those are different challenges, and they deserve different conversations.
10. Sometimes the Market Changes While Your Home Is Listed
Real estate markets aren’t static.
Interest rates fluctuate. New listings introduce competition. Buyer demand changes. Properties that were pending close and provide new comparable sales.
A pricing strategy that made sense when a home was first listed may need to be reconsidered as new information becomes available.
That doesn’t mean sellers should react to every slow weekend or immediately reduce their price when a competing home comes on the market.
But it does mean paying attention.
I believe a good Realtor should be proactive about interpreting market activity and discussing what it means, rather than simply waiting for something to happen.
If a property isn’t generating the response we expected, I want to understand why and determine whether the evidence supports a change in pricing, presentation, or marketing.
The goal is to make informed decisions, not emotional ones.
So, What’s the Secret to Selling a Vermont Home Quickly?
There isn’t one.
And I’d be skeptical of anyone who promises otherwise.
Some homes sell quickly because they’re in high-demand locations with limited competition. Others benefit from exceptional condition, appealing features, or a particularly strong match between the property and the available buyer pool.
But the factors sellers and their agents can influence are significant.
We can evaluate the market carefully, choose a thoughtful asking price, prepare the home, invest in professional presentation, develop a targeted marketing strategy, and respond intelligently to buyer activity.
We can’t control interest rates, the weather, or exactly when the right buyer will begin searching.
And while a quick sale can be a wonderful outcome, the fastest sale isn’t automatically the best sale. The terms, financing, contingencies, net proceeds, and likelihood of closing all matter.
My goal isn’t simply to get a property under contract as quickly as possible. It’s to help my clients make informed decisions and achieve the best outcome the market reasonably supports.
Your Home Deserves a Strategy, Not Just a Sign in the Yard
I’ve spent much of my career working at the intersection of real estate, marketing, and business strategy. I’ve led national real estate organizations, coached top-performing agents, and built an audience around my love of Vermont.
I’m also an active Realtor and have been the top agent at Keller Williams Vermont since 2025.
What I’ve learned is that successful real estate marketing requires more than one skill. It takes the ability to interpret data, understand buyers, recognize what makes a property distinctive, communicate its value, and negotiate effectively when the opportunity arises.
And because I’ve chosen to remain a solo agent, I’m personally involved in that process from beginning to end.
If you’re thinking about selling your Vermont home, I’d love to help you understand how your property compares with the competition, what buyers are responding to, and what a thoughtful selling strategy could look like.
Because the difference between a home that sells and one that sits isn’t always the house.
Sometimes, it’s what happens before the listing ever goes live.
Let's Talk About Selling Your Vermont Home
Erin McCormick | Realtor, Keller Williams Vermont
Founder of Travel Like a Local® Vermont | Live Local Vermont