By Jason Boice, REALTOR®, eXp Realty — Published on September 3, 2026

TL;DR

Before the sellers of 559 East Street in Hebron, Connecticut contacted me, their property had already been listed with another real estate agent for approximately six months without receiving an offer.

Rather than simply putting it back on the market, we started by taking a fresh look at the entire situation.

We investigated alternative possibilities for the property's substantial acreage, including meeting with the Town Planner and Wetlands Commission and exploring options involving a potential subdivision and conservation of some of the land. When the sellers ultimately decided that selling the entire property was the best option for them, we developed a new pricing and marketing strategy specifically around what made the property unique.

The result:

• Listed for $649,900

• Received 4 offers

• Under contract in just 6 days

• Sold for $676,000 — $26,100 over asking price

For me, the biggest lesson from this sale is an important one for any homeowner interviewing real estate agents:

The agent who tells you the highest price isn't necessarily the agent who will get you the best result.

A Unique Hebron Property That Needed a Different Strategy

559 East Street isn't a typical house on a typical residential lot.

The property included substantial acreage, a barn and an established tree farm. The land wasn't simply something extra that came with the house. It was a major part of what made the property special and potentially valuable to the right buyer.

When the sellers first contacted me, they were understandably frustrated.

Their home had already been listed with another real estate agent for approximately six months without receiving an offer.

They also felt there had been a lack of communication throughout the process. They weren't getting the level of feedback they wanted from the few showings they had, and they didn't feel other potential opportunities involving the property and its acreage were being fully explored.

Interestingly, they found me by researching real estate agents in Hebron and reading reviews from my previous clients online.

When we met, I didn't think the first question should simply be, “What price should we list the house for?”

First, I wanted to determine whether selling the entire property was actually their best option.

Before Listing, We Investigated Other Possibilities for the Land

With a property like 559 East Street, I believe part of representing a seller well is being willing to investigate opportunities rather than automatically putting a sign in the yard.

The sellers owned a significant amount of land, so we explored whether there might be another way to structure what they did with the property.

That process included meetings and conversations with the Hebron Town Planner and Wetlands Commission. Through those discussions, we also explored possibilities involving the State of Connecticut.

Among the potential options were subdividing a portion of the property and exploring whether some of the acreage could potentially be sold or preserved through a conservation arrangement.

There were possibilities, but there were also significant unknowns.

The process could have taken considerable time, and there was no guarantee regarding the eventual outcome.

After considering the options, the sellers decided they didn't want to spend months pursuing an uncertain process.

They wanted to move forward and sell the property.

Once that decision was made, our focus shifted to determining the right price and, just as importantly, figuring out how to present this unusual property properly to buyers.

Pricing a Home to Sell Is Different From Pricing a Home to List

This sale illustrates something I think homeowners need to understand when interviewing real estate agents.

You shouldn't necessarily hire the agent who gives you the highest suggested listing price.

A homeowner can list a property for virtually any price.

That doesn't mean the market will support it.

There is a practice in real estate sometimes referred to as “buying the listing.” An agent gives a homeowner an overly optimistic suggested price to win the listing, knowing there is a good chance price reductions will eventually be needed.

The seller is the one who bears the consequences if that strategy doesn't work.

An overpriced home can sit on the market, lose the momentum that comes with being a new listing, and leave buyers wondering why it hasn't sold.

That's why I believe a pricing recommendation needs to be supported by the market rather than based on what a seller would like to hear.

For 559 East Street, after completing my market analysis and discussing the strategy with the sellers, we ultimately listed the property for $649,900.

But pricing was only one part of what needed to change.

The Marketing Needed to Help Buyers Understand the Land

One of the biggest opportunities I saw was the presentation of the acreage.

The previous listing had included traditional photography and aerial drone photography.

But there's a problem with simply putting a drone in the air and taking pictures of a property with a large amount of land:

Buyers don't necessarily know what they're looking at.

Where does the property begin?

Where does it end?

How much of the land visible in the photograph actually belongs to the property?

Those were important questions because the acreage was one of the major reasons someone might choose to purchase 559 East Street.

Our marketing needed to make that much easier to understand.

Property Video

We created a dedicated marketing video discussing both the house and the land.

Instead of relying entirely on photographs and listing remarks, the video gave us another opportunity to explain what made the property different and highlight the benefits that might appeal to the right buyer.

Drone Photography With the Property Outlined

We used aerial drone photography, but we took it a step further.

The property boundaries were illustrated directly on the aerial images.

That gave prospective buyers a much clearer visual understanding of the size, shape and scope of the property.

For a home on a traditional neighborhood lot, that might not make much difference.

For a property where the acreage is one of its biggest selling points, I think it makes a tremendous difference.

Zillow Showcase

We also marketed 559 East Street using Zillow Showcase, giving the property an enhanced presentation to buyers searching online.

Detailed On-Site Property Books

Our marketing didn't stop online.

We created a detailed print marketing book that buyers could take with them when they visited the property.

It included information about the home and land, property boundaries, the local school system and things to do in Hebron.

The goal wasn't simply to create more marketing.

It was to create better and more useful marketing specifically designed for this property.

The Market Responded in 6 Days

The response was dramatically different.

After the property had previously spent approximately six months on the market without receiving an offer, our new listing generated:

Four offers in six days.

We ultimately accepted an offer for $676,000 — $26,100 above our $649,900 asking price.

Price wasn't the only consideration when we evaluated those offers, either.

The winning buyers provided terms that gave the sellers additional protection during the transaction. They agreed that they would only make a repair request for an individual item exceeding $5,000, and they agreed to purchase the barn in its existing, as-is condition.

There was also another component of their offer that mattered to the sellers.

The buyers wanted to continue using the property as a tree farm.

Knowing that the new owners appreciated what had been created there and wanted to continue using the property in that way was meaningful to the sellers.

That's another reason I tell sellers that choosing an offer isn't always as simple as looking at which buyer wrote down the highest number.

Price matters tremendously, but so do contingencies, inspections, financing, timing, risk and sometimes the buyer's plans for the property.

Our job is to look at the entire offer and help the seller determine which combination of price and terms represents the best outcome for them.

What the Sellers Said After Closing

After the sale was complete, one of the sellers left this review about their experience working with me:

“We found Jason and called him based on reviews we had seen and thank goodness we did! From the moment we reached out, Jason was professional, genuinely interested and communicated effectively. Our house had been on the market for 6 months with no offers when we opted to change realtors and list with Jason. He thoroughly researched it for an accurate market analysis and even took the time to review alternative options for us because we owned a lot of land. Ultimately the house went under contract in 6 days and sold for $26K over list price! The photos, listing and video Jason and his team created were excellent and went a long way to showcasing the positives of the home and the large amount of acreage. If you are buying or selling, we highly recommend you contact Jason! We are truly thankful for all he did for us!”

I'm especially grateful they took the time to leave such a detailed review because reviews from other homeowners were how these sellers found me in the first place.

Their experience can now potentially help the next homeowner who's trying to decide who they should trust with their sale.

What Can Other Sellers Learn From 559 East Street?

I don't think the lesson is simply:

“We sold a house for $26,100 over asking.”

And I certainly wouldn't tell someone that every home that failed to sell can be relisted and generate four offers in six days.

Every property and every situation is different.

The more important lesson is that when a home isn't selling, you need to understand why.

In this case, there were several things worth reconsidering.

The pricing needed a fresh look.

The marketing needed to do a better job of communicating one of the property's most important assets—the land.

The sellers wanted better communication.

And before selling, they wanted someone willing to investigate whether there were other opportunities for the acreage that might make more sense for them.

We addressed all of those things.

Then the market told us very quickly that buyers saw value in the new positioning.

Six months without an offer became four offers in six days.

Don't Choose an Agent Just Because They Tell You the Highest Price

If there's one thing I'd want another seller to take away from this story, it's this:

When you're interviewing real estate agents, don't automatically choose the person who tells you your house is worth the most.

Ask them to show you why.

Ask to see the comparable sales.

Ask how they arrived at their recommended price.

But don't stop there.

Ask how they're going to market your property differently from every other home competing for buyers' attention.

Ask how they'll communicate with you after showings.

Ask what happens if the original strategy isn't working.

Ask how they'll negotiate on your behalf when an offer comes in.

And ask whether they're willing to dig deeper when your property presents an unusual opportunity or challenge.

The best agent isn't necessarily the person who tells you what you want to hear during the listing appointment.

It's the person you believe will market the property, communicate with you, negotiate for you and fight for the best possible outcome once you've hired them.

Frequently Asked Questions About Selling a Home That Didn't Sell

What should I do if my house has been listed for months without selling?

Before simply relisting it, determine why it didn't sell. Pricing, presentation, marketing, condition, showing activity, buyer feedback and current market conditions should all be evaluated. A new listing agreement by itself doesn't solve the underlying problem.

Should I hire the real estate agent who gives me the highest home valuation?

Not necessarily. Ask each agent to support their recommended price with comparable sales and current market data. You should also evaluate their marketing, communication, negotiation strategy and track record. A high suggested list price doesn't mean buyers will be willing to pay it.

Can better real estate marketing actually affect a home sale?

Yes, particularly when a property has features that aren't easily communicated through ordinary listing photographs. At 559 East Street, the acreage was a significant part of the property's appeal, so video marketing and aerial photography illustrating the property boundaries helped buyers better understand what was being offered.

How quickly did 559 East Street in Hebron sell?

After previously spending approximately six months on the market without an offer, 559 East Street was listed for $649,900 under a new pricing and marketing strategy. It received four offers, went under contract in six days and ultimately sold for $676,000.

How much over asking did 559 East Street sell for?

559 East Street sold for $676,000, which was $26,100 above its $649,900 list price.

Do you work with Hebron homeowners whose previous listing didn't sell?

Yes. When I meet with a homeowner whose property was previously listed without selling, I want to understand why before recommending another strategy. That can include reviewing the previous pricing, marketing, photographs, showing activity, buyer feedback, comparable sales and current competition.

The goal isn't simply to put the property back on the MLS. It's to determine what needs to be different the next time.

Is Your Hebron, CT Home Not Selling?

If your home has been sitting on the market—or your previous listing expired without a sale—I'd be happy to take a fresh look at it.

Sometimes the answer is a different price.

Sometimes it's better marketing.

Sometimes the property has opportunities that haven't been fully investigated.

And sometimes it's a combination of all three.

The important thing is figuring out why the previous strategy didn't produce the result you wanted before repeating it.

About the Author

Jason Boice, REALTOR® | eXp Realty

Jason Boice is a Connecticut real estate agent helping buyers and sellers throughout Hebron, Marlborough, Colchester, East Hampton, Andover, Glastonbury and surrounding Connecticut communities.

If you're thinking about selling your home—or wondering why it didn't sell the first time—call or text 860-452-3153 to discuss your options.