Home Didn’t Sell in 2025? Here’s Your 2026 Relaunch Plan

By Diane and Brian Hagarty

With multiple industry awards from top brokerages and a loyal following of raving fans, Diane and Brian Hagarty continue to raise the standard for what real estate service should feel like.

If your home didn’t sell last year, it’s easy to feel discouraged and assume the market is to blame. But an expired listing is rarely about the home itself; it’s almost always about the strategy, timing, and presentation.

The 2025 market shifted. Buyers became extremely value-focused and digitally savvy, scrolling past listings with poor photos, clutter, or prices that didn’t reflect hyper-local value. The problem wasn’t a lack of buyers, but a presentation that failed to connect with them.

We want to share a proven four-step plan to relaunch your home successfully in 2026, transforming your “stale” listing into a sought-after property.

The power of a strategic relaunch. We recently helped sellers whose homes had expired after months of inactivity. By updating photos, refreshing staging, making minor repairs, and, most crucially, adjusting the price using hyper-local data, we created an entirely new listing. Relaunched in early January, it immediately attracted multiple showings and a solid offer. The home hadn’t changed, but its market presence had.

Your four-step 2026 relaunch plan:

1. Re-evaluate pricing with hyper-local data: Buyers in 2025 ignored anything that felt overpriced. Your relaunch must start with a price grounded in neighborhood-level trends from the last 90 days, not last year’s highs or broad county averages.
2. Improve presentation & online appeal: First impressions are made online. Declutter, consider fresh staging, fix minor repairs, and update landscaping. New professional photography and drone footage are non-negotiable to make your home feel new.
3. Reset your digital footprint: You need more than a simple re-list. A full reset with new photos, updated descriptions, and targeted marketing (including video) makes your home feel fresh to buyers who may have scrolled past it before.
4. Launch in January, not spring: Early 2026 is a unique window. Motivated buyers are back from the holidays, inventory is still low, and competition is minimal. Launching now puts you in front of serious buyers eager to act before the spring rush.

Just remember that the most prepared sellers use the right tools. We offer two free resources: our Active Marketing Plan, which details our multifaceted selling strategy, and our 9 Critical Questions Workbook, which helps you interview agents to find the right expertise. These will provide the clarity and confidence you need to move forward.

If your home didn’t sell in 2025, let’s make 2026 your year. For a free consultation, a copy of our resources, or to start your January relaunch plan, call us at 703-386-7326, email hello@dianeandbrian.com, or visit our website. Don’t just re-list your home; relaunch it with a strategy designed for success.