What is the difference between listing price and sale price?
Written and reviewed by Andrew Ragusa, Licensed Real Estate Broker and Broker of Record, REMI Realty LLC — 11+ years of transactions across Long Island, Brooklyn and Queens.
The short answer
The listing price is the advertised price used to attract buyers. After negotiating, the buyer and seller agree to a purchase price in the signed contract. They can change that price before closing if both sides agree to amend the contract. The sale price is the amount at which the transaction ultimately closes and is reported afterward. The listing price is a marketing strategy; the sale price is the completed result.
The price has to work with the property
The Jackson Heights co-op case study shows both sides of this. A $350,000 asking price produced no showing requests when the apartment’s condition did not support it. After renovation, we listed at $257,000 and the completed sale price was $267,000.
See how the pricing and condition changed the result →