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At a recent listing, we had a very busy first weekend—more than 60 groups walked through the home. One couple was transferring from out of state for work, young families hoping to enroll their children in the school district, retirees wanting to relocate back to the South Bay where it's cooler, families with babies needing more space to grow and a Dallas Cowboy!

But some of my favorite visitors weren’t buyers at all. They were the neighbors.

They stopped by to see the house, of course—because who doesn’t want to see what the house down the street looks like inside? But before long, they were sharing what they loved about living there: the schools, the people on the street, their remodels, how long they had lived there, their kids—the little things you would never find in an MLS description.

At one point, I watched a buyer turn a casual conversation with a neighbor into a mini neighborhood interview: Is the street quiet? Do neighbors know each other? Are there young families nearby? Is the neighborhood safe? Who better to give a firsthand perspective than someone who calls the neighborhood home?

It reminded me that when someone buys a home, they’re rarely just buying four walls and a roof. They’re imagining Saturday mornings, walks around the block, where their kids might play, who lives next door, and whether this feels like a place they could call home.

The house ultimately received nine offers—all over asking. Was that because the neighbors stopped by? Of course not. But it reinforced something I see all the time in real estate:

A great neighborhood is part of the value of your home.

So here’s my real estate nugget for sellers: When it comes time to sell, don’t just think about what’s inside your property. Think about the story surrounding it.

The favorite coffee shop. The great school down the street. The neighbor who always waves. The park everyone walks to. Those little things might feel ordinary when you live there, but to a buyer, they could be exactly what makes it feel like home.

And when we meet to talk about selling your home, I’ll ask you a simple question:

“What will you miss most about living here?”

Your answer may become one of the most valuable pieces of the story we tell buyers.