Updated: November 14, 2026 · By Mark Dietel, Broker/Owner, Mark Dietel Realty · 7-minute read
In Indianapolis, review your price after two to three weeks without a strong offer, and before day 30. Mark Dietel Realty's read of MIBOR sales in Marion and Johnson counties, Indiana: homes that cut sold near the reduced price yet well below their starting price. Few showings usually points to price; showings without offers point to price or condition.
What we analyzed: closed residential sales in Marion and Johnson counties recorded in the MIBOR Broker Listing Cooperative (BLC) listing service, closed November 14, 2025 to November 13, 2026, grouped by whether the list price was ever lowered, plus homes for sale on November 14, 2026. Aggregates only.
Key takeaways
- Homes that never lowered their price went under contract in about a week, at their original list price (medians). Days on market counts the days a home is listed before it goes under contract.
- Homes that lowered their price sold for about 98% of the reduced price. Measured against where they started, they sold for about 92% to 93%.
- Cut homes also took about two months to go under contract.
- Among homes that took 61 to 90 days to sell, more than 8 in 10 had lowered their price.
- Before you cut, check whether the problem is price, promotion or the house itself.
When do Indianapolis sellers usually lower their price?
Most price cuts in Marion and Johnson counties came after the first two weeks on the market. Homes that sold fast almost never changed price. Homes that sat a month or two usually had, and they sold further below where they started.
Closed sales by days on market (MIBOR BLC, Nov. 14, 2025 to Nov. 13, 2026)
| Days on market | Marion County sales | Marion share with a price cut | Marion median sale price vs original list | Johnson County sales | Johnson share with a price cut | Johnson median sale price vs original list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 to 14 | 4,659 | 3.3% | 100.0% | 992 | 3.5% | 100.0% |
| 15 to 30 | 1,846 | 38.3% | 97.0% | 335 | 45.4% | 97.3% |
| 31 to 60 | 1,923 | 69.4% | 94.9% | 465 | 70.5% | 95.3% |
| 61 to 90 | 1,113 | 86.0% | 92.3% | 249 | 83.1% | 93.7% |
| 91 or more | 1,748 | 92.9% | 88.9% | 393 | 94.7% | 91.0% |
The 15-to-30-day group is where cuts start to become common in both counties. These figures describe thousands of sales, so use them as a guide to timing for your own house.
Our view at Mark Dietel Realty: In our experience, the first 30 days on the market decide most sales. That is when the buyers already waiting at your price see your home, and the price they see on day one is the one they judge.
Do homes that cut their price sell for less?
Yes, compared with where they started. Homes in Marion and Johnson counties that lowered their price sold for about 92% to 93% of their original price over the past year. Compared with the reduced price, they sold for about 98%, so buyers mostly paid close to the new number.
Sold homes with and without a price cut (MIBOR BLC, Nov. 14, 2025 to Nov. 13, 2026)
| Group | Closed sales | Median days on market | Median sale price vs original list | Median sale price vs final list | Median gap, original to final list | Median sale price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marion County, never cut | 6,514 | 8 | 100.0% | 100.0% | None | $258,000 |
| Marion County, cut at least once | 4,775 | 65 | 91.9% | 98.0% | 5.6% | $247,900 |
| Johnson County, never cut | 1,340 | 7 | 100.0% | 100.0% | None | $322,000 |
| Johnson County, cut at least once | 1,094 | 63 | 93.2% | 98.2% | 4.3% | $334,000 |
Our view at Mark Dietel Realty: In our experience, homes that reduce their price tend to sell close to the reduced price. What sellers often lose is the time spent at the first price.
The time gap matters too. Every extra week at the first price is another week of mortgage payments, property taxes, insurance and utilities, plus keeping the house ready for showings.
Is it different in Marion and Johnson counties?
The pattern is the same in both counties, with two differences. Johnson County sellers who cut gave up a little less from their starting price, and they started cutting earlier: close to half of Johnson County homes that sold in 15 to 30 days had already lowered their price.
In Marion County, cut homes ended up a little further below where they started. Right now, about 6 in 10 homes for sale in each county are listed below their original price.
Our view at Mark Dietel Realty: Your price range puts you in your own market.
Before you decide, ask for the cut share and sale-price figures for homes in your price range near you.
One caution: these numbers show what happened. Some homes that cut also had condition or location issues that no price change could fix.
Is your price the problem, or is it something else?
Check the price, the promotion and the house itself before you cut. Buyers touring without offering often points to price or condition. Few buyers touring often points to price or promotion: the photos, the description and how fast showing requests get answered.
What you are seeing, and what to check first
| What you are seeing | What it often points to | What to check first |
|---|---|---|
| Few showing requests in the first two weeks | Price or promotion | Where your price sits next to the active homes buyers will tour; your photos and description |
| Showings but no offers | Price or the house | Showing feedback and what buyers say about condition |
| Offers well below your list price | Price | Recent sales at your price range, not the county average |
| Buyers back out after the inspection | The house | The inspection items, and whether a repair or a credit answers them |
Our view at Mark Dietel Realty: When a home does not sell, the cause is almost always price, promotion or product. The fix is to find which of the three it was before relisting.
If price is the answer, size the change so it reaches new buyers. In our experience, buyers search home-search websites with price limits in round numbers, so a cut that keeps you in the same search range may not reach anyone new. Among homes that cut and sold, the median gap between first and final list price was about 6% in Marion County and about 4% in Johnson County. Those figures describe what sellers did, and your own number should come from your price range.
What does this look like in Central Indiana?
In the county medians, homes that started high and cut later sold lower and took longer than homes that never changed price. The hypothetical Johnson County home below, not a real listing, applies that county's medians: recent sales support about $300,000, and the seller lists at $315,000 to leave room to negotiate.
Hypothetical example: two ways to price the same $300,000 home
| Item | Priced to recent sales on day one | Priced high, cut later |
|---|---|---|
| Starting list price | $300,000 | $315,000 |
| Price change | None | Cut to $300,000 after about six weeks |
| If it follows the county medians | Sells near $300,000 | Sells near $294,000, about 98% of the reduced price |
| Typical time to contract for its group | About a week | About two months |
| Carrying costs while it sits | Your mortgage, taxes, insurance and utilities (enter yours) | The same costs for the extra weeks (enter yours) |
| Agent compensation | Your negotiated agent compensation (enter yours) | Your negotiated agent compensation (enter yours) |
In the second path, the seller sells for about $6,000 less and waits about seven to eight weeks longer, while paying to carry the house the whole time. Your own result depends on your house, your price range and the month you list, so use this example to frame your decision.
When this doesn't apply
- Your home is one of a kind for its area, such as acreage, a custom build or a price range with few sales. Medians from thousands of sales say little about it.
- You have no deadline and are comfortable waiting at your price. Time costs less when you are not carrying two homes.
- The issue is the house. A lower price will not fix a roof or water problem that every inspector finds.
- You owe close to what the house is likely to sell for. Talk with your lender, and a CPA or attorney, before you set a lower price.
What to do next
If your home has been on the market two or three weeks without a strong offer, ask your agent for three things in writing: the active homes at your price, the showing feedback so far, and a fresh look at recent sales in your price range. That tells you whether the fix is price, promotion or the house.
Prefer to talk? Call (317) 426-9911. Mark Dietel Realty has offices in Southside Indianapolis, Greenwood and Bloomington.
Read next: start with should you list your Indianapolis home as coming soon first?, then what day should you list your house in Indianapolis?. Still setting your first price? See should you list your Indiana house above what the CMA says?
Frequently asked questions
How long should I wait before lowering my price in Indianapolis?
There is no set day, but the first two to three weeks tell you a lot. Over the past year in Marion and Johnson counties, homes that never changed price typically went under contract within about a week. If you are past that point with few showings or no offers, review price, promotion and condition.
Will a price cut make buyers think something is wrong with my house?
Buyers can see price history on most home-search websites, so a cut is visible. Over the past year, homes that cut in Marion and Johnson counties still sold for about 98% of their reduced price. In our experience, buyers mostly judge whether the new price fits the homes they tour that same week.
Does taking my house off the market reset the days on market?
Not under MIBOR's listing service rules. When a listing is withdrawn or set to Temporary Off Market, the days on market count pauses instead of starting over. The rules set out when a long break changes that, so ask your agent how they apply to your dates before you pull a listing.
How much should I lower my price?
Enough to change which buyers see your home and how it compares with the homes they tour. Among homes that cut and sold over the past year, the median gap between first and final list price was about 6% in Marion County and about 4% in Johnson County.
Should I cut my price or offer a buyer credit instead?
It depends on what is holding buyers back. If showing feedback points to a specific repair, a credit or the repair itself can answer it directly. If buyers are choosing other homes at your price, a credit rarely changes that, because buyers compare list prices when they search. Ask for the feedback first.
This is general information, not legal, tax or appraisal advice. Confirm your situation with the Marion County or Johnson County Assessor, a CPA or an attorney.
Mark Dietel Realty - offices in Indianapolis (Southside), Greenwood and Bloomington, Indiana.
Sources
- MIBOR BLC closed residential sales, Marion and Johnson counties, closed November 14, 2025 to November 13, 2026, and active residential listings on November 14, 2026 (IDX records, aggregates only). Based on information submitted to the Broker Listing Cooperative listing service as of November 14, 2026. All data is obtained from various sources and may not have been verified by broker or Broker Listing Cooperative listing service.
- MIBOR Broker Listing Cooperative listing service, Rules and Regulations (January 2026)
