Asked five different real estate agents their take on Variable Range Marketing (VRM) and get five different answers. It seems no one has a clear cut definition or understanding. This kind of ambiguous, non-committal-pricing can be a fertile breeding ground for contempt between buyers and sellers.

The logic behind a VRM listings is to get more hits in a search, but does it get more showings? If I have to narrow down a list of comparable homes to show (all things being equal) and a couple of them are VRMs…they probably won’t make the cut. When I see a VRM, I think…overpriced.

If you are selling, have your real estate agent help you establish the fair market value of your property. Keep it simple and price it right.

If you find a property that you want to buy that is a VRM listing, have your agent prepare a CMA (Comparative Market Analysis) to determine a fair market offer price. If the VRM is higher than the comps, include the comps with your offer.