Smart people rely on experts. That is usually a strength. But being smart also means knowing when an “expert” is selling a story rather than substance, and recognizing that before it is too late.

Picture a successful professional who has always made careful choices with money, health, and career. One day, a confident advisor explains a “streamlined” approach that promises less hassle, more control, marketing choice, and a “better” outcome than the old-fashioned way. The pitch sounds modern. It sounds efficient. It sounds tailored. It is almost convincing enough to skip the obvious question: “Who really benefits from this?”

History’s Reminder about Experts
History reminds us that credibility, confidence, and capital are not proof of integrity. Sometimes a compelling narrative convinces the public. Sometimes intelligent people make poor decisions. Sometimes the “expert” is simply faking it.

From bubbles in the stock market to too-good-to-be-true financial products, the pattern is familiar. There is always a story about why “this time is different,” why “the old rules no longer apply,” and why you should ignore your instincts. The cost of ignoring those instincts only becomes clear in hindsight.

From Wall Street to Your Street
That lesson matters well beyond finance. It applies directly to real estate.

Most sellers work with a professional advisor, trusting that their interests come first. That trust carries a responsibility: the advisor must honor one core principle above all others: Maximum exposure yields maximum price.

A true advisor never forgets that. A sales pitch may try to dress it up or work around it, but the basic economics do not change.

Beware the “Quiet” or “Exclusive” or “Private” Test
If you are selling a home, be wary of any strategy that limits exposure in the name of convenience, exclusivity, or internal efficiency. A constrained market is not a neutral experiment; it is an artificial one. Artificial markets produce artificial results.

You may hear lines like, “We’ll quietly test it with our own buyers first,” or “Let’s keep this within our network before going public.” That can sound flattering and controlled, as if the property is special enough to be handled differently. In practice, it often means fewer eyes, fewer offers, and less competition working for you. Granted, there are exceptions in light of special circumstances such as privacy or security concerns.

The fact remains: Price does not determine the market. The market determines the price.

How Real Markets Discover Value
In any functioning market, for stocks or homes, value is discovered through transparency, competition, and informed demand. When buyers can see the opportunity, compare it, and compete for it, the market can speak clearly.

Restrict access, and you restrict outcomes. No seller would accept a broker proposing to “test” a stock inside a single firm before offering it to the broader public. Real estate is no different. A home is not fully tested until it has been exposed to the open market where interested buyers can actually find it and respond.

The advantage of a market is its dynamism. When you constrain it, something becomes distorted.

The Difference Between a Story and a Duty
Large companies, powerful platforms, and polished messaging can tell persuasive stories. They can promise “choice” or “premium access” or “exclusive channels” or “curated buyers.” But soundbites and scale are not substitutes for fiduciary duty.

Fiduciary guidance must be honest, open, and free from internal incentives that conflict with client outcomes. If a proposed strategy seems designed more for the convenience or advantage of the brokerage than for your result as a seller, that is not strategy. That is spin.

What Real Advisors Actually Do
Real estate works best when it is open. Exposure creates competition. Competition creates value.

The role of a true advisor is not to control information, but to expand it in service of the client. That means embracing broad, transparent exposure so the market can do what it does best: assemble informed buyers, reveal real demand, and arrive at a fair price through genuine competition.

That is how trust is earned. That is how markets work as they should.

Adapted from SOS: A Message for Homeowners, Bess Freedman, Op-Ed, RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE, December 2025, page 6.

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F. Hill Slowinski, JD Realtor | Residential, Luxury Licensed in DC-MD-VA Results, Exceptional Results Summary of Testimonials

301.452.1409 Hill@LNF.com www.HillSlowinski.com www.longandfoster.com/HillSlowinski Long & Foster | Forbes Global Properties One Bethesda Office, Suite 1700 7373 Wisconsin Avenue Bethesda, MD 20814 O: 301.907.7600 F: 301.907.6610