Craig Johnston Personal Real Estate Corporation · Brokerage: Royal LePage Elite West
Seller · Diagnostics
If your home in Coquitlam or anywhere in Metro Vancouver has been listed for weeks without an offer, the cause usually comes down to price, presentation, marketing or access. Here's how to work out which one, and what to change.
5.0 across 36+ Google reviews Top 1% Team — Greater Vancouver REALTORS®, 2023–2025 47+ years in the Tri-CitiesQuick Answer
Why isn't my Coquitlam home selling? The honest diagnosis.
If your Coquitlam home has been listed 30+ days with no offers, the cause is usually one of a handful of things — and the longer you wait, the harder it gets. Here Craig Johnston, Top 1% Team — Greater Vancouver REALTORS®, 2023–2025 and 47+ year Tri-Cities resident, can walk you through the local context. Free Strategy Call ends with a written one-page plan in 24 hours.
Quick Answer
Why isn't my Coquitlam home selling?
A home that sits usually has one of four problems: price above recent comparable sales, weak presentation, thin marketing, or hard access for showings. Few showings point to price or marketing. Showings with no offers point to price or condition. Compare your days on market with the local average for your property type before changing anything.
Verified · Seller · Diagnostics
Diagnosis 1: Price is too high
Price is the most common culprit. Recent comparable sales tell you what buyers are paying; if your list price sits above them, showings thin out early. Weigh slow showings against how fast your segment is moving: compare your days on market with the local average before deciding price is the issue.
Diagnosis 2: Marketing is weak
Bad photography, poor MLS description, no virtual tour, no strategic marketing channels. Less common than price but real. Get your REALTOR® to walk through how the listing is actually being marketed.
Diagnosis 3: Property condition
If buyers tour but don't write, the property itself is the issue. Common: outdated kitchen/bath, dated paint colors, smell (pets, smoke), staging mismatch with target buyer.
Diagnosis 4: Wrong target buyer
Marketing aimed at wrong demographic. A 4-bedroom Burke Mountain detached should not be marketed primarily to first-time buyers.
Diagnosis 5: Catchment / school gap
Families often search by school catchment. If your home sits just outside a sought-after catchment but is priced against sales from inside it, buyers notice. Price against comparable sales from the same catchment, and confirm the address on the SD43 School Locator, as boundaries can change.
Diagnosis 6: Stale listing
Buyers and their agents can see how long a home has been listed, and a long run on the market invites lower offers. If time is working against you, a clear repricing or a genuine relaunch (new photos, new description, better access) is usually more effective than waiting.
Fix: Strategic price reduction
If you reduce, make one decisive adjustment based on the comparable sales and competing listings, rather than several small cuts. A price that clearly lines up with the market gives buyers a reason to look again.
Fix: Marketing reset
New photos, new MLS description, fresh open house, refreshed staging. Sometimes the problem is buyer fatigue with the existing listing.
Fix: Honest conversation with REALTOR®
If you keep hearing 'it'll happen' but nothing changes, ask for a strategy reset: showing numbers, buyer feedback and fresh comparables. If you're thinking of changing brokerages, first check what your listing agreement says about ending it before the expiry date.
| City | Property type | Benchmark price | Days on market | Sales-to-active ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coquitlam | Detached | $1,584,400 | 50 | 9.8% |
| Coquitlam | Townhouse | $976,600 | 31 | 13.3% |
| Coquitlam | Apartment | $640,100 | 39 | 10.5% |
| Port Moody | Detached | $1,903,500 | 44 | 10.8% |
| Port Moody | Townhouse | $940,900 | 46 | 19.0% |
| Port Moody | Apartment | $676,200 | 45 | 14.8% |
| Port Coquitlam | Detached | $1,240,600 | 48 | 15.3% |
| Port Coquitlam | Townhouse | $834,300 | 23 | 20.6% |
| Port Coquitlam | Apartment | $550,000 | 61 | 8.6% |
Source: Greater Vancouver REALTORS® data for September 2026. GVR notes downward price pressure tends to occur when the sales-to-active ratio stays below 12%, and upward pressure when it stays above 20% (gvrealtors.ca).
The reasons a home sits are the same everywhere in Metro Vancouver, but the pace you're measured against changes from city to city. Here's what to compare your listing with.
Detached homes averaged 50 days on market in September 2026, against 31 for townhouses. A Burke Mountain or Westwood Plateau detached home that has sat for a month may simply be on pace. A townhouse that has sat as long deserves a closer look at price.
Detached benchmark: $1,903,500, with a sales-to-active ratio of 10.8%. Apartments ran at 14.8%. When condos are moving and yours isn't, look at presentation and price against same-building sales before blaming the market.
Detached homes averaged 48 days on market and townhouses 23. Benchmarks sit below Coquitlam and Port Moody ($1,240,600 detached), so PoCo buyers compare value closely. A home priced against Coquitlam sales tends to sit.
Anmore's detached benchmark was $3,063,700, with 1 sales against 34 active listings in September 2026. Belcarra has no separate benchmark in the monthly data I track. In both, pricing rests on a handful of truly comparable sales, so longer marketing times are normal.
No pressure. No obligation. Just a 20-minute call to talk through your specific situation.
A listing that stalls is frustrating, but it is almost always fixable once you identify which lever is stuck. These are the usual culprits, roughly in order of impact.
Price
The most common reason a home sits is a price above what buyers are paying for comparable homes today. The market gives feedback quickly, and the skill is in listening to it early rather than chasing it down later.
First impression
Most buyers meet your home in photographs before they ever visit. Weak images, a cluttered gallery or a thin, generic description can quietly cost you showings before anyone reaches the door.
Presentation
Clutter, deferred maintenance and strong odours undercut buyer confidence fast. A focused declutter, a deep clean and light staging often reset how a home feels the moment someone walks in.
Access
Restrictive showing windows and hard-to-book appointments quietly shrink your buyer pool. The easier a home is to see, the more offers it tends to attract — friction here works against you.
Feedback
Consistent showing feedback — 'felt small', 'needs work', 'priced high' — is information, not noise. A listing that adjusts to what buyers are saying recovers; one that ignores it tends to stall.
For you
A home that will not move is rarely a mystery for long. It is usually one of price, presentation, marketing or access — and once you find which, the fix is often straightforward.
Every stalled listing has its own mix of causes, and the right move depends on the specific home, its price point and where the local market sits at that moment.
Craig can review a home that is not selling and give an honest, specific read on what to change — sometimes it is a repricing, sometimes it is simply better photos and easier access.
Before any price change, separate what's happening to your home from what's happening to the market. Two numbers do most of that work, and both are published monthly by Greater Vancouver REALTORS® (GVR).
Days on market for your property type and city. In September 2026, Coquitlam detached homes averaged 50 days on market, townhouses 31 and apartments 39. A detached home at three weeks is not "stale" if its segment is averaging two months. A townhouse in a fast segment that has sat as long is sending a much clearer signal.
The sales-to-active listings ratio. This compares the month's sales with the number of homes for sale. GVR's analysis of historical data suggests prices face downward pressure when the ratio stays below 12% and upward pressure when it stays above 20% over several months. Coquitlam detached homes were at 9.8% in September 2026, townhouses at 13.3%, and apartments at 10.5%. The lower the ratio, the more choice buyers have, and the more precisely your price has to match the comparables.
Then look at the comparables themselves: the sales that closed while your home was listed. The benchmark price ($1,584,400 for Coquitlam detached) describes a typical home, not yours. Your lot, condition, updates and catchment can put you well above or below it. If similar homes are selling and yours isn't, price is the first place to look. If the whole segment is quiet, a price cut alone may not fix things, and presentation and access matter more.
The same approach works across Metro Vancouver. Just make sure you compare like with like: same city, same property type, same month.
Some listings stall for reasons that never show up in the photos. These are the ones I check first after price.
None of these fixes involves a price cut, and each one can widen the pool of buyers who are able to make an offer.
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Selling a Tenanted Home in B.C.
Selling with a tenant in place? It’s a printable two-sided guide. One side is for you as the seller-landlord. The other is written for your tenant and covers notice, showings and the two ways a sale can end.
Download the guide (PDF, 2 MB)Want the detail? Read selling a tenanted property in BC.
Compare your listing with how quickly your segment is selling. Greater Vancouver REALTORS® notes that prices tend to face downward pressure when the sales-to-active listings ratio stays below 12% and upward pressure when it stays above 20%. In September 2026, Coquitlam detached homes ran at 9.8% with 50 days on market, and townhouses at 13.3%. If similar homes are selling and yours isn't, look at price first. If the whole segment is slow, patience and sharp presentation count for more.
Possibly, but the answer is in your listing agreement, not in general rules. BCFSA says every listing agreement should set out its expiry date, what happens if either you or the brokerage wants to end it before then, and the circumstances in which you'd still owe commission. Read those clauses before you act, and get legal advice if anything is unclear. Often the faster fix is to ask your current REALTOR® for a written marketing reset with specific changes and dates.
Ask for four things in writing: the number of showings and online views since launch, every piece of buyer and agent feedback, the comparable homes that sold while yours sat, and the competing active listings buyers are touring instead of yours. Together they show whether the gap is price, presentation, marketing or access. A good review ends with a specific plan and a date to check results, not reassurance. If you'd like a second opinion on a stalled listing, request a home evaluation and I'll give you an honest read.
Yes, and it can also create legal risk. In BC, sellers must disclose all known material latent defects in writing before a contract is signed. These are hidden defects that can make a home dangerous or very costly to repair. Most sellers use a Property Disclosure Statement. When a buyer's inspector finds something that wasn't disclosed, trust breaks down and deals often collapse. Disclosing known issues up front, with quotes or repair receipts, usually keeps the conversation on price instead of suspicion.
It can. Buyers usually want the strata documents reviewed before they firm up, so delays here slow everything down. The Form B Information Certificate must be provided within 7 days of a request, for up to $35 plus copying, so order it before you list. It's also worth telling investor buyers that, since November 24, 2022, BC strata bylaws can't restrict long-term rentals (55+ age bylaws and short-term rental limits are the exceptions). That widens your buyer pool.
The levers are the same, but how fast each market moves isn't. In September 2026, detached homes took 50 days on market in Coquitlam, 44 in Port Moody and 48 in Port Coquitlam, and townhouse and apartment pace differed again. Judge your listing against its own city and property type, not a regional average. In Anmore and Belcarra, sales are so few that individual comparable sales matter far more than any benchmark.
Sometimes, but only if your timing is genuinely flexible. Pausing makes sense if you don't need to move and the fix (repairs, staging, new photos) takes time anyway. If you're moving up or down, remember that the home you're buying is in the same market as the one you're selling, so waiting rarely improves both sides of the move at once. Before you pull a listing, look at what would change when you relaunch. Otherwise you're likely to stall the same way. Book a strategy call to talk through your timing.
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September 2026 Coquitlam detached HPI is $1,584,400, -6.6% YoY. What that means for your buy or sell decision — without the salesy fluff. One email per month. Unsubscribe anytime.
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When a seller asks me to look at a stalled listing, I work through the evidence before suggesting any change. Here is what I do.
I start with the homes that actually sold, not those still listed, during the time yours has been on the market. I match them by property type, size, lot, condition and, for families, the same school catchment. That tells me where buyers are really paying, and whether your price sits inside that range or above it.
Next I look at showings, online views and every piece of feedback. Few showings usually point to price or the online listing. Plenty of showings but no offers usually point to price or condition. I also check whether limited viewing times, a tenancy or a lockbox issue has quietly been cutting the number of buyers who can get in.
I review the listing the way a buyer meets it: photo order and quality, the opening lines of the description, floor plan, room sizes and whether strata documents or a disclosure statement are ready. I compare it side by side with the competing listings buyers are touring instead of yours.
I put the findings in writing with one recommended change, or a small set of changes, and a date to measure results. That might be a repricing, a relaunch with new photos, easier access or a pre-listing repair. You decide what to do with an honest diagnosis in hand.
For examples of how I've repositioned listings in Coquitlam, Port Moody and Port Coquitlam, see my Tri-Cities case studies — see my Tri-Cities case studies. Read the Tri-Cities case studies →
5.0 stars across 36+ verified Google reviews. Three from recent clients below.
“Craig Johnston recently sold my townhouse in West Vancouver in less than 6 days for over asking price!!!!! Craig is one of the most prolific and highly motivated realtors I have seen in the Realty business, and I have extensive experience buying and selling properties of all sorts.”Riverplate Equities
“We had a fantastic experience working with Craig on the purchase of our first home in Coquitlam. He was incredibly friendly and responsive, always quick to answer our messages and questions. Throughout the process, he took the time to walk us through each step so my partner and I always knew exactly what was going on and what to expect next. Craig also gave us honest, helpful opinions on properties we were considering, which really helped guide us toward a place we love. On top of that, he connected us with a great broker and lawyer, making the whole process feel seamless. We're so happy in our new home and couldn't have done it without him. Highly recommend Craig to anyone buying a home!”Rohit & Georgie
“His creativity, top-notch communication skills, and a solid plan were instrumental in selling high and buying low. His foresight in negotiation, predicting outcomes before they happened, truly set him apart. He's also humble and very respectful.”Sue H.
A 20-minute strategy call, no pressure — or start with a free Equity Map showing what your home is likely worth in today’s market and what you’d net after costs.
5.0 across 36+ Google reviews Top 1% Team — Greater Vancouver REALTORS®, 2023–2025 47+ years in the Tri-CitiesOr call direct: 604-202-6092