House Prices: Why Is There Such a Big Difference Between Asking Prices and Actual Sale Prices?
When selling a family house, one phrase comes up surprisingly often: “My neighbor is selling a similar house for ten million crowns, so mine must be worth about the same.”
At first glance, this makes sense. You look at properties for sale in your area, find a few similar houses, and use their asking prices to estimate the value of your own property.
However, this is exactly where a significant problem can arise.
The price you see in a property listing is not necessarily the price the property will actually sell for. And when it comes to family houses, the difference between these two figures can be substantial.
According to market data, the gap between asking prices and actual sale prices of family houses was exceptionally large in August 2026.
Let's take a closer look at what these figures mean and why setting the right price is so important when selling a house.
🏡 One House Can Have Three Different Prices
When discussing property prices, it is important to distinguish between at least three different figures.
The first is the original asking price – the amount for which the owner initially lists the property on the market.
The second is the final asking price before the property is removed from the listings. This price may already reflect one or several reductions.
The third is the actual sale price, meaning the amount the buyer ultimately pays for the property.
And the differences between these figures can be surprisingly large.
According to market data, the average figures for family houses in August 2026 were:
Original asking price: approximately CZK 9.49 million
Final asking price: CZK 8.68 million
Actual sale price: CZK 6.34 million
These are certainly not minor differences caused by ordinary price negotiations.
📊 A Property Listing Doesn't Tell You What a House Will Actually Sell For
This is why relying solely on property listings when estimating the value of a house requires considerable caution.
For example, if you see several houses advertised for around CZK 10 million, all you really know is how much their owners would like to receive.
You don't know whether those properties will actually sell for that amount.
Perhaps they will remain on the market for several months without attracting a buyer. Perhaps their owners will gradually reduce their asking prices. Or perhaps the properties will eventually sell for significantly less than the prices originally advertised.
The data shows that the difference between asking and actual sale prices reached 38.7% when calculated per square meter and 49.5% when comparing the total prices of houses.
Even an initial price reduction does not necessarily mean that the seller has reached a realistic market price. According to the data, the gap between the final asking price and the actual sale price remained at 25.2% per square meter and 36.9% for the entire house.
However, one important point must be emphasized: these are not three prices for the same individual house at the same moment in time.
Completed sales relate to properties that were listed somewhat earlier. Therefore, these figures should be understood as an overview of market developments rather than a simple formula suggesting that every house will eventually sell at a particular percentage discount.
💰 Why Can an Excessively High Asking Price Be a Problem?
A homeowner may feel that there is little risk in starting with a high asking price.
“Let's try a higher price first, and we can always reduce it later.”
In practice, however, this approach may not be ideal.
The first few weeks after a property is listed are often when it attracts the most attention. The listing is new, potential buyers have not seen it before, and people actively searching for a house in the area are likely to notice it quickly.
But if the price is significantly above their expectations, they may simply skip the listing.
The house can then remain on the market for weeks or months, with its asking price gradually being reduced.
What was originally a new and attractive listing can become a property that buyers repeatedly encounter on real estate portals.
And that raises an inevitable question:
Why hasn't this house sold yet?
An excessively high starting price can therefore weaken the seller's negotiating position.
📉 Does a Decline in Actual Sale Prices Mean Houses Are Getting Cheaper?
According to the data, the average actual sale price of family houses decreased by 6.3% year over year.
However, it would be too simplistic to conclude that family houses across the Czech Republic have generally become cheaper.
An important factor is the composition of properties being sold.
For example, if a larger number of houses are sold in expensive areas surrounding Prague during one period, while more houses are sold in smaller towns and villages during another, the national average will change.
This can happen even if the value of comparable houses in the same location has not declined significantly.
This is precisely the kind of effect that must be considered when interpreting property market statistics.
🗺️ Most Houses Are Sold Outside the Most Expensive Locations
Another interesting aspect is where family houses are actually being sold.
In August 2026, according to the data, 81.9% of house sales took place outside regional capitals and the areas surrounding Prague and Brno.
This is also an important consideration when valuing property.
The average price of a family house across the Czech Republic tells us relatively little about the value of a specific house in the Central Bohemian Region, the Vysočina Region, or a smaller village in South Bohemia.
Price differences between individual locations can be enormous.
And it is not just about the region or district.
The value of a property can be influenced by the specific town or village, transport connections, plot size, technical condition, age of the building, energy efficiency, potential for future extensions, and the availability of local amenities.
🔎 How Can You Determine the Right Price for a Family House?
If you want to establish the realistic market value of a house, simply opening a real estate portal and finding three similar listings is not enough.
Asking prices provide useful information, but they are only one piece of the puzzle.
A proper property valuation should also consider completed sales, the current situation in the specific location, and, most importantly, the differences between individual properties.
After all, two houses on the same street do not necessarily have the same value.
One may have undergone a complete renovation, while the other may require several million crowns in additional investment.
One may stand on a beautiful, level plot, while the other is located next to a busy road.
One may offer a modern layout and low running costs, while the other was built decades ago and may no longer fully meet today's housing requirements.
This is why an individual property valuation is particularly important for family houses, even more so than for standard apartments.
🤝 The Best Price Isn't Necessarily the Highest
When selling a property, it is perfectly understandable that every owner wants to achieve the highest possible price.
However, a well-planned sales strategy does not mean simply advertising the property at the highest price imaginable.
The goal is to set a price that reflects the specific property and current market conditions while generating sufficient interest among potential buyers.
Because ultimately, what matters is not how much similar houses are listed for.
What matters is how much buyers are actually willing to pay.
If you are considering selling your family house and are unsure of its current market value, I would be happy to assess your property and prepare a valuation based not only on current listings but also on actual sales data and the market conditions in your area.
Jan Halík
Real Estate Agent
📞 +420 603 377 791
RE/MAX Atrium
Podolská 811/138
140 00 Praha 4 – Podolí
