For anyone thinking of selling, the message could not be clearer. This is a market that punishes optimism and rewards realism. With record numbers of homes being reduced or withdrawn, the cost of reaching for an ambitious figure and hoping the market will follow is a listing that stalls and stales. Price with honesty from day one, present the home with real care, and there is still a committed pool of buyers ready to move, especially for houses in the sought after roads near the parks and schools.