1) In an effort to make sure something is in the MLS when a listing goes active, I usually insert photos I’ve taken myself. And then I switch them out just as soon as I get the photos from the professionals I hire to shoot my virtual tours. Once in a while, though, the switch doesn’t take place.

2) I advertise my listings on about a dozen different sites. When there’s a price change, one site usually manages to slip through the cracks. And it’s usually a different one every, single time.

3) Typos happen. Which is really annoying for a journalism major, but they happen.

What’s the point of this mea culpa? That even though minor hiccups may take place in the larger marketing effort, none truly are the cause of a home not selling. One of the major advantages of advertising a property in a dozen or so sites is the widespread exposure it may receive. One typo on one site likely isn’t going to sink a deal, though I do work to eradicate these errors as soon as they’re found.

Here’s the real reason why homes are staying on the market longer right now. Take a look at the single-family detached sales in Maricopa County since last July. All of these points represent a 30-day rolling curve - the number of sales in the preceding 30 days. I think the trend is fairly easy to discern:

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