Merchandising Before Markdown: A Lesson from Montana
I recently spent time traveling in Montana and, while there, found myself doing what I naturally do—I started studying the market.
This time, it wasn’t cars.
It was real estate.
I was looking at properties both online and in person in an area that clearly had a high day supply of homes for sale. Inventory wasn’t the issue. Opportunity was everywhere. But what stood out to me almost immediately wasn’t pricing—it was presentation.
The Online Experience Missed the Mark
My first interaction with these homes was online, just like most buyers today.
And frankly, the merchandising was disappointing.
The photography was mediocre. Poor lighting. Awkward angles. No intentional flow from room to room. Even more surprising, there was little to no effort to capture the setting—which in Montana is a huge part of the value. The mountains. The land. The seasons. The surroundings.
These weren’t just houses. They were lifestyle properties. And the listings didn’t tell that story at all.
In a market with high inventory, buyers scroll fast. If the photos don’t stop them, the listing never gets a chance. That decision happens in seconds—and many of these listings lost before they even competed.
In-Person Didn’t Save It
Then I visited a few of the homes.
Same theme. Different medium.
Inside, the presentation was average at best. Minimal effort to stage or elevate the space. In one case, a home that had been on the market for almost a year had visible damage to the hardwood floors—damage that could have been repaired easily.
It wasn’t.
Instead, the seller and agent had chosen a different strategy: price reductions.
When I pulled the listing history, it told the full story—drop the price, wait, drop it again, wait some more. All the while, the fundamental issues remained untouched.
And that’s when it fully clicked.
This Is the Same Mistake I See in the Car Business
I’ve spent my entire career in automotive retail, and this pattern is painfully familiar.
Poor photos online.
Cars not fully detailed.
Inconsistent merchandising standards.
Units parked in the wrong place on the lot.
Windshield stickers missing or sloppy.
Descriptions that don’t explain value or tell a story.
Then—when the car doesn’t sell—the answer is almost always the same:
“Let’s lower the price.”
Price becomes the default lever because it’s easy.
Merchandising requires discipline.
Price Is a Blunt Instrument. Merchandising Is Precision.
Lowering the price doesn’t fix poor presentation—it just compensates for it. And usually at the expense of margin.
Whether it’s a home or a vehicle, buyers make emotional decisions first and logical decisions second. Confidence is built through presentation. Trust is built through detail. Desire is built through storytelling.
Great merchandising:
• Shortens time on market
• Reduces the need for discounts
• Protects gross
• Signals professionalism and care
Bad merchandising forces price to do all the work—and price alone is rarely the most profitable solution.
The Hard Truth
Most sellers—of homes or cars—don’t have a pricing problem.
They have a merchandising problem.
They skipped the hard work:
• Investing in proper photography
• Fixing obvious flaws
• Preparing the product like it deserves to be bought
• Thinking through how a buyer experiences it online and in person
And then they wonder why the only lever left is price.
Final Thought
In high-supply markets, the winners don’t win by being cheapest.
They win by being best presented.
Merchandising isn’t cosmetic.
It’s strategic.
And the businesses that understand that—real estate or automotive—sell faster, sell smarter, and keep more of their margin.
Price matters.
But presentation sells.
