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Asymmetric Information and List Price Reductions in the Housing Market

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  • Erik R. de Wit

    (University of Amsterdam)

  • Bas van der Klaauw

    (VU University Amsterdam)

Abstract

This discussion paper resulted in a publication in the 'Regional Science and Urban Economics' , 2013, 43, 507-520. In housing markets with asymmetric information list prices may signal unobserved properties of the house or the seller. Asymmetric information is the starting point of many models for the housing market. In this paper, we estimate the causal effect of list-price reductions to test for the presence of asymmetric information. We use very rich and extensive administrative data from the Netherlands. Our empirical results show that list-price reductions significantly increase the probability of selling a house, but also the rate of withdrawal from the market increases.

Suggested Citation

  • Erik R. de Wit & Bas van der Klaauw, 2010. "Asymmetric Information and List Price Reductions in the Housing Market," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 10-038/3, Tinbergen Institute.
    • Handle: RePEc:tin:wpaper:20100038
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    Cited by:

    1. de Wit, Erik R. & Englund, Peter & Francke, Marc K., 2013. "Price and transaction volume in the Dutch housing market," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 43(2), pages 220-241.
    2. James Albrecht & Pieter Gautier & Susan Vroman, 2016. "Directed Search in the Housing Market," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 19, pages 218-231, January.
    3. Daniel Broxterman & Tingyu Zhou, 2023. "Information Frictions in Real Estate Markets: Recent Evidence and Issues," The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Springer, vol. 66(2), pages 203-298, February.
    4. Bruneel-Zupanc, Christophe Alain, 2021. "Imperfect Information, Learning and Housing Market Dynamics," TSE Working Papers 21-1186, Toulouse School of Economics (TSE).
    5. Peyman Khezr & Flavio Menezes, 2018. "Auctions with an asking price," International Journal of Game Theory, Springer;Game Theory Society, vol. 47(4), pages 1329-1350, November.
    6. Antonia Díaz & Belén Jerez & Juan Pablo Rincón-Zapatero, 2023. "Housing Prices and Credit Constraints in Competitive Search," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 134(657), pages 220-270.
    7. Carolin Fritzsche & Lars Vandrei, 2018. "Causes of Vacancies in the Housing Market – A Literature Review," ifo Working Paper Series 258, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich.
    8. Bich Hong Nguyen Thi & Trong Hoai Nguyen & Thanh Hiep Truong, 2020. "The Role of Listing Price Strategies on the Probability of Selling a House: Evidence from Vietnam," Real Estate Management and Valuation, Sciendo, vol. 28(2), pages 63-75, June.
    9. Eulália Santos & Fernando Tavares & Vasco Tavares & Vanessa Ratten, 2021. "Comparative Analysis of the Importance of Determining Factors in the Choice and Sale of Apartments," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-12, August.
    10. Liu, Xiaolong & van der Vlist, Arno J., 2019. "Listing strategies and housing busts: Cutting loss or cutting list price?," Journal of Housing Economics, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 102-117.
    11. Bian, Xun & Waller, Bennie D. & Turnbull, Geoffrey K. & Wentland, Scott A., 2015. "How many listings are too many? Agent inventory externalities and the residential housing market," Journal of Housing Economics, Elsevier, vol. 28(C), pages 130-143.
    12. Velma Zahirovic-Herbert & Bennie D. Waller & Geoffrey K. Turnbull, 2020. "Properties that Sell at or above Listing Price: Strategic Pricing, Better Broker or Just Dumb Luck?," The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Springer, vol. 60(1), pages 53-76, February.
    13. Arkadiusz Kuświk & Łukasz Mach & Łukasz Mikołajczyk & Marian Drymluch, 2021. "The influence of characteristics of estate developer’s apartments on the chance of selling them," Bank i Kredyt, Narodowy Bank Polski, vol. 52(2), pages 167-190.
    14. Dorinth van Dijk, 2019. "Local Constant-Quality Housing Market Liquidity Indices," DNB Working Papers 637, Netherlands Central Bank, Research Department.
    15. Elliot Anenberg, 2012. "Information frictions and housing market dynamics," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 2012-48, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    16. Guignet, Dennis B. & Martinez-Cruz, Adan L., 2018. "The impacts of underground petroleum releases on a homeowner's decision to sell: A difference-in-differences approach," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 11-24.
    17. Tatiana Cesaroni, 2022. "Average time to sell a property and credit conditions: Evidence from the Italian housing market survey," Bulletin of Economic Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 74(1), pages 49-68, January.
    18. Eric Smith & Zoe Xie & Lei Fang, 2022. "The Short and the Long of It: Stock-Flow Matching in the US Housing Market," CESifo Working Paper Series 10035, CESifo.
    19. Erik R. de Wit, 2009. "Competing Risks in a Time-on-the-Market Analysis," ERES eres2009_307, European Real Estate Society (ERES).
    20. Eerola, Essi & Lyytikäinen, Teemu, 2015. "On the role of public price information in housing markets," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 74-84.
    21. Ben Ameur, Hachmi & Le Fur, Eric, 2020. "Volatility transmission to the fine wine market," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 307-316.
    22. Yu Zhu & Randall Wright & Damien Gaumont, 2017. "Modeling House Prices," 2017 Meeting Papers 744, Society for Economic Dynamics.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Time-on-the-market; duration analysis; transaction prices; selectivity;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C41 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods: Special Topics - - - Duration Analysis; Optimal Timing Strategies
    • D82 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Asymmetric and Private Information; Mechanism Design
    • R21 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Household Analysis - - - Housing Demand
    • R31 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Real Estate Markets, Spatial Production Analysis, and Firm Location - - - Housing Supply and Markets

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