Compass Make Me Sell in Silicon Valley
Name your price, stay in your home, and only sell if the right buyer shows up.
23+ years in Silicon Valley real estate · 460+ homes sold · RealTrends top 1.5% nationwide · SRES® and CSA designations
Who Make Me Sell Is For: The Someday Seller
Plenty of longtime homeowners in Los Gatos, Saratoga, Campbell, Cupertino and the rest of Silicon Valley have a number in mind that would get them to move, but they have no interest in staging, open houses, or a public listing just to find out if anyone will pay it. Many people spend years between the thought of selling and actually putting their home on the market, and a lot of them would happily sell sooner if the right buyer came along at the right price.
Compass Make Me Sell lets you set that number privately. If a Compass agent has a buyer whose search matches your home, I bring the request to you, and you decide whether it's worth a conversation. There's no listing for your home to sit on, and no obligation to sell.
Name your Price
The Compass Make Me Sell program is perfect for homeowners who aren't ready to list - but may be interested in looking at an off-market offer from a buyer willing to pay the right price. No need to spend time on repairs, painting, home preparation, staging, or open houses. With Compass Make Me Sell, we can connect serious, motivated homebuyers with homeowners who might be interested in selling if the price and terms meet with their expectations.
How Compass Make Me Sell Works, Step by Step
Step 1: A No-Pressure Conversation
Everything starts with a relaxed conversation about your home, your timing, and what would have to happen for a move to make sense. Many of my clients have owned their homes for 20 or 30 years, so we also look at the bigger picture, like where you'd go next and what a sale would mean for taxes and family plans. You can book a 15-minute call whenever it's convenient.
Step 2: Get a Real Read on Value
Before you pick a number, I'll show you what comparable homes near you have actually sold for, so your price is grounded in reality even if it's intentionally ambitious. We'll talk about fair market value, buyer demand in your neighborhood, and what makes your home stand out.
Step 3: Name Your Make Me Sell Price
This isn't a list price. It's the number that would make you say yes. Because nothing goes on the MLS, there's no risk of a stale listing, a public price history, or a price reduction that follows your home around. The closer your number is to what buyers see as fair value, the more interest you'll tend to get, and that's a trade-off only you can decide on.
Step 4: I Register Your Home Privately with Compass
Once you're comfortable with your price, I register your home in the Make Me Sell program on the Compass platform. Your address and price stay private. Compass agents working with buyers whose search criteria match your home can send a match request, and nothing about your home is advertised to the public.
Step 5: Watch the Market Together
While your price sits privately in the system, I'll keep you updated on nearby sales, new competition, and any interest your home is generating, so you always know whether your number is realistic. If you're curious about timing, here's how I think about market trends and timing a Bay Area sale.
Step 6: Decide on Any Interest
If a buyer's agent reaches out, I vet the buyer first so you're not wasting time on window shoppers. You decide whether to allow a private showing, and you can say no at any point. There are no open houses, no lockbox, and no strangers walking through on a Sunday afternoon.
Step 7: Negotiate on Your Terms
If an offer comes in, I'll help you weigh the full picture: price, contingencies, the strength of the buyer's financing, and timing. That can include a rent-back if you need time to find your next place, or a longer close if you're coordinating a move with family.
Step 8: Close Privately
Once you accept an offer, escrow runs like any other sale. California disclosures, inspections and the appraisal still apply, and I manage the process from start to finish so you always know what's next. The difference is that your neighbors may not know you sold until the moving truck shows up.
Everyone - and everything - has a price.
Want to talk about the real estate market, and what your price might be?
Compass Make Me Sell: A Smarter Way to Sell Your Home on Your Terms
Selling a home is a major decision, and timing is everything. The Compass Make Me Sell program gives homeowners a way to explore the market without the pressure of listing. Instead of jumping into the traditional selling process, you test the waters very early, get a real feel for buyer interest, and stay in complete control of if, when, and how you sell. Whether you're just curious about your home's value or seriously considering a sale and waiting for the right opportunity, Make Me Sell is built around your timeline rather than the market's.
Make Me Sell vs. a Traditional Listing
A traditional listing means prep work, photos, a public price on the MLS and every major portal, open houses, and a clock that starts ticking the day you go live. Make Me Sell skips all of that. You set the price that would make selling worthwhile, your home is registered privately on the Compass platform, and it stays off the MLS. Buyers working with Compass agents who are searching for a home like yours can be matched to it, and you'll hear about real, qualified interest without committing to anything. If a buyer meets your price and terms, you can choose to move forward. If not, you simply stay put.
The biggest advantage is flexibility. You're not locked into a timeline, open houses, or public showings, and you gain valuable insight into what buyers are actually willing to pay. That's especially useful if you've been hesitant because of market uncertainty or worry about finding your next home. The other big benefit is privacy. You avoid the stress and exposure of a public listing while still reaching serious buyers who are actively looking.
Make Me Sell vs. Compass Private Exclusive and Coming Soon
Compass has a few ways to sell without a full public launch, and they're easy to mix up. Make Me Sell is the most private and least committed of the three, because you aren't listing at all; you're just letting a matched buyer know you'd consider a number. A Private Exclusive is an actual listing that's marketed agent to agent inside the Compass network, and Coming Soon is a short runway before a public MLS launch. Plenty of my sellers start with Make Me Sell, learn what buyers really think, and later decide whether to move to one of the other options. If you're on the buying side, here's how I help buyers find off-market homes in Silicon Valley.
A Low-Stress Approach to Selling
Selling the traditional way often comes with pressure, since staging, marketing, showings and negotiations can all pile up at once. With Make Me Sell, you remove the guesswork and only move forward when the conditions are right for you. If you've ever asked yourself how much you could sell your home for right now, or whether you'd sell if the price were right, this is the easiest way to find out without making a commitment you're not ready for.
Thinking About an Off-Market Sale in Silicon Valley?
I work with homeowners throughout Santa Clara and Santa Cruz Counties, including Los Gatos, Saratoga, Monte Sereno, Campbell, Cupertino, Willow Glen, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale and Scotts Valley. If you've been wondering what it would take to sell, let's talk through your number. You'll leave the conversation with a realistic value range and a clear sense of whether Make Me Sell is the right fit, with no pressure either way. Book a call with me here.
Everyone - and everything - has a price.
Want to talk about the real estate market, and what your price might be?
Compass Make Me Sell FAQ
Is Compass Make Me Sell a listing?
Does it cost anything to use Make Me Sell?
Am I obligated to sell if someone meets my price?
Who can see my home and my price?
Will buyers come through my house?
Do I need to fix up or stage my home?
How is Make Me Sell different from a Compass Private Exclusive?
What if nobody bites at my price?
Is Make Me Sell a good fit for longtime homeowners and seniors?
Where do you offer Compass Make Me Sell?
Work With Seb
"I help Long-Time Bay Area Homeowners make their next move their best one yet."
-Seb Frey, REALTOR®