Cynthia Mattiza Associate Broker · Kuper Sotheby’s International Realty
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Selling a luxury home, designed from the first walk-through

I’m Cynthia Mattiza, an Associate Broker with Kuper Sotheby’s International Realty, and I sell luxury homes in Lakeway, Bee Cave, Lake Travis and West Austin the way a designer would: prepare the home, price it from closed sales, and launch with intention so the first two weeks on the market work in your favor.

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Cynthia Mattiza smiling, seated on a marble kitchen island in a modern luxury home

What is different about how I sell a luxury home?

I come to a listing with an interior designer’s eye and a builder’s understanding of how the house was made. Before real estate I worked in interior design and custom home building in Santa Barbara, and in a market where architecture and finishes carry so much of the value, that shows up in three places: what I tell you to fix, how I stage and present the home, and how I explain its craftsmanship to buyers who are comparing it against other estates.

Putting a home in the MLS is not a marketing strategy. It is only the starting point. Every property I list gets a plan built for that home, that price point and that buyer.

Why do the first two weeks on the market matter so much?

Because that is when your leverage is highest. In the first two weeks a listing is brand new, the pool of active buyers is at its largest, and showing activity peaks. Around the two-to-three-week mark the buyer question changes from “should we make an offer?” to “why is this still available?” By 30 or 45 days, buyers who do engage tend to approach with leverage: they ask for reductions, credits and repair allowances.

In my experience, homes priced well from the beginning consistently outperform those that start high and chase the market down. That is why I spend more time with sellers on pricing strategy than on anything else, before we go live.

How do I price a luxury home?

From what homes have actually sold for, not what sellers hoped to get. I study closed sales to find where the market’s ceiling really is, and I price with the appraiser’s lens in mind, because an over-asking offer only matters if it survives the appraisal. A strong, supportable price is also what gives a buyer the confidence to waive contingencies.

I will tell you directly when a comp is not apples to apples, and when the data says we need to adjust. It is not always the most fun conversation, but it will be an honest one. For one recent listing this approach produced an offer on day two, above asking, with no financing or inspection contingency; the details are on the results page.

How do I prepare a home before it goes live?

Preparation is where design training pays for itself. We walk the home as a buyer would, then focus on high-return refinements instead of costly overhauls: decluttering and depersonalizing, neutral interior paint, targeted light-fixture swaps, curb appeal and lighting. Then professional photography and video.

You should not have to spend your weekends sourcing tradespeople. I coordinate my vetted trade network, including painters, handymen, window washers and stagers, and handle the scheduling and quality checks. On one first-time Bee Cave sale, preparation was finished in under two weeks. Sometimes being a realtor means rolling up my sleeves: whether it is helping clean, declutter, stage or style, I am there every step of the way.

How do I market a luxury home beyond the MLS?

By deciding who the buyer is and what the home should be perceived as: a luxury lifestyle property, an architectural showcase, a family-focused community home, an investment or a privacy-and-land play. That positioning drives the pricing, the presentation and the message.

  • Story-driven content: cinematic video and lifestyle storytelling that show the home and its neighborhood, not just its square footage.
  • Targeted exposure: qualified buyer pools, agent-to-agent outreach, relocation channels and digital targeting, rather than broad visibility for its own sake.
  • Global reach: Sotheby’s International Realty was established in 1976 and its network spans 79 countries and territories, with the exposure of the Kuper Sotheby’s International Realty platform behind your listing.

What if the home does not sell right away?

Then how the process is managed matters more than the initial plan. One Bee Cave home in Terra Colinas drew an over-asking offer in its first week; the buyer then backed out although the inspection was clean, and a slow summer followed. I relisted immediately, brought every piece of showing feedback to the sellers with a plain read on what it meant, and in July we repositioned the price from $630,000 to $600,000. The home closed on September 16, and the sellers talked about the communication, not the offer that fell through.

How do we start?

With a free consultation and home value assessment, ideally in person, since online estimates are a good starting point but incomplete. You can also request a valuation through my home valuation page on cynthiamattiza.com, or contact me directly.

Talk about your home

In their words

All reviews

she got ours under contract in under 30 days, a HUGE win in this tough market.

Ross + Abby U.

In a market where the average days on market was 54, she sold it in 17.

Caitlyn C.

organizing a professional photographer, holding a three-day open house, and receiving four all-cash offers would not have happened without your knowledge and experience

Stuart & Ilene W.

Client stories

More results

Sellers · West Austin / Lake Travis corridor

An over-asking offer in two days, with no financing or inspection contingency

The situation
Sellers asked what their home was worth. The temptation in a shifting market is to start high and see what happens.
The approach
Cynthia priced from closed sales rather than list prices, priced with the appraiser in mind so a strong offer could survive, prepared the home before launch, and launched with professional photography, a strong description and deliberate timing rather than a quiet, soft start.
The outcome
An offer arrived on day two: above asking price, with no financing contingency and no inspection contingency, clean terms and no seller concessions.
Time to first offer
2 days
Offer versus asking price
Above asking
Contingencies
No financing or inspection contingency

Sellers, referred by a past client · Terra Colinas, Bee Cave

Terra Colinas: a sale that recovered after the first buyer walked away

The situation
The home was listed in May at $630,000 and drew an over-asking offer in the first week. The buyer then backed out even though the inspection came back clean, followed by months of showings and no offers.
The approach
Cynthia relisted immediately, took every piece of showing feedback straight to the sellers with a plain read on what it meant, and in July recommended repositioning the list price to $600,000 based on what the market was telling them. She coordinated her handyman for repairs and connected the sellers with contacts for their transition.
The outcome
The home went back under contract with a buyer who was excellent to work with and closed on September 16. At closing the sellers talked about the communication, not the offer that fell through.
Original list price (May)
$630,000
Repositioned list price (July)
$600,000
Closed
September 16

First-time sellers, referred by a mutual friend · Bee Cave (78738)

A first-time seller in Bee Cave, referred by a friend

The situation
First-time sellers were unsure which updates would raise offers, how to find and schedule trustworthy tradespeople on a tight timeline, and how to position the home against nearby developments.
The approach
Cynthia built a pre-listing roadmap around high-return refinements (neutral interior paint, targeted light-fixture swaps, curb appeal) rather than an overhaul, coordinated her vetted trade network of painters, handymen, window washers and stagers on the sellers’ behalf, then priced from micro-neighborhood sales data and marketed to West Austin buyers.
The outcome
Pre-listing preparation was finished in under two weeks, and the home secured an offer and moved to pending with minimal friction. The source post does not state a price or days on market.
Pre-listing preparation
Under two weeks

Watch Cynthia

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Frequently asked questions

Should I price my luxury home high and reduce later?

In Cynthia Mattiza’s experience, no. Homes priced well from the start tend to outperform those that start high and chase the market down, because buyers are most active in the first two weeks and reductions rarely recreate that excitement.

Do I need to stage before listing?

Cynthia recommends walking the home as a buyer would: declutter, depersonalize and rearrange to show the space, then focus on high-return updates such as neutral paint and lighting. Stagers are part of the vendor network she coordinates.

Can Cynthia sell a lake or waterfront home?

Yes. Waterfront and Lake Travis homes are a core part of her work, including the LCRA and dock questions buyers ask. See her waterfront guide on this site for what buyers verify.

What areas does Cynthia list in?

Lakeway, Bee Cave, Lake Travis, West Lake Hills, Spicewood and West Austin, including Spanish Oaks, Rough Hollow, Lake Pointe, Belvedere and other gated and master-planned communities.

Does Cynthia coordinate contractors and stagers?

Yes. She coordinates a vetted trade network including painters, handymen, window washers and stagers, and manages scheduling and quality checks so sellers do not have to.

Cynthia Mattiza

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