A couple is interested in buying a house. The property is listed at £450,000, a price set by the seller to start negotiations. The seller has intentionally listed the house at a higher price than what they expect to receive, using £450,000 as an anchor to shape the negotiation's course. The buyers, aware that the price is ambitious, decide to counter this anchor by offering £400,000, setting their own anchor and attempting to shift negotiations towards a lower price range.

The seller and buyers enter a phase of back-and-forth bargaining. The initial high anchor influences the negotiation, as even the lower offers are closer to the seller's target than they might have been if the house were listed at a lower price. After negotiations, they agree on a final price of £430,000. The seller's use of anchoring effectively kept the final sale price closer to their initial listing than the market value might suggest. This example demonstrates how a strategic high anchor can benefit the seller.