If sellers want to take full of advantage of what's available to them when selling their home, there are five things they must pay strict attention to:

1.  You  MUST listen to your real estate agent.

• Many sellers enlist the services of their real estate agent only to tell the real estate agent what the price should be.  In essence, the only reason they hired the agent in the first place was to get on the MLS.  Now, they're willing to toss aside the knowledge of this agent because they feel they know better.
• Today's real estate agent is much more than access to a computer network.  In the modern world, an agent is a knowledgeable expert about everything in your community. 
• When an agent tells you that you should list your house at X dollars, you should listen to him or her.  You may think that you're being smart by tacking on an extra $10,000 to your price.  But you may have pushed it outside of a price point that could be the difference between your home lingering on the market for 200 days-or selling tomorrow.

2.  You  MUST get rid of the clutter in your home.

• Most sellers do not realize that it is through minimizing your furniture and collection of knick-knacks that buyers see the true value of your home.  Most people have too much "stuff" that distorts the appearance for a first-time visitor.  If you've ever watched any of those design shows on TV, you may have noticed that one of their secrets is to simplify by taking out half the stuff in the room.

3.  You  MUST consider "curb appeal".

• Curb appeal is one of the most important factors in selling your home.  Look at your lawn.  Is it unkempt and patchy?  You might want to fertilize it and put down some new seed.  Look at your front door.  Is it twenty years old?  You might want to replace it.  Details make the difference.

4.  You  MUST be sensitive to the market.

• Watch the market.  If your house is not selling, it may have something to do with timing.  The real estate market is in a constant state of flux.  You may lose thousands of dollars if you don't know where your neighborhood currently stands in terms of value.
• Value changes every day.  When the moment of the market tells you to reduce, do it.  Or pay the price.

5.  You  MUST make your home available. 

• And I mean as available as possible.  Get a lockbox on your house.  "By Appointment Only" could lose you the sale.  If you're serious about selling, there's nothing like making it a "24/7 Open House".  You never know when a seller is going to show up.  Why inconvenience them when they want to see your home? 

If you follow these five "musts", you're more likely to sell your home faster.  Want more tips?  I can set you up with all you need to know about preparing your home for sale.  Just give me a call or send me an email.