The other day I was discussing the Real Estate market in the Raleigh NC area with a friend and the topic of being a Listing Agent dominated the conversation.  Without going in great detail I was explaining how listings are very circumstantial...and by that I mean there are so many factors influencing the marketability of the property that it is hard to please or appease every seller.  Most sellers LOVE their home and can't see why anyone in their right mind would not want to pull the trigger.....but location, colors of walls, smell, slope of the lot, school zone, proximity to work.....the list goes on; all of these effect the marketability of the house.  With that I said "more times than not, it takes the right buyer at the right time to make it work".  My friends comment to me was "I guess it's kind of like the college and pro football coaches....you win or you are gone, even though there are circumstances out of your control (budget, size of school, conference) you are suppose to win and if you don't you are OUT". 

I thought about it for a while and even though it was kind of off the wall, it was true.  No matter what you do to market a home and how good you are with clients and other Realtors that most of the time will bring that buyer, there are things you can't control and it's just part of the game and an understood rule that your time is coming if you no one buys.  I will say that price is by far the number one factor that can get anything sold...with location coming in right behind, but as a listing agent you must be prepared to face ALL challenges and present them in the best light.