Sellers can be their own worst enemy when trying to sell in a strong buyers market.  Home owners selling in today's market better get ready to enter shark infected waters.  Bank owned, pre foreclosures and short sales liter the Orlando, Windermere and Dr. Phillips real estate market, adding to the already high inventory levels.  Here are five steps to set your home Free and get it sold.

1.  Price  Your list price is the most important element of the selling process.  An over price home will not get showings and with no showings come no offers.  There are two strategies when pricing a home. 
In today's strong buyers market pricing a home CLOSER to where it will sell and staying firm on the price is your best bet.  Sure you may get low ball offers but everyone does.  What you are doing is pricing your home attractively which will result in more showings then an over priced home and getting offers you can work with. 

2.  Staging  That's right a new buyer is not taking the towels on the floor or the dirty dishes in the sink but they are looking at it and talking about it and not paying attention to the floor plan and the features of the home.  Going out with buyers the past 10 years I see them get distracted in a home that does not show pristine.  Comments like "I would never sell my home looking like this"  and usually the jokes start to follow.  Buyers can not imagine themselves buying a messy, cluttered home but they do see themselves in a show room ready home with everything in its place. 

3.  Exposure  It makes no sense stopping at the Price and the Staging aspects of a home going on the market with out plan for maximum exposure.  No two Realtors or real estate companies for that matter work the same.  The numbers tell us 87% of buyers start their search on the Internet.  Past experience has shown me sellers choose a Realtor based on the price rather then what they will do to get a home sold.  Interview at least two real estate companies and better yet three.  Hire the company that shows you the Internet exposure and print advertising your home will receive. 

4.  Accessibility  So you are all set with steps 1-3 but how about accessibility.  Are you tying your Realtor's hands by only allowing showings at certain times or only by appointment with your Realtor.  You only need one buyer and we never know which one it will be but we do not most likely it will not be the buyer that can not get in to see your home.  Sure they can come back another day but what usually happens is they move on to another subdivision, city or town. 

The best showing instructions in today's real estate market is for a courtesy call to the home owner on one or two phone numbers letting them know a showing has been scheduled, usually a 1 hour window.  Electronic lock box on the door.  For seller that are at home when the doorbell rings have all the lights turned on lite music on LOW and step out and let the Realtor show the home to the buyers.  Buyers will not feel comfortable looking through your home if you are there and they can not imagine this to be there home if the home owner is standing right next to them. 

5. Work every offer   Don't brush away your early offers thinking more are right around the corner.  Some of your first offers are your best.  After a buyer looks through homes in an area and nothing interests them they will wait for new listings to come on the market.  These can be some of the best buyers.  They know what they are looking for and have already looked at homes for sale.  Work every offer to the end and ALWAYS leave the door open for buyers to come back. 

To find Your List Price in the Orlando, Dr. Phillips and Windermere communities let Century 21 Home to TEAMCONNECT and Eight Realtors be one of your three appointments you make with a real estate company.