Your house has been on the market for four weeks. There have been a lot of showings but no offers, so you are wondering if you should consider a price reduction. You want to get as much as you can for your home, but more importantly you want it to sell!

This may be the time to have a frank discussion with your real estate agent. While price may be a major factor, it may not be the only consideration. Are you making your house easy for agents to show? Have you completed the necessary maintenance and cleaning so that your property is as appealing as possible? Review with your agent the current market conditions and the prices of other homes in your neighborhood before determining that a price reduction is in order.

Even though your price may be competitive, the marketplace may be telling you that buyers just won't pay what you would like to get. If all indicators point to a price reduction, it is better to do it sooner rather than later.
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As you prepare your home for the market, keep in mind that some of the people who will look at your home may bring along small children. Families with children may be looking for a larger home with more bedrooms and a bigger yard.

Prospective buyers will be accompanied by a real estate agent while touring your home, but that doesn't guarantee that the children will be supervised the entire time they are in your home. Every real estate agent has a story of a little person grabbing a Steuben apple from a low shelf, or of a toddler running full speed to the edge of a high deck.

Preparing your home to show involves common sense, such as removing sharp or breakable objects from low shelves and making sure that electric appliances don't have dangling cords that little hands can reach. If there is a possibility of falling from a porch or deck, place a visible note advising parents to supervise small children. Some sellers keep a few toys around to entertain young house hunters while their parents are looking at the home.
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If you are selling a home, the buyers will probably include a home inspection clause in the offer. This will allow them to hire an expert to make sure that the house is structurally sound and all the systems are working properly.

The time to get ready for the home inspection is before you sell your house! Owners usually know about most of the defects in their house, such as plumbing or electrical problems or leaks that occur when it rains. When you decide to put your home on the market, you should repair any defects immediately. Most purchase agreements require sellers to convey the property with all systems and appliances in working order. You won't save money by delaying repairs, and buyers may be frightened away by an inspection report that contains a long list of needed repairs.

Eliminating maintenance as a potential issue in the sale can help you ensure that the transaction goes as smoothly as possible. This is especially important when there is active construction of brand-new homes in the area.
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Looking good is important when you want to make a great impression, whether for a job interview or a social function. The same is true of a home that is on the market. When the "For Sale" sign goes up in front of your home, it should be "dressed" for the occasion.

Since the first impression will be of the front of the house, a well-groomed exterior is crucial, from the landscaping to the paint. The interior of your home should be clean and tastefully decorated. Take care of any minor cosmetic repairs that are needed, such as cracked plaster or peeling paint. A sparkling kitchen and shiny bathrooms, clean windows, and the absence of clutter will help your home "show well". Keeping your home looking good at all times is hard work, especially if you have children and are packing for a move. However, the dividends are impressive, because a home that looks well cared for has an excellent chance of selling quickly and for the best price.
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Selling a home is one of the most complex transactions that people are ever involved in. Finding a buyer is often the easy part! When you find someone who wants your home and who has the money to buy it, it is still a long way to the closing table.

You must first negotiate a purchase contract that covers the price and all the terms of the agreement. How much of a deposit will the buyer put down? When and how will the transfer of title occur? Under what conditions can either the buyer or seller back out of the contract? A professional home inspection will inform all parties about the condition of the property.

Having a good agent to handle the details after a home inspection can make the difference between a successful transaction and a failure. The buyer must obtain financing, and the lender's appraiser will have to agree with the sale price. When clear title has been established, you can sign all the necessary papers to finalize the sale.
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If you are about to list a home that you have lived there for many years, you know that it is not perfect. For example, there might be a leak in the basement that is noticeable only after a heavy rain. Your garage door might stick, and the dishwasher may be prone to work stoppages.

Every home has a few quirks. When it is time to sell your home, you have a choice of either making the necessary repairs or letting the buyers know about the problems. Material defects that are potentially serious must be fully disclosed. Some buyers will order a structural inspection in order to learn exactly what they will be getting. Even if the buyers don't ask for an expert to look at the house, it is the seller's responsibility to disclose any known defects in the property. The seller's agent will provide the disclosure form, wherein the seller may itemize any problems. Sellers may avoid any real estate lawsuits over undisclosed defects by making repairs before the sale or agreeing to a price adjustment during the transaction if defects are discovered.
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Here is a scenario that you may encounter when you sell your home. You make a listing appointment with a real estate agent who shows up with a detailed market analysis and a list of all the advantages of listing with his or her company. The agent then walks through your home with you, making suggestions about how you can present your home at its best.

The real estate agent's recommendations about cosmetic "fix-ups" make some sellers feel a little uncomfortable. They realize how long they have put off all of those "little" projects. If the suggestions about the cat box, spider webs, kitchen and bathroom cleanup, and removal of clutter make you feel a little defensive, remember that none of this is personal! Most sellers need a little coaching to make their homes show well. Providing suggestions for home staging is an important part of our job. The better your home looks while it's on the market, the more likely it is to sell quickly, and for top dollar.
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Once your home is listed for sale, it may be difficult for you to step aside and let your agent take over. When prospective buyers arrive, you may want to stand by to point out the closet extenders, the hidden spice cabinet behind the kitchen door, the energy-saving storm windows or the updated copper plumbing. If you really want to help, however, you will leave the house whenever it is being shown!

We have found that the sales process does not really begin until buyers have begun to voice their objections about a property. Sometimes these concerns are serious enough to remove your house from consideration. Often, however, people voice objections as an automatic response when they really love the house and want to buy it. Real estate professionals are trained to know the difference.

If a seller is standing at the agent's elbow, the buyer won't be comfortable enough to allow the process of raising objections take place. If the buyer feels intimidated or suppressed, we could lose the sale. The best way to help is to give your real estate agent room to make the sale.
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Home safety precautions are always important, but it is especially important to make your home "accident-proof" while it is on the market. Many strangers will be coming through your home who won't be aware of the minor hazards that you and your family instinctively avoid.

Go through your home with an eye for potential hazards. Remove the obstacles that you can and post "watch your head" or "watch your step" signs where they are needed. Look for loose banisters, uneven steps, precariously placed plants, art objects or anything else that could fall on someone, wet spots on bath or kitchen floors, toys that someone might fall over and anything that you have to step over or duck under. Make sure that rugs will not slip, especially those at the bottom of stairs. There aren't many things that will more quickly dampen a buyer's enthusiasm for a house than a bump on the head or an unexpected trip down a flight of stairs.
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When a seller lists a home with a real estate agent, a lot of brainstorming follows. Who are the potential buyers, where do they live and work? How can they be reached effectively with information that will attract them to this particular property?

In addition to advertising each home on the widely used Multiple Listing Service, professional real estate agents employ marketing techniques tailored to the individual home they are selling. An agent will review various buyer lists to find potential purchasers. They will use telephone and direct mail marketing, produce property flyers and advertise on the Internet, in the newspaper, in community publications and in real estate magazines. Contacts will be made to other agents who sell homes in the area to encourage them to show the home to prospective buyers.

Real estate agents combine pro-active marketing with realistic pricing to generate results for their home sellers.
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If your home has been on the market for a few weeks, your real estate agent may suggest an "open house." Your agent puts up signs, gives you some pointers about how to prepare your home for showing and shows up early on Sunday morning. You may be tempted to stay around, but the best advice is to leave while your home is being shown!

When sellers are present at an open house, they can hamper the sales professional's ability to cultivate interested buyers, and can even squelch a sale. What would your response be, for instance, if someone strolls into your kitchen and says, "What awful wallpaper!" If prospective buyers know that you as the owner are present, they might feel reluctant to express their objections and concerns openly and directly to your agent. If your objective is to get your home SOLD, the best thing to do is to get out of the way and let the sales professional do the job.
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Pricing a house is one of the most important parts of the marketing process. You want to get as much for the property as you can, but if you set the price too high, you can turn away qualified buyers. Your real estate agent can tell you the selling price of homes comparable to yours. Pricing strategy depends on market conditions, and it is different in a buyers' market than it is in a sellers' market.

If your home is overpriced, the marketplace will reflect that to you. When a property fails to sell in a reasonable period of time, you and your real estate agent should have a frank discussion to determine whether too high a price tag is the reason. Your real estate agent will also be getting feedback from other agents who have shown your home.

Remember that price is only one factor. Consider ways you can make the property more attractive to show by handling needed repairs, improving curb appeal or making cosmetic improvements. Improve the condition of your home and you will improve its chances of selling.
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Having your house on the market involves a certain invasion of your privacy. Real estate agents will be previewing it and showing it to buyers with some regularity. While you want to make your home reasonably accessible to the real estate professionals and their prospects, you don't want to run the risk of stepping out of your shower just as a broker is ushering in buyers.

In many areas real estate agents use a handy little tool of the trade called a "lock box". When a property is occupied, the agent first calls to let the owner know when they will be coming by. If no one is at home, the agent can get into the house with a key stored in the lock box.

The other extreme of accessibility is to require a day's notice before a showing, and to insist that your real estate agent be present at each one. This will eliminate a lot of the inconvenience to you, but it may also eliminate a lot of showings of your house. Whatever arrangements you work out, keep in mind that the easier you make it for real estate agents to open and show your home, the easier it will be to sell it quickly.
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When you get serious about selling your home, the chances of your selling it quickly for top dollar will improve considerably if you list it with a real estate sales professional. If you doubt this, consider the fact that eight out of ten homes sold today--more in some markets--are listed with a professional real estate agent.

Listing your home places it on the local Multiple Listing Service that is subscribed to by a majority of real estate sales professionals. Through the MLS listing, your home is assured of getting the widest possible exposure to the market place.

Some buyers shop the home market on their own, but most save time and money by using the services of a real estate sales professional. Ask yourself which homes the real estate agent is going to show the prospective buyers--homes listed on the MLS or those that are not?

If you still want to try to sell your own home, be aware that you will face stiff competition when it comes to attracting qualified buyers!
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It is the little things--both positive and negative--that can make a big difference to prospective buyers. Pay close attention to detail when you prepare your home to sell.

Before you list your home, go through the house with a careful eye. Fix any loose door knobs, popped screen doors, and loose grout around the tub and shower. A coat of fresh paint can work wonders to dress up a house. Wash the windows, hang a healthy plant from the bathroom skylight, and clean out the closets. Arrange the furniture to make the room look larger. If the rooms look cluttered, put your extra furniture into storage. You can brighten up a room by increasing the wattage of the light bulbs.

Going the extra mile to showcase your home will pay significant dividends when it's time to show it to buyers.
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Ideally, real estate agents want the properties we market to look spotless, but even the most impeccable housekeepers find it difficult to keep the house in prime showing condition all the time.

Keeping the beds perpetually made, dishes washed, bathrooms spotless and the closets neat is a lot of work. Is it worth it? Yes, it is -- if you want to get your house sold in a reasonable amount of time for the best price.

Often when buyers see normal household clutter, what registers is "this place hasn't been maintained." They see bathtub rings and think "plumber's bills." They see lint under the refrigerator and grease on the electric range and imagine having to replace all of the appliances. It isn't particularly logical, but people often respond with their feelings when buying a house. When making their final selection, buyers may be going on emotion and adrenaline rather than reason and logic. You can help your real estate agent by minimizing the amount of imagination they will need to fall in love with your home.
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When your home is being shown, you want prospective buyers to feel good as soon as they step into the living room. It pays to give special attention to maximizing the amount of light in your home because dark homes are depressing to many people. When prospective buyers give real estate agents feedback on the homes that we show, they often cite a light, airy feeling as a major attraction.

Begin your preparation for showing your home by cleaning the windows and curtains thoroughly. Open the drapes and blinds to let the sunshine in. Even on a bright day it helps to turn on some lights in the main rooms of the house. If you are using shades or heavy drapes to eliminate a less-than-perfect view, you may want to consider replacing them with translucent curtains in a light color. Sunshine definitely helps to sell homes!
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Click here to find out now! One of the sayings from the "gold-rush" days--"Them that's got the gold, sets the price!"--is also a principle that applies to real estate. We say that a house is only worth what someone will pay for it, even though the owner, the bank, and the agent all have their own opinions about the "market value" of a home. In other words, no sale ever takes place until the buyer agrees with the price.

How can sellers arrive at the maximum "fair" price that buyers are willing to pay? Buyers (and appraisers) make their decision based on comparisons. While shopping for a home, buyers will visit many similar homes in their price range and measure the features of each one against the price. They decide which house offers them the maximum value for the price. Buyers do not expect a home to be a "steal" or dramatically under-priced, but they do expect it to be a fair value.

Sellers must determine the value that their home offers in order to arrive at the right price. The real estate agent will advise the sellers what buyers should be willing to pay for their home, but the asking price is set by the seller.
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If you are trying to sell your home quickly, some real estate agents may recommend that you offer a bonus to the agent who brings in the buyer. They feel that a monetary incentive will cause an agent to push your house over the one down the street. Do such bonuses work?

You cannot expect a bonus to sell an overpriced house or overcome housekeeping shortcomings that detract from your home's overall appeal. If your house looks great and is priced right, offering a bonus to the real estate agent could help it sell more quickly. Agents earn their reputations by helping people find homes that they love. When deciding which homes to show prospective buyers, their decision will be based on whether the home will meet their needs. If the Multiple Listing Service indicates that a bonus is being offered, it could encourage more agents to preview the house and result in more showings.
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