Every seller wants to realize as much as possible when they sell their home. But a listing price that is too high often gets the seller less than a price that is at market value. If your house is not priced competitively, people looking in your price range will reject your house in favor of other, larger homes for the same price. At the same time, the people who should be looking at your house will not see it because it is priced over their heads!

Buyers look for homes, not houses, and they buy the home in which they would like to live. Owners who fail to make necessary repairs, who don’t spruce up the house inside and out, touch up the paint and landscaping, and keep it clean and neat, chase buyers away as rapidly as Realtors can bring them in.

The two most “popular” marketing tools - open houses and classified ads - are only moderately effective. Surprisingly, less than 1% of homes are sold at an open house. Agents use them to attract future prospects, not to sell your house!

Advertising studies show that less than 3% of purchasers bought their home due to an ad they read. And if an answering machine was used for giving the information on the house, most callers hung up without leaving a message.

For Sale By Owners feel they get more activity than houses listed with agents, and that is probably true. The difference is, Realtors bring in only qualified buyers, not Sunday afternoon shoppers. A qualified buyer is one who is ready, willing, and able to buy your house.

Real estate law is extensive and complex; the contract for sale and purchase is a legally binding document. An improperly written contract can cause the sale to fall through, or cost you thousands of dollars for repairs, inspections, and remedies for title defects.

You must be certain which repairs and closing costs are your responsibility. You must know whether the property can legally be sold “as is” and how deed restrictions and local zoning will affect the transaction. If there are defects in your title, or if your property is in conflict with local restrictions, you or your Realtor must remedy them. Otherwise, you could lose thousands!

In today’s real estate market, many home sellers are finding it necessary to bring money - a lot of money - with them to the settlement table. How depressing! You’ve worked hard establishing yourself in your home, and are now ready to move on. But you find yourself no better off after the sale.

Your Realtor should have developed a team of professionals to give you trusted advise and counseling on the issues of real estate.

It’s likely that you don’t interview people very often. And yet in order to find the Realtor who is right for you, you may need to interview several. The quality of your home selling experience is dependent upon your skill at selecting the person best qualified.

It’s interesting that in the real estate business, someone with many successfully closed transactions usually costs the same as someone who is inexperienced. Bringing that experience to bear on your transaction could mean a higher price at the negotiating table, selling in less time, and with the minimal amount of hassles.