• Find someone you feel comfortable with. If you don't feel you can ask questions or go to your Realtor, you have the wrong Realtor.
• Your Realtor should show you research to back up any recommendations. This includes information about recent sales, current listings and recent expired listings in your neighbourhood.
• Choose a local Realtor. He or she will know your area better than an outsider, will be seen as a source for people looking to relocate in your neighbourhood, and will get better co-operation from other agents. It is likely that any amount you might save by having a friend or relative from outside the area serve as your Realtor, will be lost in their lack of knowledge about the very specific local market.
• Ask for references from the Realtor. He or she should be willing to give you names of previous clients.
• Ask your friends and acquaintances for recommendations, but make your final choice based on your needs.
• Ask the Realtor to show you what will be done to market your home. Consider the office and company support available to him or her as well as the initiative and professionalism shown by the individual.
• Look for a Realtor who tells you what he or she knows from experience in the market, and not what they think you want to hear. Flattery may sometimes get the listing, but it doesn't sell the home!

• Faster sale When your home sells faster, you save carrying costs, mortgage payments and other ownership costs.
• Less inconvenience If you've moved before, you know the energy it takes to prepare for showings: keeping the home clean, making child care arrangements and altering your lifestyle. Proper pricing reduces these demands on you, by helping your home sell faster.
• Exposure to more prospects At market value, you open your home up to more people who can afford the price. Sellers who list at a high price in the hope that they'll find the one purchaser who will pay it, often do not realize that they have discouraged many potential purchasers who could have afforded the price they end up accepting at a later date.
• Increased salesperson response When salespeople are excited about a home and its price, they make special efforts to contact all of their potential buyers. Knowing that it is priced properly for its market, they expect it to sell soon and encourage their prospects to act quickly. Their excitement is contagious!
• Better response from advertising and sign calls Ad calls and sign calls to Realtors turn into showings when price is not a deterrent. Most serious prospects are well educated about asking prices in the areas they are seeking, and will not waste time on a home they consider overpriced.
• Attracts higher offers When a home is priced right, buyers fear they might lose out on a good home , so they are less likely to make "low ball offers."
• Means more money to sellers If a home is priced right, the excitement of the market produces higher sale prices. You net more both in terms of actual sale price and in less carrying costs

Appearance Tips

• First impressions are lasting: Make sure the front of your house is clean and inviting, keep your lawn and hedges trimmed and manicured. Remove leaves and debris from walks. Make sure that your pool is clean. A small investment in painting will make your home look fresh and return more in the selling price.
• Pay attention to detail: Minor flaws will detract from your home's value. Fix loose knobs, torn screens, dripping faucets, clogged drains. Pay special attention to odors from pets or cooking.
• Bright, clean, charming: Make sure your bathrooms sparkle, clean out messy closets, box up things neatly in the attic or basement. Create a warm, friendly atmosphere with fresh flowers, lots of light, a fire in the fireplace in winter, open windows in summer.
• Three's a crowd: Avoid being present during a showing; the prospect will feel like an intruder and hurry through. Leave and take your pets with you. If you can't leave, step outside of the house and don't force conversation. If the agent has a question, he will ask you.
• Avoid looking cluttered: While your knick-knacks may have given your home the personal touches that you have enjoyed, they may make it difficult for some buyers to envision the house as their own. Put as much of it away as you can. This will also give your home a more spacious look and feel.
• Counters and Cabinets: A very important feature to most house hunters is plenty of counter and cabinet space. Clean off counters, and make sure your cabinets do not look like they are busting at the seams.