Over 50% of homes listed for sale do not sell during their listing period, in some markets its as high as 65%. The dirty secret in the real estate business is that most homes dont sell on the first go around. Blame the agent blame the home owner both are at fault. 7 steps below will give you the best chance of your home selling first time out.

1)Price it Right Far and away above any other consideration is the price. The worst home in the worst area at the right price will sell. Get your head out of the clouds, as a seller its just another house.

2)Hire the Right Agent Interview 2 to 3 agents, hire the one who uses the most tools to market your home. The Im No 1 and pat their self on the back real estate designations are not going to get your home sold.

3)Team Approach to Selling Agents who use a team approach to their business have the right attitude towards real estate. Todays single agent actually does 14 different jobs in the home selling and buying process. A team can spread the work load, specialize, and has less chance of dropping the ball (you and your house).

4)Advertising Systems Where, when and how often will your home be advertised in newspapers and home magazines. We know that about 90 to 95% of calls on ads reject the house after receiving all the information. But it is a fact that advertising especially using a 800# call capture systems with a compelling ad will draw buyer prospects for your agents team to work with.

5)Signs and Sign Riders signs with 800# call capture number. Show your agents web page address. Web page must have free reports and other areas for buyers to register. Sign riders offer compelling reasons for buyers to call the 800#, zero down, special financing, low down payment, Buy this house and Ill buy yours for cash are some that work well.

6)Open Houses One of the least effective ways to market a home. Saturday or Sunday afternoon for 3-4 hours you go to the mall and your agent hangs out watching TV. How about an open house tour 5 to 6 homes open the same day for 15 to 20 minutes each, the group goes from house to house creating an auction like affect and get to you stay home and see the show.

7)Visual Tours & Photos By using visual tours and multiple photos your agent will get your home placed higher on websites like Realtor.com. Almost 80% of home buyers start their search on the internet it is best for you to be at the top of the list. You can also email your home to friends, neighbors, co-workers, hand-out C/Ds at open house tours. Your agent will also send these out to the top agents in your area.

Agents with multiple approaches to the marketing of your home will work best for you. They are internet savvy have a team and support staff that can handle the various tasks involved with finding the right buyer for your home.

Bill Carey

Real Estate Broker, Investor and Home Builder with his wife Karen make their home in Charlotte North Carolina. With over 30 years in real estate Bill has a unique perspective on the real estate business having personally bought and sold homes in the various northeast, midwest and southern states. Bill is a licensed Real Estate Broker in North and South Carolina working with home buyers and homeowners in the Charlotte, NC region. As a home builder and project manager he over saw construction of executive style single family homes to multi story multi family projects. His first investment along with a partner in 1975 was a small 2 bedroom 1 bath single family home renovated into a 4 bedroom 2 bath student rental, 2 years later sold at a nice profit. Bill and Karen now invest in real estate in the Carolina's resort locations along the southern beaches and mountains.