I've said before that a real estate agent should sell their own house every so often so they get the invaluable experience of going through the transaction from the seller's point of view.   As a real estate professional, I know why I ask sellers to do certain things.  I give them advice that I hope they will follow because my experience has shown that these things, whatever they are, will help a property get sold more quickly and for top dollar. 

The first discussion is usually about price.  If you set the price too low, you can leave money on the table - which is not in the best interest of a seller. But if you set it too high, it can be equally as costly.  Experience and studies have show time and time again that overpriced properties sit on the market longer, which costs a seller thousands in carrying costs, and often times end up selling below market value as buyers lose interest in a property that is stigmatized with being on the market too long.

Next comes showing the property.  In this area, electronic lockboxes are used to allow buyer-agent access to the property throughout the day with advance notice.  This means a seller must be ready for a possible showing every single day.  The property must be ready before the sellers leave for work every day; and it must be ready on those days when all they want to do is relax, take their shoes off and throw them in the middle of the room, and read a good book.

When you live in a house, no matter how hard you try, it’s going to get “lived in.”  And inevitably, then the phone will ring – good news, a showing appointment!  Can they come in a half hour?   If you listen closely enough, five minutes before the showing of any owner-occupied property, you can hear the cries of desperation asking for the coveted “Ten More Minutes!”