By Jody Hudson Most sellers will answer yes. Most Realtors will answer yes as well. There are ways to do just that. We all know that some homes sell quickly while others sell slowly or perhaps not at all. We Real Estate Agents want the homes, land, business, or properties of any kind to sell quickly at the highest price as well - so that we can get paid our commission. Marketing Plan: Professionals speak of a marketing plan. In selling a home there are several factors that rule; in determining price and speed of sale. Purchasers do not just come to purchase your home because they want to pay whatever price you or the Realtor has decided is the price wanted. Purchasers today are the most educated in history and they have more to choose from. Many purchasers use the Internet. In fact over 90% of the purchasers who buy homes for $300,000 or more are using the Internet extensively before they ever contact a Realtor or seller. As the price goes below about $300,000 the ratio of Web users drops, until at about $100,000 there are about 50% of the people who are using the Net and 50% who are not. Most purchasers quickly find out that ALL of the homes in a given area are available on the Internet and they are comparing as best they can the prices, locations, size, features and conditions of properties well before they call or write anyone. Price: So. if you want to sell YOUR property quickly and at the highest price, it is best to price your home properly, right at the top of the market but not above that, so that you attract those who are looking to purchase in the time you have your home for sale. The most important thing to remember is that the asking price is not what the properties are worth in the market - what they are worth is what they are SOLD for not what is asked. Correct Price: The properties that are priced right at or just below the market are the ones that sell the fastest and at the highest price. Those that are priced to high, usually sit on the market so long that by the time they sell, the values have risen and they are under-priced. Meanwhile the seller has also paid several months to a year or more of interest while the property is for sale and not sold. Or even if the property is debt free they have no use of the funds from the sale if the property is overpriced and not sold. Realtors are frequently challenged by sellers who want more or even far more than the market will bear. On the other hand some Realtors price properties so high that the land or home sits on the market for a long time. When this is done it is often for the purpose of the Real Estate Agent and the Real Estate Brokerage - having a conspicuous sign on the property which advertises the agent and the company - but is not necessarily a good situation for the seller. Cosmetic and Artistic Appearance: The sale of a property is speeded and enhanced by a series of first impressions. Usually the first impression a person gets is from the pictures used on the Web Site or in print and brochure advertising. Then there are continuing series of sequential first impressions; as the buyer approaches the property, arrives at the property, first steps upon the property, enters the property; and then in the case of a home there are the series of first impressions as the buyers open the front door and make their way through the home from room to room. Each room has it's own first impression. Even opening the garage, basement, or attic door and entering those spaces gives the buyer a series of first impressions of those areas. The driveway, sidewalks, yard, shrubs, front of the home, front door, roof, foundation, shutters, gutters and downspouts, etc. are all part of this sequence of impressions. Everything should be as clean, neat and as well manicured as possible. Fresh mulch where needed and edging of the lawn is cheap, easy and very impressive when done right and kept freshly updated. Exterior and interior colors and textures are important; that importance can not be overemphasized. Strong, unusual, or strange colors and textures of counter tops, walls, carpets, cabinets, wall paper or ceilings can kill the sale of a home so much that even price reductions below the market value will not help sell the home. In fact, this is a good place to emphasize that counter tops, cabinets and furniture should be cleared of clutter. Take a look at the interior photographs of homes in the home décor magazines and you will see what the public considers attractive - it does not include any clutter unless it is artistically displayed, such as magazines, collections, flowers, etc. Clutter also makes the home look smaller than it is and makes it look far less valuable. Your Realtor can assist you in ideas for setting the stage to make the property appear its best. All of us tend to rationalize and justify those things we know should be improved but that we have ignored or procrastinated about doing to improve or complete the home. Builders and handy people are usually terrible at completing their homes. They almost always have moldings, trim, carpeting, painting, and such that has not been completed and they know it will take only a few dollars or a few hours to complete - but these things will force the home to sell 10%, 15%, 20% or even 25% to 30% below market values. Two thousand dollars worth of paint and trim left undone can easily reduce the selling value of the home by ten, fifteen, twenty or even thirty thousand dollars. Glaring and garish colors in countertops, paint and carpet can reduce the value of a home by ten to twenty times the cost of fixing those things. So sellers, please don't be cheap and short sighted - change the colors to popular and neutral colors, finish all the work and make the property attractive. Buyers can almost never visualize the finished product and will never pay top price or anything near it when the property is not well finished and trimmed. Leave the home when it is being shown: Buyers do not want to be questioned, crowded or even watched by the seller while they are trying to decide on a home purchase. Most of us real estate professionals know that a home sells easier and for more money when we can ensure that the sellers, the owners, are not present when we are showing and directing the buyers through your house. The buyer may not want to offend the seller. Or, even worse they may want to test a verbal offer on the seller by asking if the seller will take less than the asking price. As a result, when the purchaser is looking at a home where the seller is present, they will often not concentrate on the home, just rush on through it and want to leave and get on to the rest of the homes they wish to look at. Once they are gone they will not likely ever be back. Make your home easily and quickly available for showing: If there is a slow or complicated showing procedure or restrictions, the chances of getting a buyer are reduced. Almost every time we are with a buyer, we are surprised by what they want to see and have no notice ourselves. Often, perhaps always, the buyer will tell us what they want to see, we set the appointments and shortly we find that their interests are other than what they first stated. Quite often we will have several appointments arranged and several homes planned for them to see and we are redirected by the sellers so that several of those homes are not seen and others are of more interest to them. We often have not days, not hours, not even minutes of notice, of what sort of property the buyer wants to see. So, if your home is on the market, keep it ready for a surprise showing at all times, whether you are home or not. And, it is important for your real estate agent to have a key and preferably to have a lock box on the home so that any other Realtor can show the home on short or no notice as well. It is not easy to sell a home for the highest and best price quickly. However working with your Realtor and following these points can make all the difference in how much money you get for your home and how fast. There can be a myriad of other factors as well. Working with your real estate agent can help everyone achieve their goals of a speedy sale for top dollar. And, we all get paid, and the expenses and carrying cost are ended for the seller and the salesperson. Our Real Estate Kate-Jody Partnership Site http://www.Kate-Jody.com Long & Foster Office Phone: 302-226-4452 My Business and Personal site:http://www.JodyHudson.com My Local Discussion Boards: Delaware Beach Discussion Board and Forums RAW -- Rehoboth Alliance of Writers (Forums and Writings)