On average, a staged home sells 88% faster—and for 20% more money—than a home that’s left as is. The reason it works, of course, is it gives buyers a “stage” onto which they can play out their home-owning fantasies and envision themselves living in your home. Choose neutral paint colors and remove any family photos, Give would-be homeowners a blank canvass that they can mentally fill with their loved ones and themselves.

The exact price of your own home will depend on its size, neighborhood, and lots of other factors. Further complicating matters is your own skewed perspective: We tend to mentally inflate our home’s positives and airbrush out the flaws that are all too apparent to the cold, calculating eyes of buyers. People always seem to compare their house to the most expensive sale in the neighborhood. Instead, look at the prices of similarly sized homes that have recently sold in your area—data that agents call comparative market analysis, or “comps.” Then, price your place strategically. If you price too high, the home is likely to linger on the market, Meanwhile, pricing low can have major upsides, resulting in multiple bids that could ultimately jack up your price. So, do your homework. Then, discuss a number with your Realtor that feels right—and is realistic.

The time varies wildly based on area and price. So, price competitively and make sure that you and your Realtor are getting the place in front of as many eyeballs as possible. The higher the exposure, the faster the offers, Spread the word through your own social networks——real ones and virtual ones. You never know whose passing it along to that special someone will lead to a sale.

While the commission can vary, it is typically 6% of a home’s sale price—and that’s usually shared with the buyer’s agent. But what’s implied by this question is “What are Realtors doing to earn that fat check?” Here are some facts to keep in mind: Unlike lawyers who get paid by the hour, or doctors who are paid by the appointment, listing agents don’t get paid unless they make a sale. For every hour an agent spends with a client, he or she will typically spend nine hours on average working on that client’s behalf doing everything from networking to finding potential buyers to filling out paperwork. And no, not all agents are created equal. It’s no different from choosing an attorney, accountant, or the doctor who will deliver your baby. You want to be sure that you trust that person and are comfortable with them.

The sale of your house generates “capital gains” as defined by the IRS which is normally taxable. However, since the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997, individuals can exclude up to $250,000 in capital gains for individuals, and married couples can exclude up to $500,000 in capital gains.

To see how this works in practice, imagine you bought your house for $100,000, and then sold it for $300,000. That sale would generate $200,000 in capital gains, all of which could be excluded since individuals can exclude up to $250,000 and married couples could exclude up to $500,000. Accordingly, you wouldn’t owe any taxes on the capital gains from the sale of your home.

For more information, see FindLaw’s article on the tax exemption for the sale of your home.

If you’re even contemplating a sale, I would suggest having an experienced Realtor come out as soon as possible even if you’re not planning on selling for months. Not only is this a good chance to meet/interview your possible future listing agent but it also gives you plenty of time to be working on any suggested repairs, improvements, and decluttering you’ll want to do before listing. A top-notch listing agent can spot even the smallest things that may make a big impact on the way your home shows and feels to prospective buyers.

In this current seller’s market, we can usually get your home under contract within the first weekend or week it’s on the market. There are clearly some variables here such as whether or not you’ve taken our advice with preparation and proper pricing, whether or not there are factors that we can’t control (environmental factors, noise from a busy road, power lines behind the home, location, etc), and the current market that you are selling in. There are always home buyers out there and we most definitely have the skills to make your home stand out from the competition. When the right things are put into place, you can usually expect positive results rather quickly.

You’ll often hear that spring is the best time to list your home. Spring is typically the start of the selling season and buyers become much more active. Others may say it’s best to list in the summer, before the start of the new school year. Truth is, there are ALWAYS buyers out there regardless of the time of year. If you’re thinking of listing in the spring or summer, there will be more competition in the market. If you waited later in the year to list, your results could be just as good, if not better, because there is typically less inventory. In a nutshell, the best time to sell is when it’s right for YOU. We will help your home stand out no matter the time of year.

Ideally, go ahead and have us out for a visit so that we can walk through your home with you and give you customized suggestions (remember, you can’t do this too soon). But, if you’re not ready for that yet, I would do the following: De-clutter as much as possible; Sell or donate furniture or possessions that you won’t need going forward; Pack up items you don’t need now and neatly stack boxes in the garage or store offsite at a storage facility or in a POD delivered to your residence; Repaint, if needed, to freshen up the space or neutralize strong paint colors; Make any necessary repairs to the interior or exterior; Spruce up the landscaping (pruning, aerating, and seeding, adding mulch, etc). This would be a heck of a start and something that you can be working on months in advance.

This is a common question and I can tell by many of the homes I see on the MLS that many homeowners (and real estate agents) seem to live by this presumption. However, there’s also the saying “If you’re going to do something, do it well” and this is exactly how we like to work. We know for a fact that even the smallest things can make a big difference. This can amount to more money in your pocket and stronger, more qualified buyers. We don’t just pop your home on the MLS and hope for the best. We put extra time and effort into your listing to ensure we get you the best results possible…the best price, the most buyers, the strongest terms, and the best overall experience.

This is a big YES! With that being said, it’s important that your Realtor has a relationship with a great photographer, not just someone with a nice camera. There’s no regulation on whether or not someone can call themselves a ‘professional photographer’ so your Realtor should have a relationship with a proven photographer that understands proper lighting, angles, how to get the right shot, has good editing skills, etc. We’ve worked with several great ones over the years and only work with the ones that we feel will showcase your home in the best possible light.

When you have a showing, make sure your home looks clean, neat & decluttered as much as possible. Turn on all of the lights and ceiling fans, open blinds and curtains, and put on some soft music. It’s a good idea to remove pet items, make the beds and maybe do a light cleaning. Buyers will often open up your closets, cabinets, pantry & fridge too. Another thing we recommend to our sellers is to lock up or remove any valuables and secure important documents in the home. Although buyers will have their agent with them, they can’t always be with them 100% of the time. For those of you with home surveillance equipment like cameras, nanny cams, and Ring doorbells, please make sure you turn OFF the audio before you leave. Sellers are not allowed to listen in on conversations with other parties without their consent.

When selling your home in ANY market (buyer’s market or a seller’s market), you always want to look for an experienced listing agent that understands the current market conditions in your area. They should be able to provide examples of their marketing and explain how they plan to market your home so that it stands out from the competition. Ask what they do to help you prepare your home and ask if they use a stager, professional photographer, or videographer. Do they employ other types of marketing such as drone footage, floorplans, descriptive MLS write-ups, social media advertising, printed brochures, or single property websites? Look for someone that will provide you with a CMA and honestly discuss pricing based on comparable properties. A good agent will be honest with you and will help you price it strategically so that your listing gets the right kind of activity. Be wary of any agent that is willing to overprice your home as they have just proven to not have your best interests in mind. More than likely, they are just trying to “win” your listing. Ask to see their reviews and testimonials, talk to them on the phone and in person to go over their process, and discuss your expectations. I wouldn’t put too much emphasis on an agent that boasts about their numbers or claims to be a “top producer” as that could also indicate they are too busy to give you the personal service and attention a listing requires. Lastly, I realize commissions are important but that should be one of the last things to consider unless all other things are equal. The right agent will help you achieve better results (including more profit) in the end.