![10 Tips For First Time Sellers 10 Tips For First Time Sellers](https://media.imaxws.com/38828/agent-pages-header-980.png)
![Ten](https://media.imaxws.com/38828/agent-page-10.png)
Article written by Peter G. Miller
![10 Tips For First Time Sellers 10 Tips For First Time Sellers](https://media.imaxws.com/38828/10-tips-first-time-featured-sm.jpg)
At First the Task Seems Daunting -
You haven't sold a home before, the market looks complex, and what worked for owners 10 or 20 years ago seems inappropriate today.
What steps should you take? Here's a baseline list to get you started.
![You can do it Number 1](https://media.imaxws.com/38828/1-bar-890.png)
![You can do it Number 1](https://media.imaxws.com/38828/1-bar-890-phone.png)
![It is not impossible You can do it](https://media.imaxws.com/38828/can-do-it-sm.jpg)
YOU CAN DO IT!
Other owners have done it and so can you.
![Set goals Number 2](https://media.imaxws.com/38828/2-bar-890.png)
![Set goals Number 2](https://media.imaxws.com/38828/2-bar-890-phone.png)
![Look at price and terms Define Your Goal](https://media.imaxws.com/38828/define-your-goal-sm.jpg)
DEFINE YOUR GOAL
Do you want the highest sales price -- or the biggest check at closing? They're not necessarily the same. Imagine that two homes sell for $300,000, but one owner pays 2 points and agrees to replace the roof. The owner who sold without such costs got a bigger check at settlement.
The bottom line: To have a successful sale you need to look at both price and terms -- you must have a strong negotiator in your corner.
![The market is different than 10 years ago Number 3](https://media.imaxws.com/38828/3-bar-890.png)
![The market is different than 10 years ago Number 3](https://media.imaxws.com/38828/3-bar-890-phone.png)
TIMES HAVE CHANGED
Today's real estate marketplace is radically different when compared with 10 years ago. Purchasers now use the Internet, receive seller disclosure forms, get home inspections, and are routinely represented by buyer brokers. The result is that buyers can be better prepared than in the past.
![Clean Up Number 4](https://media.imaxws.com/38828/4-bar-890.png)
![Clean Up Number 4](https://media.imaxws.com/38828/4-bar-890-phone.png)
![Organize and clean everything Sparkle Shine](https://media.imaxws.com/38828/sparkle-and-shine-sm.jpg)
SPARKLE AND SHINE
Imagine going to a supermarket and seeing dusty fruit or aisles filled with old shelving and cans. It doesn't happen because the grocery store knows how to present its goods. Sellers must do the same. Get rid of things you don't want to move, organize closets and storage areas, and clean everywhere.
![Home inspections are common Number 5](https://media.imaxws.com/38828/5-bar-890.png)
![Home inspections are common Number 5](https://media.imaxws.com/38828/5-bar-890-phone.png)
![Prepare for an inspection - fix it now Mechanics Count](https://media.imaxws.com/38828/mechanics-count-sm.jpg)
MECHANICS COUNT
Buyers expect everything to work. Home inspections are now entirely common and what buyers miss home inspectors will catch. Fix and paint things now and they won't be an issue in the future.
![Show a house they can see themselves in Number 6](https://media.imaxws.com/38828/6-bar-890.png)
![Show a house they can see themselves in Number 6](https://media.imaxws.com/38828/6-bar-890-phone.png)
THINK BROADWAY
When buyers see your home, it's show-time. They want an environment where they can see themselves. Give them a show where everything is painted, arranged, and attractive? a home where the only issue is when to move in.
![Look at the market Number 7](https://media.imaxws.com/38828/7-bar-890.png)
![Look at the market Number 7](https://media.imaxws.com/38828/7-bar-890-phone.png)
![Market Intelligence is critical to getting the best price How's the Market](https://media.imaxws.com/38828/hows-the-market-sm.jpg)
HOW'S THE MARKET?
Real estate is local. Your broker can explain current market trends in your community, including what's selling, what isn't selling, and why. This information is central to getting the best possible price and terms.
![Be competitive Number 8](https://media.imaxws.com/38828/8-bar-890.png)
![Be competitive Number 8](https://media.imaxws.com/38828/8-bar-890-phone.png)
KNOW YOUR RIVALS
Your property will be competing with other homes for buyer attention. Ask your broker how to be competitive -- and how to have an edge.
![Markets Differ by Location and Time Number 9](https://media.imaxws.com/38828/9-bar-890.png)
![Markets Differ by Location and Time Number 9](https://media.imaxws.com/38828/9-bar-890-phone.png)
WHAT TIME IS IT? MARKETS DIFFER BY LOCATION AND TIME
When interest rates are low and the local job base is growing, it's great to be a seller. But when times are slack and mortgage rates are rising, homes also sell. In 1981, when the prime rate topped 20 percent and the population was smaller, 2.4 million existing homes were sold. The trick is to be realistic, to get as much as market conditions will allow.
![Understand the marketing Number 10](https://media.imaxws.com/38828/10-bar-890.png)
![Understand the marketing Number 10](https://media.imaxws.com/38828/10-bar-890-phone.png)
![There are many ways to attract buyers Understand the Plan](https://media.imaxws.com/38828/understand-the-plan-sm.jpg)
UNDERSTAND THE PLAN
Real estate marketing involves far more than a sign in the yard and an ad in the paper. Successful brokers use a variety of methods to attract and qualify prospects, including the latest Internet and communication advances.
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