In today's real estate market, most activity happens within the first four weeks. Many real estate agents will reassess the following factors of your listing if it has not sold in 30:

Price: Your agent will use a comparative market analysis of homes in your area to insure that your home is appropriately priced. Be certain that they share with you new competitive properties as they are listed, as well as an updated competitive market analysis of homes recently sold.

Condition: Be sure to follow your agent's advice with regard to staging your home for a sale. There are many ways to prepare your home in order to convey the best possible impression to potential buyers.

Accessibility: It’s important that your agent has access to show your home whenever possible. While using a locked key box is recommended, be certain that your agent is able to provide keys to other agents interested in showing your property if a lockbox isn’t possible. This will enable increased exposure of your home and a potentially faster sale.

Marketing Commitments from Your Agent
As you prepare to sell your home, it is important to have a complete understanding of the items your agent will handle. The following is a list of common services you should expect your agent to use in the process of marketing your home:

• Including your home on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS)
• New on the market advertising in the newspaper and in local real estate guides
• For sale signs installed with maximum visibility
• A locked key box for exposure from other agents
• Calls to potential prospects they know of
• Preparation of marketing and promotional materials, including flyers or take-away brochures
• Follow-ups with agents who have shown your home
• Updates informing you of market changes or new financing
• Updates to other agents of any price, financing or physical changes regardng your property
• Management of negotiations
• Accurate calculations of estimated closing costs and net proceeds
• Follow-ups on any transactions with the lender and title companies
• Tracking of contractual deadlines and closing procedures

Pricing Your Home
The rapid and successful sale of your home relies on the accuracy of your pricing. It has been proven that the first 30 days of a sale are the most important because it is the only time your home falls under the coveted "new on the market" category. By placing too high a price on your home, you could miss this window of opportunity, alienate potential buyers and even compromise the value of your home. It is generally accepted that an overpriced home tends to make it less likely to be shown by other agents. Overpricing also lengthens the sale period resulting in a lower selling price, since a property left on the market for an long time can cause buyers to believe something is wrong. And finally, since most buyers comparison shop, it may convince them to make an offer on a different property if they believe yours is overpriced.

In a buyers' market, you may increase the appeal of your home by offering buyers money in the form of special financial incentives:

Credits: One effective financial inducement is offering to pay a portion of your buyer's nonrecurring closing costs for such expenses as loan origination fees, title insurance and property inspections. You may also graciously offer to pay for some or all of the repairs found by the property inspections. These payments are usually made as a credit from a seller to a buyer.

Seller Financing: Financing some or all of the buyer's mortgage may enable you to command a higher sale price, a quicker sale, an attractive return on your money and possibly a deferment on a portion of your capital gains tax.

A Home Warranty: Home warranties are a valuable asset to both sellers and buyers in that they help to alleviate buyer concerns about costly future home repairs, making the sale of the home more palatable.

Brokers’ Open House
Once you’ve decided to use a listing agent to sell your home, and signed the listing agreement, the most effective way for them to target market your house is to schedule a brokers' open house. This provides local real estate agents an exclusive opportunity to view your property before any potential buyers. Since real estate agents tend to work with several buyers at a time, the brokers' open house enables them to assess which of their buyers may be the right one to purchase your house. And properties that are well-priced and attractive almost always generate immediate showing requests.

Preparing Your Home for Open Houses
Open houses tend to bring potential buyers of all kinds through your home. Therefore, it’s best to not only carefully prepare your home by following the guidelines of staging your home to enhance its appeal to the maximum number of interested parties. The following is a list of tips for you to keep in mind throughout the open house stage of the selling process:

• Pack valuables away in a safe place.
• Keep pets out of the way since many people are allergic to animals.
• Leave the showing to the agent. The agent’s knowledge of a buyer's requirements enables them to emphasize the features of your home that will appeal most to the buyer.
• It's best not to discuss anything concerning the sale with a potential buyer. Your agent is better qualified to discuss price, terms, possession and other factors concerning the sale and bring negotiations to a favorable conclusion.
• Never apologize for appearance. It can distract or accentuate a problem.
• If you must be present during a showing or open house, keep the number of people present to a minimum so that the potential buyer does not feel rushed or intrusive.

Financing
To help expedite the sale of your home and the subsequent move into your new home, discuss your financing options with your real estate agent, including seller-paid help with closing costs or loan fees; seller-paid buy-downs on interest rates; or any applicable financing programs that would expand the market, such as an FHA or VA loans.

If you sign a purchase and sales agreement that is contingent upon the sale of your current home, your agent may recommend a Bridge Loan. This is a temporary financing arrangement provided by a mortgage company that allows you to make the purchase of your new home before the sale of your current home is finalized, protecting your offer from being displaced by another buyer.

If you qualify for the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997, you are exempt from capital gains on the sale of your primary residence as long as certain guidelines are met. As an individual, your gains on the sale of your house must not exceed $250,000 or $500,000 for joint filers. Any gains incurred above these limits will be taxed at the 20% capital gains rate. Another qualification for exemption is that you have owned and occupied the residence for a minimum of two of the last five years from the date of sale. Additionally, you will not have to roll the gain of your last home into a more expensive home, allowing you to freely choose the type of housing you prefer.