You need to do everything you can to make your property stand out if you want a quick, smooth sale. Just one minor misstep with the list price, landscaping decisions or marketing can bring any momentum you have to a screeching halt. Here are five home selling mistakes you should avoid at all costs.

• Pricing Too High: If you have ever watched any one of the numerous real estate shows on TV you know about the damage of pricing too high. This isn’t just a common theme real estate agents use to get your home sold quicker. It can have a legitimate and lasting negative impact. In the world of real estate, first impressions are everything. When a new listing hits the MLS, you get instant feedback from agents and buyers.
  
  If your home is listed too high, agents will scoff at the listing and not give it a second thought, bypassing your property completely. You may think that in listing aggressively and trying to squeeze every dollar from the property you will improve your return, but unfortunately, usually the exact opposite happens. The demand will be far less than anticipated and after a few weeks you will be forced to make some changes, either by lowering your price or spending money on additional marketing such as staging or new photos to generate interest. You are almost always better off listening to your agent and listing at a number in-line with the market.

• Not Using An Agent: Every person, in any business, wants to maximize their return on investment. Often, after spending several years in your home, you can feel that you know the home better than any agent that will try to sell your property. Instead of throwing money away on the commission you think “I can sell the property myself!”
  
  What you may not understand is what all is involved in selling a home. You need to know the local market. You need to know how to market the property to generate maximum interest; a for-sale sign in the front yard or at the top of the street will probably not get it done. You also need to make yourself available to rapidly answer questions and follow up with interested agents and buyers. You need to be able to show the property whenever there is interest, and provide information on the property in a knowledgeable, professional manner.
  
  If there is an offer you need to understand how the contract works and the legal aspects of a sale. Also, real estate agents are familiar with the process that buyers must go through, and the potential and points of failure in that process, and they know how to mitigate that risk. You may catch lightning in a bottle and find a high dollar cash buyer, but in most cases, a real estate agent can negotiate a higher price, and find buyers that can follow through on their offers.
  
  
• Dismissing Offers: There is no such thing as a bad offer. Sure, some offers will be well below the list price, but it doesn’t mean you should ignore it. Sellers are generally trying to get a steal of a deal. If there is a lowball offer you shouldn’t get offended and take it personally. Always counter at a number you are comfortable with, even if it is just under the list price. If their counter is still off then you can move on, but you never want to blindly ignore any offer. Many buyers make low offers in an attempt to see where you stand. If you hold your ground they know negotiations will end up near asking price. An offer is an attempt to initiate a negotiation, however low it may be.
  
  
• Stubbornness: In any real estate transaction there is a bit of give and take. The goal isn’t to dominate every negotiation, but to get the property sold. You need to always think about the big picture when selling a home. It is very rare that you will get everything you desire from the sale. Unless you are in the right market and time it right, you need to be willing to make concessions. This could mean slightly coming down on your price, extending the closing date or changing something in the property. If you say no to everything your buyer pool may dry up and you will be left with the property for weeks, possibly months before another seller comes along. Making a little less on your home isn’t ideal, but in the big picture, it is almost always worth it, compared with the delays in moving on to your next home or the holding costs and other risks associated with owning a vacant home.
  
  
• Dismissing Staging: With some properties, it may not be enough to just do quality renovations. Regardless of whether you are selling a freshly finished renovation or a home you have lived in for two decades, you need to make the buyers feel welcome. Help them to imagine living in and using the key spaces, such as the kitchen, living room, master bedroom, & master bath, by staging them. Potential buyers should feel instantly drawn in as soon as they open the front door and peer into the house. As much as a blank canvas property provides options, it usually does not provide that comforting feeling of home.

You should always consider staging the property. Sure, staging comes at a cost, but look at it from the perspective of an investment. Often, on the right property, spending a few thousand dollars can net you five times your investment. Staging doesn’t work on every home, in every market, but for the right properties, it can make all the difference.

Getting a property sold always has its fair share of challenges. Don’t make things harder by making simple-to-avoid mistakes. Instead, use the five tips detailed above to help expedite the sale and maximize your profits.