Real estate market in many areas in the US are still depressed. It has been tough to sell homes so there are many homes on the market. The job market is not good so people are reluctant to make major investment such as buying homes.

Here are some simple suggestions for home sellers:

1. Willing to be flexible - Buyers have the advantage, for now at least, so sellers have to be flexible in negotiating the price, closing date, etc.

2. Seriously consider the first offer even if it's not ideal. Don't turn it down flat; show willingness to negotiate.

3. Offer incentives such as helping buyers with closing costs, home improvement, home warranties, etc.

4. Impress buyers with home staging.

5. Get involved with marketing - there are many online marketing available such as craig's list, which can really draw the attention of home buyers.

6. Offer higher commissions to your realtor to give him/her an extra boost of motivation.

I agree about being willing to negotiate. A couple of my listings have recently gotten low offers that kind of insulted the seller, but the point is to counter back at a level that would be acceptable, and see if the buyer will bite. They often do, and were just testing to see what they could get!

A few more suggestions, which are not ground-breaking but can be helpful:

1. Let your relatives and friends know that you're selling the home. Maybe someone will be interested.

2. Let your neighbor know and possibly offer money for referrals.

3. Post an ad on Craig's List. I've mentioned this in other posts, the second largest group of people visiting Craig's List is related to real estate.

4. Look for buyer classified ads in local newspapers or maybe place your ad there.

5. Contact cash buyers. They will buy homes at low prices, but if you're desperate...

I bought a home about two months ago at the auction and currently list with a Realtor at $110,000 in Tampa, FL. My real estate agent is suggesting that I need to drop my price about 5 to 10K. The home is fairly new and it's value at 180K. Any suggestion?

County: Hillsborough County Zip Code: 33615 Unit #: Status: Active List Price: Beds: 3 Baths: 2/0 SqFt Heated: 1,213 Tampa Area: 222 Low Price: Private Pool: N Year Built: 2004 Property: One Story Single Family Home Special Sale: Total SqFt: Pets Y/N: ADOM: Construction Status: Proj. Comp. Date: CDOM: 74 Location: Street Paved Concrete block built in 2004, NEW MAPLEWOOD CABINETS, NEW- GRANITE COUNTER TOPS, NEW A/C, WATERHEATER & CARPET. Convenient to airport, shopping and schools.
www.hoprealestate.com

Here in our MN real estate market, as a whole market, we saw a year over year drop in closed transactions of about 17% (comparing 2010 to 2009.) With that being said, we are still seeing a large number of properties, of mls listings get sold.

Price is paramount. Regardless of what clients think a property is worth, it is worth what a buyer is willing to pay.

More than ever, sellers need to price properties to move, be flexible with offers, and staging is crucial as well.

Here's to a great 2011!

The real estate market is cooling in this year. As results there are more houses on the marketplace, brokers are ready and wait to sell their houses. It's essential to identify the perception of the purchaser. Because of the growing register of the home market, purchasers are attractive more and more picky. It is also essential to create certain your house is valued right when you first place it on the marketplace. If you really want to sell your home than you will have to pay the real estate agent more. New exposure your house receives the better options to sale it.