Daily Real Estate News  |  June 30, 2009

5 Ways to Expedite a Sale

Selling a home quickly remains a challenge in many markets across the country. Heidi Cole, an associate with the Corcoran Group in Palm Beach, Fla., offers this advice for anyone who wants to expedite a sale:

1. Cut the asking price to 10 percent to 15 percent below what comparable properties in the neighborhood are selling for.
2. Spruce up the outside. Update the landscaping. Power-wash the exterior and paint the door.
3. Appeal to first-time buyers. Advertise on younger consumers' favorite Web sites, such as Facebook and Twitter. Hire a photographer to shoot the house with a wide-angle lens so the rooms look bigger in online photos.
4. Price the house in the lower end of the range. A $299,000 house is in the high end of the $250,000 to $300,000 range but a $301,000 home is in the low-end of the $300,000 to $400,000 range.
5. Do what you can to make the deal close quickly. Be ready to move, offer to pay part of the closing costs, and/or throw in a year’s worth of association fees.