"I can always come down!" These words practically guarantee failure. Price your property where it should actually sell. An overpriced property becomes stale on the market and eventually sells under market value. It helps to sell your realistically priced competition down the street, as buyers comparison shop features, condition and terms.

Always accept the showings, even if it is inconvenient. A showing postponed is often a showing lost.

Keep in touch with your agent – if you don't show interest in selling your home, your agent won't either.

The entrance to your home should receive "special attention". Tighten doorknobs, make sure the doorbell works, repair windows, apply a fresh coat of paint on the door, trim the hedges, plant flowers. When these areas are neglected, buyers often think the entire home is run down.

A clean fresh smelling house will increase the buyer's perception of the home's value.

When decorating before putting your home on the market, use light neutral colors so the Buyer can imagine their furniture being "at home" there, without colors clashing.

Get rid of clutter. Store the excess somewhere, sell it, throw it away, or pile it into one compact area – away from the basement walls (basement walls which cannot be readily examined by the buyer often create the question of wall integrity, seepage, or leakage). Also, do not apply fresh paint to basement walls unless absolutely necessary. It may look bright and cheerful, but may become fodder for a lawsuit in the event of later discovered basement problems.

Turn on all the lights before a showing to make sure the home appears bigger and more more inviting.

A drop of vanilla on a light bulb before a showing or open house makes the house smell "homey" and can mask other odors.

Pets should be out of the house before the buyers come in. Many people are afraid of dogs and cats, not to mention the more exotics such as rats, ferrets, snakes and tarantulas. Also, pets that make noise distract people from the buying process.

Be aware that brokers usually have a "window of time" to work with setting appointments with buyers. During the 1 to 3 hour period they will be with that buyer, they may be trying to fit 12 different home showings consecutively. Try to be accommodating with the time, and forgiving if they come early or late. Brokers and buyers are not intent on inconveniencing you, they're just trying to find that "right" house, and rushing or lingering can foil a carefully planned showing schedule.

Sit down, relax, and let the agent show your home. After all, that's what you're paying them for!

The agent knows the Buyer's hot buttons, so don't volunteer information unless asked. The agent will extract relevant information from you. In many instances, the Seller's "help" will backfire. For example: the Seller happily points out there are many small children in the neighborhood, and a school on the next street. The buyer has an aversion to noise, no tolerance for children and pictures hundreds of children shortcutting through the yard. Tragedy!