Selling your home is difficult enough, even without the current stall in the market. Be sure you and your agent aren't making these mistakes!

• Fill advertisements with unique and descriptive information

• Follow-up with all persons who have visited your house

• Allow easy access to the house

• Offer market-rate commissions

• Use many forms of print advertising, in color when possible.

• Get good photos online

The description of your house in all forms of advertising (MLS, print ads, flyers, online) should be descriptive and informative. Be sure all major selling points are addressed, to emphasize a feature that makes your house stand out from the competition. Space is limited in advertising, so make sure each word and phrase is appropriate, and that you are filing the space with as much information as possible.

Every visit is an opportunity to learn something about your house from a Buyer's perspective. A concerted effort should be made to contact everyone who has come through your house to get their opinion of the property. Chances are, you can find small but meaningful ways to improve both the property and how it is presented to the public.

There's nothing I hate worse than being denied access to a house, especially if I have an interested Buyer. When your house is on the market, expect some disruption and inconvenience. That's what it takes to sell your house. As an agent, if I can find ten properties that are suitable for my Buyer, and your house doesn't have a keysafe and I have to make an appointment, your house is probably not going to get shown because it is difficult and inconvenient to have to schedule a showing around at least three different party's schedules. If you have a keysafe and you've got some event where you absolutely cannot have potential Buyers in your house, have the agent change the showing instructions in the MLS system for that day so that you can set appropriate expectations of both agents and Buyers.

Just like you expect to earn a certain amount per hour or per year, I expect to work for a certain percentage. Seeing a property where a lower commission is offered makes me think several things are possible: the Seller is not highly motivated to sell, the listing agent is keeping back a higher percentage for themselves, or the Seller is receiving limited representation. As a Buyer, do you want to deal with an unmotivated Seller, an unethical listing agent, or someone who doesn't really know what they are doing?

Let people know your house is for sale! Get a good mix of print advertising, including home magazines, newspapers, postcards, and flyers. Color is king! Don't settle for black and white. Do you watch a black and white TV? NO! Don't use only black and white ads.

A picture is worth a thousand words. As the majority of Buyers look online for houses, bad pictures increasingly reduce showings of houses with bad photos online! It's simple. Get good photos, get a lot of them, and make them public. A bad photo will keep Buyers from even visiting your house, while an excellent photo will draw them in.