Realtor's Top 10 Tips for Wowing Buyers

People can be very photogenic, but many clients are distracted by portraits of the sellers, and miss out on key selling points of the home. As an amateur photographer, I love displaying my work, but if I'm selling my house, art will be displayed without people in it. No matter how nice the display, personal photos are just that: too personal.

My clients usually know what they like best about their home. It's usually what they saw that made them want to buy, or it's something that they added to make the home particularly special. Whether it is a staircase, a great view from the kitchen sink, stunning built-in bookshelves or a three-car garage, do something to make the buyers linger in that magic space.

My favorite example of unnecessary and unwelcome kitsch is the pink pig sitting on the fridge door asking if you're eating again. It oinks when your potential buyer opens the refrigerator. This and other comical quips are great fun when you're living in your home, not when you're trying to sell it. Especially avoid politically-charged material that expresses strong opinions. You don't want a potential buyer to dislike you for your beliefs, so move all questionable material out of sight.

If you are selling your house, cleaning is a no-brainer. And clutter is a killer. Get a head start on packing, and begin boxing up extras that are taking up space on your mantel, table surfaces, etc. Clutter makes a house look smaller, and if you have a small house, it makes it feel claustrophobic. Not advantageous to a quick or profitable sale.