Insider secrets on selling your home in a down market

It's yesterday's news that the real estate market has taken a beating. But this spring, market analysts see hope for those looking to sell. For the past nine months, sales have been above last year's levels.

Plus, the home-buyer tax credit has helped prod sideline buyers into making a purchase. "We're expecting a surge in sales this spring," says Walter Molony of the National Association of Realtors, though he is quick to add that if the uptick in home sales is to have any legs, it must be strongly anchored to job creation.

So if you're in the position of wanting to sell your home, just how do you get it noticed in a sea of FOR SALE signs? And more importantly, how do you go from FOR SALE to SOLD as quickly as possible?

Four top real estate agents across the country divulge their insider tips on selling high in a down market.

On Making Your Home Red-Carpet (And Twitter) Ready

1. Buy, rent, borrow, or steal a good camera and lens.
Buyers do judge a home by the pictures and they can be worth a hundred thousand bucks on the closing price. According to Barbara Corcoran, founder of The Corcoran Group and an NBC Today Show contributor: "It pays big to rent good lighting and a wide angle lens." You'll also want to invest in landscaping and outdoor lighting. Evan Goldman, of Re/Max Realty in Miami, Florida says that for many buyers the first contact with a home is while driving in the early morning or evening. Don't neglect the yard!


2. These days you need a viral approach, from producing online home tours to showcasing your condo on Facebook. Kristen Routh-Silberman, of Vegas Fine Estates in Nevada, is a fan of using the latest technology to promote her listings. She has launched video tours on both Twitter and YouTube. But Goldman reminds us that while many buyers do shop online, newspapers and other traditional outlets should not be ignored. "Don't underestimate where that buyer is going to come from," he says. "Blanket across new and old media."

3. Corcoran also advises having your home inspected before listing.
Waiting for a potential buyer to find the mice in the basemen can be a deal breaker. Fix what you can beforehand, or incorporate needed improvements into the selling price, she says. Goldman adds: "Be thorough on your seller's disclosure. You want to establish trust."


A Buyer Thinks: Location, Location, Location
A Seller Must Think: Pricing, Pricing, Pricing

4. The first offer is usually the best offer.
In Corcoran's experience: "Four out of five times, it's the best one you are going to see."

5. Establish a pricing strategy.
Kendall Sneddon, of William Raveis in New Canaan, Connecticut says that if you need to sell your home quickly, price it at 10 percent below market. If you want to leave room for negotiation and "let a buyer feel as if they have gotten a good deal," then price your home 10 percent above the market value. The latter is more of a gamble, but one that can pay off.

6. You may also want to price your home right under a $50,000 -$100,000 increment, Goldman says. For example, if you want to sell your home for around $500,000, then price it at $499,999. That way you will not be excluded from Internet searches under $500,000.

7. Another popular strategy in this challenging market is what Corcoran calls the "layaway plan." Offer your property as a rental with the option to buy. For added incentive, Corcoran says you can credit back half of the rent should your tenants decide to buy within the year.

8. If you own your place outright, provide the seller with financing.
"Offering a 4 7/8 percent mortgage for the first five years can tease a would-be buyer into seeing your house first," says Corcoran.

9. Online auction sites are another option for selling your home.
Routh-Silberman is a fan of Concierge Auctions. "It's like eBay," says Routh-Silberman. "They place listings in front of a national and international audience of qualified and confirmed buyers who are used to purchasing real estate online."



Slightly Off-the-Wall, But a Slight Chance It'll Work

10. It's not enough to have cookies baking in the oven. That's so 1999. According to Routh-Silberman: "A buyer needs to see themselves living in the house." Silberman's team has taken home staging to a whole new level by hiring kids to set up lemonade stands in the front yard, getting a friend's golden retriever to swim in the pool, or hiring a chef to have appetizers at the ready.

11. Feeling religious? Bury a St. Joseph figurine in your yard. Catholics believe he is the 'Saint of all Home Sales.' Though Corcoran reminds buyers that if he works, you better dig him up, dust him off and give him a prominent place in your new home.

12. And finally, for a little zen-spiration, Corcoran likes a red, front door. "It is the Asian color of good luck and may encourage a positive response from a potential buyer."

Do you have any hot tips for selling in a cool market? Share them below. I look forward to reading them.

Related: Selling your home? Get more money with these easy (and inexpensive!) design tricks.