Often we talk about how to best sell a property but now let’s talk about sure fire ways to scuttle your chances of marketing your PEI real estate.

Surely the worst and most common mistake when offering a property for sale is to price it too high. Your market, the people who are actively and seriously seeking to buy a home right now will, through diligent research on the internet, find all the PEI real estate homes and properties that potentially suit there needs within a few weeks of them coming on the market and in most cases within a few days, particularly if they are working with a good agent. If you have priced your home right out of left field they are going to feel that you are not as serious about selling as they are about buying and the chances are they will not even take the time to view your home.

If after a few weeks on the market you have not had at least a few visits from potential buyers you can safely assume that you have not captured the perceived value of your property in your current pricing ie you priced the home too high! Some realtors, trying to convince you to list with them, will "value" your home higher than others and then soon begin the process of asking you to lower your price. Realize what has happened and lower it. You won’t sell if it’s too high and the fact that you were expecting this better price by listing with a particular realtor will make no difference to the reality of the marketplace.

If you haven’t had the traffic that you believe that the house deserved and you are sure that your price is not out of line, then check the photos that your realtor has posted on the internet. The internet is one of the greatest tools in real estate to bring buyers and sellers together and if the pictures of your home do not show it to advantage then you will be loosing prospects. Make sure that the pictures show the home clean and tidy – there is nothing worse than children’s toys or the dirty laundry in a picture of a home for sale.

On that subject, make sure that the home is completely cleaned and in reasonable repair. If you want the maximum number of potential buyers and therefore the maximum number of offers this is essential. Consider a little home staging, which is the removal of over-personal items and de-cluttering of the home. Sometimes removal of some furniture is also a good idea, leaving the home looking more spacious.

Make sure that you have an experienced realtor working for you who makes his/her living entirely from real estate. Unlike other provinces, the PEI real estate act still allows for part-time agents and while motherhood is a noble calling it doesn’t always mix with good real estate any more than working during the day at another job will make it easy for a potential buyer to contact your agent or make a suitable appointment.

Fallow these guidelines and you should be in the market and expect a timely sale of your PEI real estate.