Things are looking up for sellers as markets across the country seem to be picking up steam once again. But while homes are selling faster, it’s not always that easy to unload a piece of real estate if you happen to be in a hurry. For whatever reason, if you need to shift a home in double-quick time, you can follow these tips for selling a home in 2013.

List your home now!

It might seem obvious enough, but there are some good reasons not to hang around when it comes to listing your home. The chief one being, that the vast majority of home sales are finalized before the end of the summer, so that people can move in time for the new school year.

Choose your realtor wisely

Sellers need an expert behind them to really market their home and give themselves the best possible chance of finding a buyer. For this reason, choose an expert seller – someone who has a strong track record of recent sales and can provide you with a competitive market analysis so you can realistically price your home. Finally, be sure to discuss marketing strategies and make sure your realtor isn’t one who just dumps your home on the MLS and hopes for the best.

Make it easier for buyers

You’ll need to go all out with your marketing efforts to make your home stand out, and one way of doing so is by giving prospective buyers everything they need. This includes such things as QR codes on your for sale sign that allows passersby to quickly scan and find the online listing, and a walk through video of your home posted online.

Another trick that might work is to advertise the financing terms with your listing. Many potential buyers are often put off due to highly publicized tight lending standards, when the truth is that they can actually afford a much larger home than they believe they can. By being upfront about financing options, you might just tempt someone in who would otherwise pass on by.

Throw in some freebies

This strategy works especially well in the case of older homes, where buyers might be concerned about deteriorating appliances or possible defects. By offering, say, free home maintenance for the next two years, buyers will see this as a sign of your honesty and may well be tempted to take a chance. Alternatives to this plan include free warranties on certain appliances, such as the air conditioning or the plumbing, while for newer homes you could even do something totally novel like free maid services for 12 months.

Don’t hang around

As any good realtor will tell you, most prospective buyers prefer homeowners not to be around when they come to view the home for the first time – you, unfortunately, make the home look cluttered and the buyer may well feel uncomfortable (like they are intruding on you). For that reason, whenever your realtor calls to inform you that a prospective buyer is on the way round, do them a favor and make yourself scarce.