Rhonda AdamsIn many states, the commission cost of selling your home is 6%, which can eat up a lot of the earned equity you have in your largest asset, at least if you are like most people. There are some tricks and tips to selling your home and keep that percentage, especially when it comes to marketing and PR efforts.Getting Everything in PlaceThings to do before you list the property:

• Improve curb appeal. It’s hard to change a first impression, and the outside of the house sets that first impression.
• Update the interior and exterior including the landscaping, paint, and adding new fixtures. These are all quick and reasonably priced changes and can make a big difference in the price you get when you sell the house.
• Un-personalize, declutter, and clean. When in doubt, use neutral tones for everything that is not a totally unique feature – and even those may need to be toned down. Pack away knickknacks, clear off countertops, and put away the family pictures, religious items, and political statements and posters. Also, remove any indication that a pet lives in the house.
• Stage rooms that could function in many ways, so they fit with who you think are most likely to buy in your area, price range, etc. Empty space under a stairway could be staged as a reading nook with bookshelves and a well-cushioned bench, or a study/office space with desk and computer, printer, and fax set up.

Next StepsSetting the right price from the start is important. Don’t set the price high and think it will be easy to lower it later if nothing happens. The first 30 days on the market is when you’ll get the most interest and action. Don’t throw that away by getting greedy. Most realtors will give you a free estimate of what they think your property should be listed at without any obligation of using their services. Get at least two or three estimates and what they think needs to be done further on the property to get the best price.Take and place lots of professional high-resolution photos of the place, indoors and outdoors, as well as any places nearby that fit your buyer’s profile. Give details like the quality of schools, local parks, shopping and cultural attractions or what restaurants are nearby. Don’t forget, you can search for local pictures online to use. Study on how to do a video virtual tour. Or, if you need to bring a professional photographer in to do so, it may pay off in a faster and better sale.Time to List itWrite a true emotional story or two about your house and family that you can share on social media, such as “the house is too big for us now that we are empty-nesters and just saw our last child married and move out of state,” or “we bought just after we married, now we have three small children, and need more space” – but make it personal and give reasons why now is the time for you. Then create a social media ad campaign that targets people in your area with a few different approaches. Social media platform ads are very low-cost, and you can target for different habits, hobbies, life situations – such as people who travel, young families, or frequent design or home improvement stores, etc.Now, list it online with realtor.com, Zillow, and Trulia, keeping in mind that some sites may not always be willing to list for non-realtors. Maximize your efforts with social media platforms – Facebook helps sell almost as many homes as the professional realty sites. Use Pinterest to create a board with all the pictures and videos giving you a link to share on social media with all the details of the property.And never forget the age-old trick of picking up a “Home For Sale by Owner” sign, putting your phone number and the asking price on the sign, and staking it in the front of your home/yard. [author]About the Author: Rhonda Adams is a New York City based real estate agent with Douglas Elliman.  Contact Rhonda Adams at rhonda.adams@elliman.com  [/author]