One of the key steps in selling a home has to do with good advertising. Unless potential buyers know your house is on the market, chances are selling are slim. Therefore, your realtor or listing agent should do whatever it takes to get the word out to the public. Depending on your listing agent, the means for advertisement could be an open house, MLS listing, newspaper ad, and so on but a good listing agent will list in a number of ways.
With good advertising, phone calls come in from people who want to know more. At that point, the listing agent would have a database of interested buyers. Now, if your listing agent were to network with other realtors then that pool of homebuyers becomes even more powerful. Of course, one of the most effective means of advertising is with the Multiple Listing Service or MLS. With this, individuals, realtors, and brokers will be able to see all the details of your home, along with pictures.
While some listing agents prefer to advertise only in newspapers and magazines, the truth is this will seldom do the job. While this type of advertising can help when coupled with other advertising methods, as a stand-alone method, you will likely not sell the home directly. Therefore, you want to make sure your real estate agent or company is advertising in a number of ways.
Keep in mind that just as the advertising is going to bring a buyer to you so your home can be sold it also generates money to the realtor and real estate company. For this reason, a good listing agent should be willing to do whatever it takes. The goal is to advertise so phone calls are generated, which produces more potential buyers. If you find your agent is not going the mile, then you might consider working with a different listing agent.
Finally, many times a home will sell from neighbors who know someone that is looking for a house. Therefore, neighborhood announcements and open houses are essential to advertising your home. This type of information can be done with a letter, flyers, or postcards sent out to neighbors in the general vicinity. Interestingly, of all types of advertising, word of mouth is the best.