With the ever-increasing number of unsold homes in almost every real estate market, the challenges for sellers also increase. Not only are sellers finding that they might have to settle for lower prices, but it is also difficult for each one to make their property stand out from the others in their local market.

In many areas of the country, some homes for sale have been on the market for months. This is a significant downturn from the middle of last year when houses were often selling within days of being listed, and were being closed after a tough series of bids and offers.

One idea that sellers may consider to get their property sold could be to incentivize buyers with things like upgrades to the home, higher credits toward improvements, and of course lowered prices. Opposite methods, however, have been seen to work including setting a higher initial asking price simply to draw attention to the property and negotiate to a lower-but-acceptable price ("sell up by selling down").

In the end, your agent will know best how to work with your home and help you sell it for the most amount possible. Work with your agent on pricing, incentives and other aspects of your sale to ensure that you end up getting the most out of your home.