Marketing can be one of the most frustrating things to do when you are selling your home without a realtor. Here is a quick checklist to help you:

1. After you have prepared your house for sale, Take a fresh look at all the good and bad features of your house and put it in writing.

2. Next, prepare a list of just the good features and the benefit you have enjoyed from them over the years. Write these out...benefits followed by features. People are attracted to the "sizzle", not the steak. Benefits are your sizzle. People buy benefits, not features, so get the benefits of your house clear in your mind.

Give this "sizzle list" to everyone who comes to look at the house, post it in the local community centre, put it in all the mailboxes in a four block radius, put a few in all the shops in the neighbourhood.

3. Develop an "ideal buyer"profile of who would be interested in buying your house. People living in an area often have similar characteristics. Describe the age, occupation, income, lifestyle interests and pet peeves. Put all this in writing.

4. Use the benefit-feature list to write an ad for your "ideal" buyer. Target the headline so it stops your IDEAL buyer dead in their tracks! Then use a strong opening line to bring them in to the body copy where you describe your house. Always end with a call to action. Make it easy for the buyer to reach you to ask quesitons or for a showing.

Writing powerful ads that work takes practice. Take your time in writing and re-writing several ads. You could easily blow away your money on ads that don't get you a buyer. For detailed instructions on getting the most from your ads and pre-written ads that are proven to get results go to: http://www.netman-ecommerce-guru.com/home-selling- secrets

5. Put up a sign in front of your house. As many as 50% of all houses are sold because either the buyer or someone who knows the buyer saw a for sale sign in front of the house. Make sure the sign can be read quickly as people are driving by.

6. Have a sript ready when people phone about the house. Keep your benefit-feature sheet handy and use the appropriate points as people ask questions. Be sure to ask a "closing question" to bring people in to see your house.

7. Hold open houses. This is where you will get to speak to people in person so you can drive home the benefits. Be professional as you walk around the house, highlighting the features with benefits from the worksheet you created earlier.

8. Get feedback from people when they finish the walk- through. If they seem interested, follow up with a phone call within 48 hours.

9. Be prepared for negotiations. Don't take negative comments about the house personally. They are talking about the house, not you. By maintaining a professional attitude, you will be able to get a better price. This can be the most costly part of the home selling experience, so be careful of what you say. For a detailed description on how to handle negotiations when selling your house without a realtor, go to: http://www.netman-ecommerce-guru.com/home-selling- secrets

10. Have an purchase order form ready. Ask for the sale. Always use a lawyer to make sure you are not making an expensive mistake. After the purchase agreement is signed, beware of "buyer's remorse". People often get scared and want to change their mind soon after they put in an offer. To avoid losing a sale, be sure to respond with a counter-offer quickly.

Neeraj Varma, email: articles@mortgage-rate-canada.com For FREE info on selling your house for a higher price, email: real-estate-info@getresponse.com or go to: http://www.mortgage-rate-canada.com