If you are ready to sell your home, the best case scenario is to have a house that is so well-kept and so attractive that buyers will be making competing offers within days of it hitting the market. Sounds like money in the bank! But what if your home isn't in such prime condition and you are not able to spend the money to bring it up to its full potential? You can still get it sold quickly with a combination of accurate pricing and smart marketing.

Every home will sell for the right price, but determining what that price should be can be really tricky. You can't rely on automated value models, since they are usually either too high or too low, but seldom correct. You can't necessarily judge it by your neighbor's house down the street, either, because you may not truly be comparing apples to apples. For the best idea of what your home could reasonably be expected to sell for, you need to consult a professional. You can pay for an appraisal, which will run several hundred dollars and could take weeks to receive, or you can speak with a Realtor who has listing expertise and knows your area.

Some of the factors the Realtor will look at when coming up with a price are location, condition, comparable sold properties, and current listings. By drilling down to the core details of your home, such as square footage, number of beds and baths, property characteristics, and updates, for example, they will be able to compare your home to similar sold properties and make adjustments accordingly. All this takes careful study and research, but is well worth it in order to arrive at a price which will drive a quick sale, yet still not leave money on the table.

But what if the price your Realtor suggests is lower than what you had in mind? Your Realtor should be able to show you the process and data they used to arrive at that price. You also need to ask yourself whether you are letting emotion and pride get in the way of your goal of selling your home. Try and look at your home as though you were thinking of buying it.

Once the price is determined, it's the marketing that will make buyers want to see it. Good photos which show your property to its best advantage are vital, and your Realtor should write a compelling description that draws people in, not merely a list of features. It needs to be advertised through a variety of online channels with a marketing plan which targets the most likely buyers. Your Realtor should have a whole list of ways they will bring it to the attention of potential buyers.

Just because your home needs work doesn't mean you can't get it sold. With the right price, the right marketing, and the right agent, you'll be at the closing table in no time.