I will not try to tell you what is going on in the rest of the country, or with every agent. I will however tell you what I see in my business personally.Remember the real estate market is usually egged-shaped when it comes to pricing. Prices go up and prices comes down. Prices rarely stay down, and they always come back higher. When prices start to level off or come down it is good practice to ask your Realtor© what you need to do to make your home stand out.There are tools that most Realtors © use and tell their clients about when planning their marketing strategy. During the past couple of years those tools did not need to be hammered home because the market was so hot, and buyers were so anxious that they overlooked many first impressions. The main goal was to purchase the home before the next person could.#placement_573654_0_i{width:100%;max-width:550px;margin:0 auto;}var rnd = window.rnd || Math.floor(Math.random()*10e6);var pid573654 = window.pid573654 || rnd;var plc573654 = window.plc573654 || 0;var abkw = window.abkw || '';var absrc = 'https://ads.empowerlocal.co/adserve/;ID=181918;size=0x0;setID=573654;type=js;sw='+screen.width+';sh='+screen.height+';spr='+window.devicePixelRatio+';kw='+abkw+';pid='+pid573654+';place='+(plc573654++)+';rnd='+rnd+';click=CLICK_MACRO_PLACEHOLDER';var _absrc = absrc.split("type=js"); absrc = _absrc[0] + 'type=js;referrer=' + encodeURIComponent(document.location.href) + _absrc[1];document.write('');With the rising costs of living and the increased interest rates, buyers are feeling the stress in their pocketbook. They are feeling a little more cautious and looking toward the future a little bit. Now is the time to pull out those tools you need to get your home sold. Please listen to the advice of your Realtor. This person has experience selling homes. Your Realtor© will tell you what you need to do to sell your home.You might need to remove some clutter. Removing clutter will allow the buyer to envision their belongings in the home. They will be able to see their family photos or artwork on your walls. They will be able to gage if their furniture will work in your space. They will be able to see if there is enough counter space for their cooking needs.In my experience having a home full of clutter causes home buyers to feel the house is too small for their needs. Even though it is probably the right size.Clean your home. When I say clean it, I mean top to bottom clean your home. Wash the walls, including the base boards and trim. Wash the windows including the windowsills. Clean the caulking around your tub and sinks, clean the grout between your tiles, clean the shower curtain and curtain rod. Power wash the exterior, the walkways and the driveway. Mow your lawn and trim your edges. Haul way any debris laying around.You want your home to stand out to potential buyers. Next time you drive by your home look at it through the eyes of a potential buyer.What is the first impression they are going to have? When you walk in the door to your home take a look at what a potential buyer is seeing. Look at your home through the eyes of someone who has never seen it.Donna DeWolf is a broker-owner of Reel Properties, located at 124 Highway 101 N Crescent City. She can be reached at 707-460-6425 and 707-954-350, or by email at donna@donnadewolf.com googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('ad-1515727'); });