The real estate market in 2006 and continuing into 2007 is a declining and somewhat stalled market in many areas in our country. There will, however, always be sellers that need to sell, and buyers who need to buy, no matter what the market may be. Follow these 10 steps to insure selling your property in as short of a time as possible.

1. Interview and list with a full-time Listing Agent who specializes in listing properties. Selling by owner in a market such as this may be exhausting, disappointing and futile. Choose an agent based on performance, years in business, marketing plan and personality.

2. Easy access to your property is a must. Most agents now use an electronic lockbox that is secure and records all entries to your property.

3. Stage your home. Home staging will de-clutter and depersonalize the property. Statistics indicate a shorter time on the market with increased sales prices.

4. Clean and maintain the property. Rid the property of any offensive odors. Trim the bushes, mow the lawn, plant new flowers, clean the carpets, etc.

5. Review the marketing plan with your Listing Agent. Make sure every marketing opportunity is being utilized to expose the property at the highest level available. Visual Tours, lots of photos on Multiple Listing, Enhanced version of Realtor.com, color brochures, property websites. All of these are very modestly priced and can be requested for your listing. Do not settle----this is crucial to your successful sale.

6. Price it right! I can't say enough about this, but price it right from the beginning. In a declining market, it is difficult enough to stay ahead of the downwards curve. DON?T try a price for a few weeks. Take the loss on the front end and it will sell faster with less headaches.

7. Be ready for showings (and I don't mean a three hour notice.) If you are really serious about selling your home, exercise the 15 minute rule. That means you and your family can be ready and out of the house in 15 minutes for a potential buyer showing. In this market, the one buyer you do not accommodate, may be the one who would have made the offer.

8. Be flexible. When the offer comes in, be ready and open to all terms of the contract. Never refuse to counter any offer in this market. No matter how low or ridiculous it may seem, by all means counter and do not take it personal.

9. Make it a win-win for all parties. Offer buyer incentives, such as paying for some of their closing costs, offer additional compensation for the buyer's agent, such as extra commission or bonus, and you may even want to offer the Listing agent additional compensation to step up the marketing.

10. Be positive. Throughout the listing and selling transaction, there is almost nothing that cannot be overcome with positive energy and good negotiation skills. Frequently the agent is expected to be the one with these skills----it will be a much smoother transition if both the seller and the agent are working together towards the same goal.

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