Why Your House Isn't Selling

Once you get buyers inside the house, you need them to be wowed by what they see. Hiring a professional stager can work wonders. Remember, the closer your house looks to the homes featured on HGTV and Bravo, the more likely you'll be to attract an offer.

If you don't want to spend the money on a professional stager, consider watching a few staging videos online. You'll find out that you need to clear out the clutter, clean off the countertops, clean out closets, get rid of things you don't need or use, and make your home look clean, spacious and attractive.

-- No one knows it's there.

Your agent isn't getting the word out, either because the property isn't listed properly on the multiple listing service or because he or she hasn't posted it on Craigslist, Zillow or other online search engines that don't feed directly from her MLS posting.

These days, your property needs the widest possible exposure to sell. Online marketing should include a Web site that has the property's address as the URL (you can sell it to the buyer as part of the house deal) and as many photos, floor plans and videos as possible.

Offline marketing needs to be top-notch as well. You'll want to spread the word in the neighborhood, at the office, at your children's schools, and through friends and colleagues. This isn't the time to be shy.

-- Your commission isn't high enough or the agent isn't splitting the commission equally.

Agents will tell you that they won't push a buyer to make an offer on a house simply because it has a higher commission. But many agents seen no harm in making sure their buyers see as many properties that are in the right price range -- and offering a generous commission helps you get a spot in that lineup.

But you need to make sure your agent is splitting the commission equally with whoever brings the buyer. Some listing agents will take 60 percent of the commission instead of sharing it 50-50, which won't help you.