In today's real estate market homes will normally be on the market for a longer time than they were just a year or so ago. This is to be expected if you price the home unrealisticly expecting a price that was only obtainable in 2005 or 2006. Those years were years for Sellers in Charleston, and for most of the country as well.
When you put your house on the market you did so with a goal in mind. Whether you had decided to move to a larger or smaller home, another area around Charleston or another State altogether, you put your home on the market to move. Don't give up on your plans just yet. Think about a few thinks first and give yourself an honest answer. Did I try to sell my home during the holiday season? Was my house ready to sell?. Did you price the home correctly? Was my home marketed agressively? Let's take a look at each one of these and maybe we can find the answer.
Selling During the Holiday Season - while I encourage my sellers to keep their home on the market during the year end holiday season (anyone looking at homes during this time of the year are serious buyers), it doesn't mean it's the best time of the year to sell a home either. We a now entering the buying season. Most sales are made in the Charleston area during the coming months of peaking in June and July, so now is the time to keep the home on the market. If you wait too long the peak timeframe to sell this year will have past you by.
Ready to Sell - just because you are ready to move on doesn't mean your house is ready to be sold. Have your Real Estate agent give you an honest assessment of it's condition - room by room and don't forget the closets. Unclutter. And this does't mean move all the stuff to the garage. Buyers want to see your garage as well. If you don't want to throw something away, and you don't have room - rent a storage unit. I tell my clients "Go to a large builders model home and see what they have done to make it a showcase". They are the experts at model homes - make yours look like theirs. De-personalize - take down the personal photo's. Buyers want to envision themselves living in the home, it's hard to do that with family photos spead throughout the home. Remember, the day you decided to sell your home it's no longer your home, it's a product for sale. Get over it.
Pricing - the number one reason homes don't sell. Too often I hear things like "I've got credit card bills that I need to pay off", or "I need this much money out of the house". While both of these statements might be true, it does't mean the buyer is going to help you with your finances. Buyer's don't care that you owe money to someone else, they only care about getting the home for the current market value. Because you could have gotten more for your home as couple of years ago, also doesn't mean buyers are willing to pay those prices in today's market. Have your Realtor do a Comparable Market Analysis (CMA) that will establish a pricing range, and it should be based on the latest 6 months of sales. Anything older than that is outdated and irrelvant.
Marketing - not all Real Estate Agents are good marketers. Some agents, particularly agents that haven't kept up with the latest technology, will think marketing is putting a sign in your front lawn and listing your property on Charleston's Multiple Listing Service(MLS). If your agent doesn't show you a comprehensive marketing plan, move on to another agent. A comprehensive marketing plan should consider using multiple forms of media to get the word out that your home is for sale - print, signage, word of mouth, the internet, direct mail - both regular mail and email, etc.; plus the agent needs to target prospective buyers, and other Real Estate Agents as well.
Finally, if your agent hasn't sold your home within 6 months, why would you give your home to the same agent for another 6 months or more. I see this time and time again. And I ask myself why would someone do that. To do the same thing over and over again, and expect different results doesn't make sense to me. Move on - give another Realtor with fresh ideas a try. Ask for a Comprehensive Marketing Plan - it's your money and plans that are on hold because your home didn't sell.