You’ve read every article about how to sell a house and followed all the rules. Your home is neat and clean, your curb appeal is on point, and your neighborhood is picturesque. There’s just one problem. Your house has been on the market for months and the only thing you’ve heard is crickets. You start to wonder where you’ve gone wrong.
 
Unfortunately, a house that refuses to sell happens. Sometimes we think we’ve followed every rule and still slip through the cracks. Other times more drastic measures need to be taken. If your home has been on the market for longer than you would like, here are five things you can do to speed up the selling process.

1. Your home is priced too high. It doesn’t matter how much you love your home, how many improvements you've made, or how many memories it holds – the market dictates how much your home is worth, not your heart. If your home is significantly more than comparable homes in your neighborhood, potential buyers will quickly move on. Remember, you home is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it. 
    
2. You missed prime selling season. It’s true that you can sell a home any time of the year, but spring, summer and early fall offer the best opportunities to close the deal. If you put your house on the market in November and are ready to throw in the towel by March, have a little patience. Sometimes all you need is a change of season. If you absolutely need to sell your house in the winter, consider offering incentives, such as covering closing costs or being flexible on your sell-by date.
    
3. Your online listing is bare bones and badly photographed. Most people begin their search for the perfect home online, where they can browse their options, sort by price, and take a tour without leaving the comfort of their own home. While this is convenient for the buyer, it can be frustrating for the seller, especially if your home listing isn’t up to par. Make sure you have up-to-date, well lit, and professionally staged photos of your home online. Ask a literary-minded friend to help you write a descriptive listing. These days, homes are just like people – they need to make a good impression online or no one will give them a chance.
    
4. You left your home on the market for too long. This might seem counterintuitive. After all, how could taking a home off the market improve its chances of selling? Because the longer a home is on the market, the more wary potential buyers become of it. They begin to wonder why the house has been lingering in the listings for so long, and worry that something is wrong with it. Buyers want to feel as if they’re getting a good deal and scoring a house that everyone wants, not settling for the house that everyone else rejected. Luckily, memories are short. If you take the house off the market and then relist it a few months later, you’ll get a clean slate and a new group of potential buyers. That’s not a bad deal.
    
5. You didn’t hire a Realtor. Selling a house is a skill and not everyone has it. The truth is that marketing your home to the right audience, getting the word out to potential buyers, and navigating the world of offers, negotiations and closing costs can be a full-time job. Chances are you’ve already got one of those. Hiring a Realtor is a great way to save time, spare yourself a major headache, and finally sell your home so you can move out and move on.