One of the great ironies of the real estate business is that homeowners hire Realtors to market their homes, but are often unwilling to take the advice of the expert they have brought in to get the home sold. I think there are a number of reasons for this phenomenon. Let me offer a few that come to mind:

EVERYONE IS AN EXPERT
If you have bought or sold real estate previously, you may think you know most of the things necessary to do it again. This may or may not be the case this time around. Realtors have a feel for current trends and conditions. This is only achieved by daily involvement in an ever-changing real estate marketplace.

"MY HOUSE IS DIFFERENT"
There are always a certain percentage of homeowners who feel that the uniqueness of their property may dictate a different approach. Some owners feel the selling strategy should appeal to the motives that prompted them to purchase the house in the first place. As logical as this may sound, it is not always the best answer to marketing to today's buyer.

DON'T WANT TO HEAR THE TRUTH
Most owners want to sell their house for more than it is really worth. I'm sure we all would like to do that. It is difficult to hear and accept the bitter fact that our property won't bring a targeted figure we have in our minds. This is particularly common when someone needs a certain sum of money from his or her present property in order to purchase a more expensive home.

ADVICE: If you are going to hire an expert, be willing to listen to the experts advice. The Realtor wants to sell your house for the highest possible selling price because his or her commission is usually a percentage of the final sale price. He or she also, however, can be more objective and circumspect when analyzing all the factors that will affect your successful sale.