Tune in more closely than ever to "comps" – comparable homes that have sold in your area, says Ms. Peña-Morales. That can help guide you toward a reasonable listing price.
Although many real estate analysts expect sales activity and prices to be stronger in 2012 than in 2011, Michael Maloney, a sales-team leader in Richmond, Va., for Keller Williams Realty, cautions would-be sellers against thinking that by waiting they'll be able to sell at a much better price. In his view, the realistic scenario in many markets involves a slow recovery, not a quick return to 2006 levels.
