Whether you're a first time seller or a seasoned Orange County Homeowner selling for the 10th time, getting top dollar in the fastest amount of time can be broken down into 5 easy steps.

Step 1, Hire an experienced Orange County REALTOR®.  Real estate agents are trained to make the home selling process go smoothly.  An experienced REALTOR® will know the Orange County properties to compare yours to for valuation.  REALTORS® have access to all the documents that are required in a home sale.  They know Orange County home inspectors, Orange County Escrow companies, lenders, handymen and more.  The best part is that it will cost you nothing until your home sells and you close escrow.  They can help you stage your home so that it will sell for top dollar in a quick time frame.

REALTORS® generally have two intangibles to offer their clients, experience and knowledge.  So the wrong REALTOR® could cost you thousands of dollars and you may never find out until it is too late.

California is a very litigious environment, so choose your REALTOR® wisely.  Lawsuits are usually never brought about until years after the sale.  Will your REALTOR® be around? What's their track record like? You can check your real estate agents status out here.  Check My REALTOR® Status.

Don't get trapped into using NON-REALTORS® or agents that offer you big commission rebates to get your business.  Commissions are generally negotiable, but remember, every real estate agent has an overhead.  If they are not collecting enough revenue to effectively market your home, you may be the ultimate looser in the end.  Real estate agents that offer commission rebates or unrealistically sounding listing commissions may not be the strongest negotiators.  Commission rebates are usually used as inducements to get business and is generally offered by newer and inexperienced agents.

Step 2, Get your home in top condition.  The best way to do that is to have your REALTOR® walk your home with you.  An experienced agent can make recommendations that will help you sell faster and for more money.  Do your homework.  Go to other open houses and see how the home shows and what you might do differently to increase your marketability.

Remember, once you decide to sell, your house is no longer your home.  It is now a commodity and as a commodity you must make sure that it brings you the most return on your investment.

Step 3, Set a realistic asking price.  This is one of the most important steps in the selling process.

Price your home too high and it will sit there until the buyers begin to wonder why it hasn't sold.  When a home sits on the market too long, they attract low-ball offers.

Price it too low and you effectively are giving your money away.  Your REALTOR® should be able to guide you to a realistic sales price for your market.

He/She should provide you with a customized CMA (Comparative Market Analysis).  Your homes suggested price should be at a level where there is room for negotiations.  Remember, buyers do not like to pay full price.  You probably don't either.  Once you decide to sell and put your home on the market, you must begin to think like a buyer.  Tuning in to the psychology of the buyer will bring you closer to a higher sales price.

Step 4, Know how to show your home.  An experienced REALTOR® will be able to give you some strong pointers on what to do and not do, what to say and not say, where to stand and not stand.

This is the time to get the homebuyers emotions so high, that an offer is generated.  Remember back when you bought your home? Was it emotional for you? Home buying is an emotional process, regardless of what buyers actually tell you.  When someone spends hundreds of thousands of dollars on a home, it's emotional.  As an Orange County home seller, you want to tap into that emotion and set yourself up for a big gain.  So follow your REALTORS® advice and learn how to show your home for profit.

Step 5, Know how to accept or counter an offer.  If an offer comes in much lower than you had expected, DO NOT GET EMOTIONAL.  Remember the buyer is already emotional.  You must be cool and collective and respond as a businessperson.  Not a homeowner.  Remember your home is no longer your home.  It is a commodity.  You want to get as much profit out of it as you can.  The art of negotiating will play an important role at this time.  An experienced agent should be able to guide you to a successful sale and closing.

Finally, put Harold's knowledge to work for you.