Answers by Julie Yuan

You would want to use an agent with local experience. Ask a trusted agent from a company that has global presence for a referral. Which market are you looking at?

Talk to an agent first!!! An agent will be able to tell you objectively the condition of your home compared to other properties on the market, and make recommendations accordingly. Do NOT try to improve the property before this. Most sellers either over improve the property, or spend money on things that buyers today do not care about. To get the highest ROI, talk to an expert first.

Have your agent review the appraisal and see which properties the appraisers chose as comparable and see if you need to order your own appraisal. Does the buyer have contingencies? If not, they will have to pay the purchase price anyway and cover the $10K gap. If they do have contingencies, do they have enough cash to cover the difference? Can you meet in the middle? Can the lender give them any credits? Lots of ways to deal with this. Good luck.