So much depends on a good property for sale listing. It's usually the first thing people see when they find out about your home, and it provides more information about your investment than almost every other source. A first-rate listing can generate competing offers for your home, and help it sell for a high price, quickly. But a mistake here can cost thousands of dollars, and cause you to spend more time than you planned on the market. Following are a few tips for listing your home effectively, and ensuring that you get the most for your real estate investment.

Whether you're selling a palatial waterfront mansion or a small condo, there are a few elements your listing should always have. Number one is an effective price. Ideally, your price will attract buyers who might not have otherwise considered the listing, and encourage them to see your property's potential. Too many agents and sellers rush this step, and list a price that drives buyers away. A good policy is to aim a little lower than many buyers might be expecting - if your property is seen as a "deal" buyers will compete with each other for it, and drive up the sale price. This means researching the recent sold and listed prices of homes in your area, and having a good idea of where the market might end up in three months.

A clear, easy to follow description of the property. You don't have to make up new words or a marketing slogan for the property - simply state in the first sentence what kind of property it is, along with one or two of its most sale able attributes. From there you can summarize the property's location, and list its main features and amenities. It's usually best to tell people where the home is before describing it in detail, because location is generally the biggest factor in the decision process. Some sellers have had success with a brief history of the home's market performance, but this type of thing is usually better suited to a blog (if you can get people to visit your home's blog, you're definitely on the right track) or to introductory discussions with prospective buyers.

Good listings should also always include high-resolution photos of your home. These should be done after the home is ready for sale, with as few of your decorations and personal affects as possible in the photo. The photos should also be focussed on things buyers want to see - not necessarily what you want to show. For example, buyers are typically interested in the kitchen, bathrooms, bedrooms, living room, and street-view exterior - if you have a spacious laundry room that really adds to quality of life at your home, that's fine, but save it for listings details or the home tour.

If you're Internet savvy, you can use a variety of other tools to augment your listing, such as popular listings sites like Trulia and Zillow, classified sites like craigslist and Google Base, and vFlyers.

A little extra work on your listing can pay off big when the buyers come calling, so take your time, make sure your property looks as good as it can, then go get your reward on the market.