Consult a realtor. Ask people you trust for recommendations and interview several realtors before making your final selection. Your realtor should put together a listing presentation for your review, which should include comparable homes sold in your area over the last three to six months as well as similar homes currently on the market.

Do your homework. Determine the lowest price for which you can sell your home and still have enough equity to buy a new home. Develop a list of questions about staging, marketing, price reductions, incentives and other responsibilities you expect your realtor to handle.

Price your house right. Be objective, make sure you understand your realtor's analysis and list your home at a price in accordance with the market. Don't try listing it higher than the market will bear with the hope that it will sell for a windfall profit. You're better off selling your home quickly at a reasonable price than letting it stagnate on the market.

Have a plan. Establish benchmarks with your realtor to track progress and make pricing decisions. Set goals for showings and decision points based on meeting or missing those goals. Listen objectively to feedback on showings and make adjustments accordingly.

Stage your house to sell. Clean out the clutter, put away family photos, and stage your house like a model home. You want potential buyers to imagine themselves living in your home—not to become distracted by clutter that makes the house look smaller. Maximize light, freshen up paint, clean your carpets—and then take out more clutter! Don't forget to spend some time and money freshening up the exterior to enhance your home's curb appeal.

Explore all of your options. If your ability to reduce your price is limited or you need to move into a new home right away, there are other options. Consider renting your home or setting up a lease-to-buy program. You will continue to earn equity while taking advantage of low prices on the buying side.