OK, you've decided to sell your house. And you've decided to retain a professional real estate agent to list the house on the market for sale. Now you have a decision to make. Should you list the house with the agent for 30 days, 60, 90 or even more? Here's a tip that can help you make the decision.

In a normal housing market a house priced at fair market value should sell in 30-90 days. If the house is overpriced it won't sell at all. If it is underpriced it might sell in two weeks.

From this we can conclude that the 90 day listing is the best contract length with the listing agent. If other houses in your neighborhood are selling within 30-90 days and yours hasn't sold within 90 days, then its probably time to find a new real estate agent who will better promote your property.

Remember, its always best before listing the house with a real estate agent to hire your own real estate appraiser. This will provide you with an independent estimate of the value of the house. When you interview listing real estate agents if your agent proposes a sale price radically different from that of the independent appraiser then you need to find out why. Don't be afraid to look for more choices among agents. After all, its your house and your sale.