If you want to sell your home quickly and for the right price, you must take specific steps before you list it and during the time it’s on the market. Here are seven steps that will help you put that “Sold” sign on your property sooner.

Step 1: Declutter and Stage Your Home

Get rid of anything in your home you don’t need. Remove furniture, decorations and accessories to open up the space and improve the flow. When it comes to staging the place, use existing furniture but rearrange the placement to make each room look its best.

Step 2: Make Your Home Brighter

Replace existing light bulbs with 100-watt bulbs to brighten each room. Dark homes get 3-6 percent less than homes that are light and airy. Spending a few dollars on lighting is definitely worth the extra 6 percent you can get in sale price.

Step 3: Hire the Right Agent

You want to find an agent who is experienced in selling homes in your area and properties similar to the one you are listing. For example, if you are selling a condo, you want to find an agent who has success with condominiums.

Step 4: Pre-market Your Home

Thanks to the internet, real estate agents can introduce a home even before it’s officially listed. They can increase interest in the property so that by the time it’s on the market, you have several people who want to look at it. If you can drive interest, you’re more likely to get multiple offers and a better price for your home.

Step 5: Optimize Photos of Your Home

Make sure photos of your home are optimized to work on portable devices. More people are using their tablets and smartphones to research homes for sale. If your photos take too long to load, they will move onto the next property that’s listed.

Step 6: Price Your Home Right

Price your home correctly when you first list it rather than pricing too high with the idea that you can lower it later. If you fail to start out at the right price, buyers will just move on to the next property. They can go online and look at other homes for sale as well as those that have sold recently and find out how much a property is worth.

Step 7: Make Your Home Accessible

When you list your home, don’t put a lot of restrictions on when you can show it. Make sure agents and potential buyers have plenty of opportunity to see your home when it suits them. Otherwise, you may find it difficult to sell your property because buyers will just move on to the next place.

If you want to sell your home in a short timeframe and for a good price, follow these 7 steps. Start out on the right foot when you list your property, and you’ll see buyers flocking to get a tour. You know the offers won’t be far behind.

Michael Putnam is the founder and chief sales agent at Michael Putnam Real Estate, Northern Virginia’s top real estate agency.