Incentives to Woo Buyers and Sell Your Home

Flashy incentives like a new car parked in the driveway or a flat-panel television hanging in the den might sound like a good way for home sellers to woo buyers in a dismal real-estate market. But when it comes to actually enticing someone to buy a home, it's the more practical perks that count.

Effective incentives address what's on the minds of potential buyers — the overall cost of the home and the monthly payments they'll have to manage.

Incentives can be considered when the home is first listed, as a way to distinguish it from the start.

They can also be added when the home hasn't sold in two or three months, as a way of enticing a buyer without lowering the price. Or the incentives could arise in negotiations, when a buyer needs that one extra little nudge to commit.

Make no mistake, the location and condition of a home are going to be its main selling points. But if sellers "put on their buyer's cap" and really consider what issues the buyer might have, it could make all the difference.

Here are six of the most common incentives being used in markets today.