Q: “Denise, I have a listing with terrible 70’s paneling in the living room. I have asked the sellers to remove it, but they have been hesitant to do so. I know that if they do this the house will sell. How do I convince them to remove it so the house will sell?”

A: Are you sure the house will sell if the paneling is removed? Of course not. Therefore, be very careful about how you suggest certain improvements. I never suggest saying that a certain action – whether that be to replace carpet, paint, reseed the lawn, take new photos, film a video, or more will cause the house to sell. You can say that you think the action will cause more buyers to pay attention, want to come in for a closer look, bring the house up to the standards of the competition, etc. But don’t ever promise that an action will cause a house to sell. You don’t have a crystal ball.

So rephrase that and let your sellers know that paneling represents work to most buyers and to widen the buyer pool, you suggest either removing the paneling, paint over it, or otherwise minimize its impact.