An attorney and single dad in his 40s spent several years poring over his finances to determine if he could afford to sell the tiny bungalow he shares with his two teenage sons in Omaha. All three want a larger house with a yard where they could have their own bedrooms and take care of a rescue dog.

“It turns out the only thing stopping us is the sale of our current little place. But that’s a whole lot harder than I expected. We’ve had a few offers, but all came in way too low,” says the father, who debated whether to exit the market in frustration.

One factor that’s keeping the attorney from quitting is that he and his sons have found a nearly new planned community they love in the Omaha neighborhood of Elkhorn. Among the amenities in the new development are a large clubhouse, a gym, a pool and tennis courts.

“Best of all, the community has lots of trails where we could walk the Yorkshire terrier we plan to adopt,” the attorney says.

He’s not alone in wavering on whether to take his current property off the market due to disillusionment. There’s been a substantial recent increase in so-called delistings, the real estate industry’s term for quitting the market.

Jake Krimmel, a senior economist for Realtor.com, the home listing service, says the increase in delistings follows a surge in price reductions, as some sellers with unrealistic price expectations face a softer market with limited buyers. Now more owners would rather wait on the sidelines for the market to strengthen than persevere.

“Unlike past housing cycles where falling prices pressured underwater homeowners to sell, today’s homeowners benefit from record-high levels of home equity, so they have the flexibility to wait it out,” Krimmel says.

The attorney and his sons are anxious to move soon and not defer their dreams. So they’ll keep on trying to get a fair enough sale price for their bungalow rather than wait to sell. To improve their odds, they’re planning to recruit a new listing agent.

Here are a few pointers for sellers on agent selection:

-- Review the work of potential listing agents.

“You need someone you can trust to track your sale to the finish line; someone with the integrity to give you superior customer service,” says Michael J. Connerly, the author of “How to Win With Real Estate.”

As it happens, some listing agents who tout the high volume of their sales are less responsive to their clients than they should be, says Connerly, who sold property for 20 years and limited himself to no more than 10 listings at a time.

Although most agents are dedicated to their seller’s interests, he says some are playing a numbers game. They take lots of listings but don’t give each one the attention it deserves.

A listing agent’s failure to actively market a property can cause it to sit unsold for a lengthy period. Another common reason a home will languish is that it was overpriced at the outset, which leads to stigmatization and typically prolongs the sale.

Connerly says sellers who select a responsive listing agent are more likely to price correctly from the beginning, when the odds of the highest possible return are greatest.

-- Examine a candidate’s track record.

Perhaps the agent you’re planning to hire touts an impressive record of annual sales. Still, this agent might not be the ideal one for you, says Eric Tyson, a personal finance expert and co-author of “House Selling for Dummies.”

Tyson urges prospective sellers to obtain an “activity list” from any agent they’re considering. This should itemize all sales closed in the prior 12 months and should include the property location, as well as the list and sale prices.

“There’s no substitute for the raw data,” Tyson says.

Why is this roster so revealing? Because, as Tyson says, an activity list tells you if the agent is routinely selling homes of a similar type and market value as your property.

“Like professionals in any other field, people in real estate develop a specialty and skills to match,” Tyson says.

-- Look into a candidate’s vacation and travel plans.

Like everybody else, real estate agents enjoy getting away now and then. But it could be unwise to hire an agent who plans a break during the first two to four weeks after your place goes up for sale, when buyer excitement should be at its peak.

Some agents rely on backups when they’re away. But Tyson says this isn’t the ideal option for clients, especially if the agent will be gone for more than two to three days.

It’s unreasonable to expect agents to reveal their travel plans for a full year ahead. But Tyson says you should expect full disclosure about any lengthy absence that would occur within the initial weeks of your listing.

-- Avoid any agent who proves unresponsive.

From the moment your home goes on the market, you’ll need your listing agent to keep you in the loop on your sale.

Why is feedback vital to a successful sale? Because it permits you to make course corrections quickly, even after your property hits the market.

Connerly says one way to help identify a responsive agent is to ask the person’s references if they received regular feedback. Also, before signing a listing agreement, make sure it stipulates how often and under what circumstances your agent will call, email or text you with updates.

“Strong communication is an absolute key to top quality seller representation,” he says.

(To contact Ellen James Martin, email her at ellenjamesmartin@gmail.com.)

A married couple in their late 20s are intensely focused on the lifestyle available in Fort Collins, Colorado. There opportunities for hiking, cycling and skiing draw countless young homebuying aspirants from the Gen Z and millennial demographics.

The pair, both high-level coders with expertise in artificial intelligence and substantial salaries, have been working remotely since the pandemic started and continue to do so. But they’ve outgrown their rented apartment in Denver and have the funds to contemplate buying a place of their own.

“If we buy anywhere, we want Colorado, with space, space and more space. Also, we want a good deal,” says the husband.

Right now, the couple is seriously considering a five-bedroom house with a wraparound porch that was put up for sale by a retired widow more than 120 days ago.

“Our instincts tell us this lady has to come down on price, or her house will just sit around unsold like an abandoned orphan. We’re waiting until she gets real, because we love that big house,” the husband says.

Their plan would be to use one of the five bedrooms as their primary, one as an exercise room, one for guests and two for home offices.

“A couple of years ago, when the bidding wars were all the rage, this property would have gotten close to a million dollars. Now because of changes in the economy, we think it’s overpriced at $812,000. We’re prepared to bid $775,000 if the seller agrees,” the husband says.

For a wide array of reasons, homebuyers across generations are now eager to acquire property with multiple bedrooms. Although many professionals from the government and tech industries have been called back to the office, the Colorado couple are among those who can remain remote. They’re not the only ones who relish having extra bedrooms. Another category are buyers who seek to accommodate elderly parents or grandparents.

“Multigenerational living is now a key housing trend,” says Dorcas Helfant, a past president of the National Association of Realtors.

Helfant says that besides extended families seeking bedroom space for elders, many young buyers want an extra bedroom or two to rent out to help offset the expense of their mortgage.

“Obviously, affordability issues are big factors for buyers who intend to have housemates,” says Jon Boyd, an independent real estate broker based in Michigan.

He says the quest for an extra guest room can also be motivated by noneconomic factors.

“Couples can have a perfectly happy marriage. Yet if one partner snores, an extra bedroom can come in handy as a retreat,” Boyd says.

Here are a few pointers for homebuyers calculating the right number of bedrooms to seek:

-- Think ahead to the future needs of your household.

Boyd says it’s not unusual for young couples to fail to factor in possible future children when choosing a home.

Maybe you’re expecting your first child in two or three years. In this case, he says that purchasing a place with a bedroom that could serve as a nursery is a better bet than changing houses after the baby arrives.

“Ideally, you’ll want to hold the house you buy now for a period of at least four or five years before you move again,” Boyd says.

Buyers with teenage children should also be aware they may need housing even beyond their date of graduation from college or another postsecondary training program.

-- Don’t reject room-sharing if your family is large.

By the time they reach kindergarten, if not before, most children yearn for a bedroom of their own. Yet if your family is large or you hanker to convert at least one bedroom to a home office, it may not be possible to furnish each child with a private bedroom.

Still, Boyd says buyers needn’t worry if the house they purchase has too few bedrooms to meet their children’s wishes. He sees some benefits to room-sharing, especially for preadolescent children.

“My two daughters shared rooms until they were 12 or so. That way, they learned to make compromises and to get along,” Boyd says.

-- Seek a first-floor suite for an elder parent.

Boyd estimates that currently at least 20% of all buyers are now talking about one or two parents moving in with them at some point in the future.

If this is a possibility in your case, he says you should consider buying a one-level, ranch-style home or a place with a first-floor suite, complete with a private bath.

Even if your parents can easily climb the stairs now, they might find it a lot harder later. Having easy access to a bedroom with a full bath can be especially important.

“Because of the aging population, a first-floor suite can also be a plus for resale,” Boyd says.

-- Make sure any room counted as a “bedroom” fits the definition.

Given the popularity of properties with plenty of bedrooms, Boyd says it’s not unusual for home sellers to sometimes stretch the definition when counting their bedrooms.

On occasion, for example, some sellers will place an Ikea wardrobe or an armoire in a spare room and claim it’s a bedroom. Or they’ll falsely count a sitting room off a master suite as a bedroom.

“Don’t be fooled. At the minimum to qualify as a bedroom, a room needs a built-in closet. It also needs a window or door for egress,” Boyd says.

(To contact Ellen James Martin, email her at ellenjamesmartin@gmail.com.)

A massage therapist in her 50s has been attempting to sell her spacious three-level house in Idaho Falls since February. Given that she faces challenges climbing stairs, she aspires to trade the place for a one-level rancher.

The woman was especially hopeful of receiving a solid offer during the spring market when her garden was in full bloom and her yard, set against the spectacular Grand Teton Mountains, was particularly alluring. Visitors appreciate the home’s pecan hardwood floors and note its $25,000 price cut. But still the property sits unsold.

“I’m at a loss to know why this house hasn’t sold. ... I am just stumped about what to suggest to the owner, who’s very demoralized,” says Alecia Coburn, a Keller Williams real estate agent handling the listing.

Granted, affordability has become an acute issue for many homebuyers in Idaho’s metro areas. During the pandemic, when more people were permitted to work remotely, Idaho was a popular and affordable retreat for many buyers from California, Oregon and Washington. But the influx pushed up prices and squeezed out many who sought ownership there, according to Coburn.

During the pandemic frenzy, many were moving to Idaho to claim a big lot and all the advantages of outdoor living, like mountain hiking. Since then, however, sales have slowed dramatically.

Indeed, many communities in Idaho and across the nation experienced poorer-than-expected home sales this spring, and they’re now enduring a summertime slowdown. The result in some places is that buyers are gradually gaining slightly more bargaining power.

Kathy Scott, a Redfin agent in Phoenix, estimates there are still hundreds of thousands more home sellers than buyers nationwide. But some would-be sellers have moved to the sidelines as the market tilts more and more in the buyers’ favor in much of the country.

Of course, no matter the market, there are always some owners who must sell, even during the slower summer season.

“My advice for people who do need to sell -- I’m working with one couple that’s moving out of the country, for example -- is to set realistic expectations,” Scott says.

As a first step, she urges this summer’s sellers to assess market conditions in their local area.

“Talk to your agent about the market in your exact neighborhood. How long are homes taking to sell? Are they typically selling below asking price? And what are sellers doing in terms of repairs and concessions to get deals done? Price fairly based on those numbers,” she says.

Here are a few other pointers for sellers:

-- Seek solid counsel on upgrades.

Coburn, the massage therapist’s agent, knows that the relatively small size of the owner’s kitchen is hurting her prospects for a successful sale. But she cautions against expanding the kitchen through an extensive and expensive home renovation.

Mark Nash, a real estate analyst, recommends that prospective sellers contact three agents for advice on which home improvement projects are truly necessary.

Most well-established agents will visit your house and advise you even if you don’t intend to sell for another three to five years.

“Good agents are in their field for the long term. They’re not just looking for a quick sale,” says Nash, author of “1001 Tips for Buying and Selling a Home.”

As an added benefit, he notes that many agents maintain a database of reliable contractors.

“They’ll help you find people who will do your projects smoothly, within your budget and on time,” Nash says.

-- Restrict renovation projects to neighborhood norms.

Tom Early, a longtime real estate broker and past president of the National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents (naeba.org), says current buyers won’t pick up the tab for any renovation work that raises a property above neighborhood standards.

“You can’t fool them into paying a premium for an over-improved home,” Early says.

What sort of upgrades constitutes “over-improvement”? For example, you wouldn’t want to install high-end designer light fixtures in a neighborhood of starter homes. By the same token, you wouldn’t want to construct a three-car garage in a neighborhood where most houses have no garage at all.

-- Cancel projects that prove too expensive.

If you think your contractors are going over the top, Nash says it’s better to cancel projects before they’re finished than to overspend on work that will cost much more than expected.

As Nash points out, real estate agents often recommend the use of less expensive products than are suggested by contractors. For example, you don’t need to spend your money on top-of-the-line carpeting when a mid-level grade will do just as well. Or you might wish to opt for generic hardware in your kitchen and bathrooms rather than ultra-stylish hardware.

“It’s true that bailing out of work with a contractor can cost you a penalty. But doing so might still be the wise course if a project has become too ambitious,” Nash says.

-- Avoid rushing the renovation process.

As Nash notes, many sellers realize too late that a thoughtlessly executed remodeling program can hit their wallet hard. That’s why he recommends you write on an index card the basic elements of a well-thought-out plan. Then have that index card handy as a reference guide when contractors come over to do estimates.

“Don’t let the contractors dissuade you from your goal of staying within your budget. What you need is a sound plan. Then stay true to that plan until it’s all done,” he says.

(To contact Ellen James Martin, email her at ellenjamesmartin@gmail.com.)