Strategy for selling a house - what is the best way to proceed?

: If your neighbor pays you an acceptable market price and you are flexible with the move-out date, that is a good, albeit not "purchase price optimized," solution. Selling a house is a hassle. I'm glad when someone takes the burden off me. I can use the time much better elsewhere. That definitely speaks in favor of a real estate agent – ideally one with local knowledge. Usually, they currently have a phone list of potential buyers. With our terraced house, it was done on a Saturday morning. Wonderfully stress-free, market-appropriate, and fair sale. Three winners, no losers.

Just putting it out there.
Our real estate agent gave an estimate. So did our main bank, which is currently financing the condominium. The agent estimated a bit higher. Compared to the total amount, but not a big difference. So we listed a bit above the agent’s estimate. Logical.
Of course, we also compared (as far as possible) comparable properties in a similar location. They were all either larger at the same price or cheaper at the same size. But in fact, there is nothing really comparable in the same location. The target group was quite narrow. In the end, it was really somewhat slow. Because of Corona? No idea. For a while, it looked like we would have to sell the place for €60K less than the listing price, because there wasn’t as much response as hoped. Then came what our agent calls the “Lucky Punch.”
In the end, we sold the place for €20K less than listed, but still €20K more than calculated.
I don’t think we would have had the nerve to do it without the agent.

Our experience with selling the house two years ago was somewhat different in that we deliberately did not start too high with the price.
The real estate agent determined a realistic price after an extensive viewing, and we then started slightly above that. The interest was so great that the listing was deleted after just a few hours.
At two appointments, six viewings each took place one after the other. I had the house tiptop prepared (this is an extremely important point that cannot be overrated), spotless clean, tidy, bedspread on the bed, all personal items removed from the bathroom and unused "viewing towels" hung up, kitchen countertop cleared, windows cleaned, etc., etc.
After the two appointments, there were 10 serious interested parties, then 6 came for a second viewing and were supposed to submit a bid afterwards. This way we achieved about 15% more than originally planned.

By the way, I also put in the effort to make things look nice for the photos.

For example, we handled this quite differently. We have a small daughter, three rooms, and are bursting at the seams. That’s why we are building now. Out of necessity, on the day of the photos, we "tidied up in front of the camera" so that the apartment is the focus in the pictures, not the clutter inside. For the viewings, we only vacuumed, cleaned, and tidied up. Nothing more. There was no other way. The living/dining room, for example, is completely dominated by children because there simply is no space. The apartment is really great, very modern, large open plan. We have a classic "I am young and don’t want children or old and the children have left home" apartment. My wife simply didn’t anticipate when designing it that I would come and then shortly after have a child. So we couldn’t create "broom-clean" conditions for the viewings. And honestly? Why bother? We said to ourselves: people live here! And if a prospective buyer does not take that into account... well, then someone else. As described earlier, it worked out perfectly. A serious buyer doesn’t look at how it looks inside the property but how well maintained it is, how it feels, how the location is. Our buyer purchased the place even though the vacuum cleaner was "in the middle" of the room, the entire open area felt full of toys, all our construction-related documents were on chairs and tabletops because there’s simply no space for office stuff, etc. Cleanliness, care... all very important. But: We still live here, and anyone unable to see past that doesn’t have a serious interest.

A serious buyer doesn’t look at what the inside(!) of the property looks like, but at how well maintained it is, how it feels, how the location(!) is.

I’d rather be impressed by a car that just came out of the car wash than by one that has been driven over muddy dirt roads. It’s just psychological. Clean and tidy sells better and for a higher price. Tip: Freshly brewed coffee or fresh cake evoke extremely positive associations in the brain. It also helps to make the apartment/house appear "better".

I prefer to be blinded by a car that just came out of the car wash rather than one that has been racing over muddy dirt roads.
It's just psychological. Clean and tidy sells better and for more money.
Tip: Freshly brewed coffee or fresh cake trigger extremely positive associations in the brain. It also helps make the apartment/house appear "better."

No more need. Place sold for more than calculated. Did everything right.