Listing your home for sale in this depressed real estate market is like entering a beauty pageant. The contestants are all other for-sale homes in the area. The judges are potential buyers who will ultimately choose their favorite candidate. The challenge begins at the open house.

To improve your chances of getting ahead of the other contestants, you must prepare for the big day when you show the judges why they should buy your house and not the one down the street.

"You have a very little amount of time for the buyers to love your home," says Patty Da Silva, owner of Green Realty Properties in Davie, Fla. "If your house doesn't look good at get-go, they turn around and leave."

Sellers often underestimate the importance of preparing their homes for open house, and that can lower their chances of finding a buyer. Here are six common open house mistakes you should avoid.