Putting your home on the market can be a stressful process, especially when you don’t know what to expect. Fortunately, with the help of an experienced agent and this easy to follow guide, you can smoothly complete the process. Following these steps will help you prepare so you can get organized and sell your home for the best price possible.​​​​​​​
What do you want to accomplish with the sale of your home? Do you want to make a certain amount of money that you can put toward a larger or nicer home? Do you need to sell it as soon as possible to facilitate a move to a new city or area? Once you understand your needs and motivation, we can better craft our plan. For example, if you need to sell quickly, you might want to price your home lower than if your goal is to simply "test" the market. Make sure you convey these needs to your me as your REALTOR so I or she can adjust our marketing plan accordingly.
Knowing how to price your home is one of the most important parts of the selling process. When you set a fair price in the beginning, you’ll get the most interest from other real estate agents and prospective buyers, not to mention you'll make more money when it's all said and done! Overpricing your home could lead to reduced interest, and severely underpricing could lead to suspicion as to what might be wrong with the house! Working with a market expert like myself is the best way to determine the right selling price for your home. An agent with experience can determine what other comparable homes are selling for, evaluate the current market, network amongst other local agents and buyers, and really help set your home apart from the rest!
If you’ve kept your home in showroom condition since you’ve lived in it, you’re in the minority of homeowners. Once we price your home, it’s time to start getting it ready to be shown to potential buyers. This includes getting rid of clutter, depersonalizing the space so that buyers can envision themselves in the space, making any small repairs, and doing a deep clean to make sure your home is in pristine condition. I like to say, its time to get your home ready to go to the prom!
This is my favorite part of the process! I will develop a customized marketing strategy that is perfect for advertising your home. This involves listing the home and then driving the right people to that listing through social media campaigns, agent-to-agent referrals, traditional media, or SEO advertising. Not to mention I have a deep network of buyers waiting for a call from me that I just got a new listing in their desired area! My team creates a marketing campaign that aims to get the most possible traffic to your listing immediately. Remember this, the more eyes that see your property, the better the result will be for you!
Receiving an offer is an exciting part of the process, but it doesn’t mean the journey is over. We will evaluate each offer and make sure the party making the offer is prequalified or pre-approved by a credible mortgage lender and that their offer is acceptable to you. If the offer is too low, you can make a counter-offer or offer other ways to bridge the gap. In many cases, you might even get multiple offers! If that is the case, I will fully vet each offer and walk you through the strengths and weaknesses of each offer, so you are fully equipped to make the best decision for you and your family.
Once we deem the offer is acceptable, we will review the proposed contract to make sure it’s all in order and includes the necessary components such as deposit amount, down payment, financing, inspection language, contingencies, settlement date, and a list of fees and who will pay them. When both parties have agreed to the term, a rider letter will be prepared by your attorney to finalize the contract.
You have accepted an offer and are now very close to the end of your selling journey. But first, you and the buyer must make a list of what needs to be done before closing. In most cases, your home will need to be formally inspected, surveyed, and appraised. In other cases, major or minor repairs will need to be made before the house can close. I will head up efforts to develop and execute this list, get each action item paid for by the correct party, and make sure everything is in order by the closing date. A few days before the closing date, we will call the company closing the transaction to make sure everything is ready to go. If you haven’t done so already, you also need to make arrangements to move out of the home so the new buyer can take possession.
You’ve reached the last step in the seller’s process. When you close on a home you are selling, you are legally transferring ownership of the property to the new buyer. We will meet with the company closing the transaction to sign the final paperwork and go over any issues that have not yet been taken care of. During this time, you can also make plans with your REALTOR to handle final details such as canceling utilities, cable, and lawn or trash services, changing the name on accounts that the new owner is retaining and ensuring the new owner has instructions for all appliances that will remain in the home.
Once you have sold your home, you’re free to take the next step on your journey. Whether this is relocating to a new city, moving into a larger home, or downsizing and enjoying your life as empty-nesters, knowing all your selling responsibilities have been taken care of will help you achieve peace of mind for your new path.
If you're even thinking about buying, selling, or investing in real estate, feel free to call me for a chat any time! I'd be thrilled to help put a game plan together for you.