Seller Guide
As you prepare to sell, there’s probably a mix of excitement and anxiety going through your mind. Selling a home can be a complex and emotional process.
You are, after all liquidating the biggest asset most people would ever own, and you want to sell it as quickly as possible and for the best possible price.
So how does the process work and what can you do to make sure you attract as many potential buyers as possible, and increase your chances of making as much money as possible from the sale of your home?
Our Commitment to You
As your representatives, we commit:
To Guide You From Start to Sold
- Research your area and provide an in-depth competitive market analysis that will determine the best listing price for your property
- Recommend alterations based on typical buyer preferences
- Provide you with a trusted network of recommendations for all services you’ll need during the selling process
- Timely presentation and response to all offers
- Keep your needs in mind as I negotiate for the best price and terms on your behalf.
- Assist you in making informed decisions to achieve a satisfactory sale
To Offer Professional, Reliable Service
- All representation will be enacted in good faith
- Timely response to emails, texts, and phone calls
- Follow your directions and faithfully represent your concerns
- Adhere to all deadlines and important dates
To Be Accountable
- Keep you informed throughout the process
- Obtain and deliver all documents promptly
- Review all settlement documents with you.
To Prioritize You
- I will ensure you are fully informed at all times
- Your information will be kept in the strictest of confidence
- Your interest will be placed above all others
Step 1. The Prep Work
The Walk Through
This is the crucial first step of selling your home. By walking through together, I will be able to assess the current state of your property and make suggestions for cleaning, repairs, and decluttering based on typical buyer preferences.
We will also determine the best features of your home, and identify any drawbacks. This is also a good opportunity for you to provide nuanced insights about the home. What drew you to this property? What improvements have you made? What do you love about this neighborhood? All of these are valuable input for effective marketing that will set us up for success.
Step 2. The Set Up
Market Analysis
The first stage of determining the listing price of your property is by completing a comparative market analysis. This will provide an estimate of your home’s value by reviewing currently listed and recently sold comparable properties in your immediate area. By adjusting for the differences that make your home unique, we can reach a data-driven estimate to help us settle on your initial listing price.
The data does not lie!
Listing Appointment
Once I’ve completed the Comparative Market Analysis, we will meet again to agree on a pricing strategy. Having a solid strategy is crucial to the successful sale of your home. Using my professional market expertise will help us list at a price that is both accurate and reasonable based on the location, market, age, and condition of your property. Once that is settled, we’ll be able to discuss your expectations, and sign the listing documents that enact the listing contract.
Pre-Launch
After our listing appointment, I will make the necessary arrangements to prepare your home for sale.
We will prepare any staging items needed and take photos for our marketing materials. By hiring a professional photographer, we can showcase your home in the very best light to ensure your home looks as beautiful online or in print as it does in person. This is the first impression for prospective buyers, so having professional quality photography is key to helping your home stand out.
Signage and lock boxes will also be collected and installed so we’re ready to launch!
Step 3. The Marketing
Listing on MLS
Once your home is listed and activated on MLS (Multiple Listing Service), the pricing, photos, and property details will be accessible to buyer agents across the country. This is the biggest element of listing your home, because it feeds into top marketing partners such as Realtor.com, Trulia, and Zillow. Exposure on these sites means exposure to thousands of prospective buyers, which will lead you down the path of a successful sale.
Social Media Magic
In today’s day and age, social media is an invaluable tool in marketing your home. Channels like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are powerful platforms packed with local information and digital word of mouth. Your listing will be quick to search, and easy to share!
Open House
Leave the hosting to us! This is a great opportunity to allow prospective leads to view your property in a no-commitment, low stress environment. It serves two purposes — finding serious prospects and receiving instant feedback about your home. Any simple improvement suggestions, such as decluttering or staging alterations, can be implemented quickly for future viewings. When we decide to host an open house, I will indicate it on the MLS, send out push notifications via our app, and share on social media to notify prospects and their agents.
Custom Property Website Creation
A unique, custom property website will be designed specifically for your home. This dedicated website showcases your property in a comprehensive and engaging manner, featuring high-quality photos, detailed property descriptions, and virtual tours. The website's user-friendly interface allows potential buyers to explore every aspect of your property at their own pace, providing a personalized viewing experience that stands out in the digital real estate space.
Google Ads and SEO Optimization
To maximize visibility, we will employ Google Ads campaigns targeting relevant keywords associated with your property and location. This strategy ensures that when potential buyers search for homes in your area, your listing appears prominently. Furthermore, we optimize your property’s online presence with Search Engine Optimization (SEO) techniques. This includes using strategic keywords, optimizing website content, and building quality backlinks, thereby improving the ranking of your listing on search engines, making it more visible to potential buyers.
Email and Direct Mail Marketing
We will also leverage both email and direct mail marketing strategies to reach a broader audience. Our targeted email campaigns will send your property's details directly to a curated list of potential buyers and real estate agents, ensuring your home reaches interested parties quickly and efficiently. In conjunction with this, we will send out high-quality, informative direct mail pieces to selected neighborhoods and demographics. This traditional approach complements our digital efforts, ensuring your property gains maximum exposure across multiple marketing channels.
Step 4. Final Pieces
Accepting & signing a contract
Once an offer is received, I will prepare an estimated net sheet showing the amount you can expect to net from your sale. We will then sit down and review the terms of the offer and estimated net. I will help you form any counters to the offered terms and negotiate on your behalf. My goal is not just to get you in contract, but to get you through closing!
Option period & Property Inspections
Offers you receive from buyers will almost always contain a contingency of an option period. The option period allows a buyer to schedule any inspections they want done to make sure the home doesn’t have any issues that are typically unnoticeable during showings such as termites, roof problems, mold, etc. Inspections are almost always done at the buyer’s expense. Because inspections cost the buyers money, buyers usually wait until they have the home under contract to have them performed. To compensate a seller for taking their home off the market temporarily for the option period an option fee is paid to the seller by the buyer.
The option period allows the buyer to negotiate repairs or renegotiate the purchase price based on any issues their inspections may have found with the seller. If an agreement cannot be reached, the buyer has the option to terminate the contract and receive all of their earnest money back.
The general home inspection is the most standard inspection performed and will often be the springboard to deciding whether or not to pursue additional inspections based on the home inspector’s feedback and report. Typically, a general home inspector will recommend further inspections for any item they see may have a potential issue, but that they are not trained to inspect fully.
Title search and appraisal
A copy of the executed contract will be delivered to the agreed upon title company. A title search will be conducted in order to determine the legal right of sale. This examination covers all county records of the property’s title history, including deeds, court records, indexes, and other documents. The purpose of this search is to confirm the legal right to sell the property in question, and that there are no hindrances that may prevent the buyer from taking full possession.
After the buyers inspections, an appraisal is required by the lender to ensure the value of the property meets the value of the loan. The appraiser’s physical inspection of the property is not nearly as thorough as the home inspector’s and is usually quick, though the appraisal report can sometimes take weeks to be delivered to the lender. You can breath easy as I will help you prepare for the appraisal and remedy potential issues beforehand.
If required, a survey will also be ordered at this time. Any additional documentation will be collected and verified in order to proceed with closing the sale, including current mortgage information for Title to order a payoff amount.
Before closing, we must ensure all contract requirements are met before the deadlines. We will provide any remaining documents and schedule the official closing appointment. The Title Company will send us final figures to review together prior to closing. There will likely be a final walkthrough by the Buyer 24 hours before the closing.
Close of Sale
We’re almost there! This is the final leg of the home selling journey!
Closing is the legal process of finalizing your sale. The title company will gather all required documents for the closing package and signing will take place at the title company for each party or remotely with a notary if necessary.
Part of conducting the closing will also involve ensuring all fees are paid, the seller receives the money owed, and that the buyer’s title is recorded.
Once the sale is finalized, it’s official! The buyer receives the title and you will receive the payment. Once that is done, the transaction is complete and keys will be handed over!
Support at Every Step!
Selling your home is a major undertaking. Together, we’ll get there successfully!
As your Real Estate agent, your best interest is at the heart of what I do. You can trust in me to represent you and guide you through this process so you can have the best possible experience.
