When you decide to list your property, its best to hire me to protect your interest, as Realtors have a fiduciary responsibility to our clients. I will help you along the way from beginning to end, and ensure the process is stress free for you. I will also help you by suggesting improvements or modifications to enhance your properties appeal, customize a marketing plan to highlight its best features and present you with a pricing the home based on my findings. Listing your home with an Agency Real Estate professional agent is the first step on the path to a successful closing. Possessing a wealth of knowledge about our local neighborhoods and suburbs, your agent is well prepared to assist you from beginning to end, helping you feel at ease throughout the selling process.
#2 Your Customized Marketing Plan
There are a variety of ways to market your real estate property. After you hire me, we will begin to roll out a marketing plan to get your your property sold. One of the marketing steps will be to list it on the multiple listing service (MLS), which will place your property on several real estate website such as Zillow and Realtor.com. I will customize your listing to fit your needs.
Establishing the right sales price is important. Pricing the property either to high or to low can have some ramifications. If a property is priced too low, you will not net the most profit, and potential buyers will assume something is wrong with it. On the other hand, if you price the property too high, buyers may avoid viewing the home because its not within their price range and it may sit on the market for a longer period of time, thus losing its appeal to the public. I will help determine a listing price based on a comparative market analysis which is a process of comparing other properties that have sold recently and are similar to your property.
Some of the factors that go into establishing a price for your property are: Location, Condition, Amenities, Price per square foot, home warranty.
This is the easy part. I will offer a complimentary consultation with a professional Interior Designer who will help you get the property ready for showings and will create a great impression on potential buyers.
#5 Showings
Now its time to show the home to potential buyers. Pictures help, however seeing and feeling are a lot better. If you are open to the idea, its always great to host an open house for potential buyers. I will schedule an open house according to your schedule. I prefer to do this this myself. I will ensure that the best showing possible takes place, making your property inviting and most importantly, get it sold.
#6 Negotiating the Purchase Price
Your patience and hard work has paid off—your agent has informed you of an offer on your home. You can count on your Agency Real Estate agent’s expertise again—this time in the art of negotiation. Your agent will guide you toward arriving at a price that both you and your buyer agree upon. A formal contract—written by the buyer’s agent and signed by the buyer—will be submitted to you for review and consideration.
As the seller, you can help facilitate moving the offer to a final sales agreement. Remove any emotion on your side from the negotiating table. If you are truly motivated to sell, allow your agent to negotiate on your behalf and move things in the right direction—often that means one or more counteroffers. Compromise is vital. You want to arrive at a fair price where all parties are happy.
Once you and the buyer have agreed upon price, you are ready for a formal inspection of your home to detect defects or problems. Typically, a clause in the sales contract states that the offer is contingent upon a home inspection. A home inspection typically takes between 2-4 hours depending upon the size of the home and the number of rooms, features and amenities. Your home will be evaluated from the foundation to the rooftop and will include, where appropriate, the functionality of the heating and air conditioning systems, electrical, plumbing and all appliances. The inspector will look at the home’s structure including the foundation, basement, roof, chimney, walls, doors and windows.
A thorough home inspection can also be an excellent pre-sale tool, giving you the opportunity to resolve issues prior to listing your home. A professional home inspection report available to buyers could expedite the receipt of offers as well as decrease the timing of the sale from offer to closing. Known factors made available that relate to the home’s condition could help to make a buyer more comfortable. While the inspection may not uncover every single flaw in the home—particularly those that are not visible or are inaccessible—it does address a range of concerns.
To start, the report enables you, as the seller, to explain any defects to the buyer. Some sellers elect to repair just a few or none of the defects reported in the formal inspection. However, honestly stating the defects to the buyer will help to eliminate any objections that could arise during the sale process. Because your agent is able to explain how the listing price takes into consideration the estimated cost of any needed repairs or improvements, the negotiation time is typically abbreviated. And finally, since state real estate laws require that homeowners and their agents comply with full-disclosure, liability for any defect or withheld facts is less likely to occur.
If you do not know of a qualified inspection company, ask your Agency Real Estate professional for a referral. The inspector should be able to provide you with a sample report to show that they follow industry standards. Note that the job of the inspector is to simply inspect, not to repair or to refer clients to repair companies, which could result in a conflict of interest.
When you schedule your appointment with the home inspection company, inform them that you will be present throughout the inspection process. Inspection companies encourage and welcome your presence. This is the time to ask and share any issues that are of concern to you. In-person explanations will help you to understand the report, which can be fairly complex and lengthy—a thorough home inspection may cover as many as 1000-plus items.
The day has arrived for the final step in selling your home—the closing. The closing, also known as the settlement or escrow, in simplest terms is when money is taken in from the buyer and paid out to the seller. The closing can take place in person or by mail and is handled by the real estate company or a title company.
The buyer’s title and mortgage liens are legally recorded in local municipalities. The paperwork, which by this time has been formally reviewed by all involved parties—the buyers and sellers, agents, lenders, attorneys and title companies—details specifics of the sales agreement. In addition the paperwork enables all parties to verify their interests in the transaction.
The sales agreement details the payments and credits that are due to the seller and the payments and dollar amounts due from the buyer. Details include transaction costs such as title and tax searches, and adjustments, if applicable, such as prepaid taxes.
Closing Documents. Your agent will help you with the final documentation needed at the closing of your home.
You will begin to prepare for moving day prior to the closing. The date of possession will be in your sales contract. Make sure to coordinate the date and time of your move with the buyer if the move falls on the same day. No matter how many times you have done it, moving is never easy. However, you can take certain organizational measures to ensure that your move is as smooth as possible.
Prior to moving, create a simple record-keeping system with a checklist and a schedule. The more prepared you are, the fewer surprises await you on moving day, so stay on schedule. A short to-do list might include:
You can always count on your Agency Real Estate agent to assist you with any questions or recommendations of reliable professionals. We’re here to help you every step of the way!