
Our Seller Information section will walk you through the 10 Steps to selling your home. You will learn about pricing your home to sell, negotiating to make the sale, and much more.
10 Steps to Selling Your Home
1. Needs Analysis
Your agent can save you time and money by applying their expert knowledge to your particular needs and setting a realistic time frame for the process to proceed. They can explore all of the variables within your individual goals and how best to achieve them in your local real estate market.
2. Pricing Strategy
Be reasonable about the price you set. You will always be better off setting a fair market value price than setting your price high expecting that someone will come along and be willing to pay it. If your home stays on the market too long because it is overpriced potential buyers may think that something is wrong with it and you may end up selling it for less than what you could have gotten if you had started out with a realistic asking price.
Your agent can save you time and money by educating you on how to set the asking price for your home. He or she will create a comparative market analysis by taking into consideration the type of market you are in and recent sales of comparable properties. Your agent will then guide you to the best fair market price that will help sell your house within the desired time frame. Usually, real estate agents have a better sense of market value than anyone else- including appraisers!
3. Property Preparation
First impressions are very important and you only get to make one. Approach your property from the buyer’s standpoint. What needs to be changed to make a good first impression? This may mean that all you do is prune the trees and shrubs. On the other hand, it may mean that you completely repaint the house, inside and out. Do a “curb to door” check. Give the potential buyers a clear path to enter the home. The fewer obstacles between the buyer and the true appeal of your house the better. Keep in mind that over time we become accustomed to our surroundings. What’s normal for you may be detrimental to the buyer.
Make your house look as spacious as possible. Organize your closets and kitchen cabinets, and if you have things stored in the attic or basement, make sure they are presentable. If you are showing during the day, pull back your curtains and drapes to show how bright and cheery your home is. If you are showing at night, turn on all of the lights to create a warm and welcoming environment for the prospective buyers.
A house that is marked with your personality and style may be harder to sell. You might even consider such things as removing obvious clues to your political affiliation and tucking away any biased literature that may be visible. This will reduce distractions and help the buyers to visualize the home as their own.
Your agent can save you time and money by providing an objective and expert opinion on what needs to be changed or improved. They know what the buyers are looking for because they are in the marketplace everyday. They will perform an analysis of the entire property and, taking into account the state of the market in which you are selling your house, point you to the changes that need to be made in order to sell it for the most amount of money and as quickly as possible.
4. Marketing Strategy
Your agent can save you time and money by exposing your house to the most potential buyers possible. Your agent will present to you the best marketing plan that will have the highest possibility of bringing not only the most buyers, but the most qualified buyers, to your doorstep.
5. Receiving an Offer
- A legal description of the property
- The offering price
- The down payment
- Financing arrangements
- A list of fees and who will pay them
- Amount of the deposit
- Inspection rights and possible repair allowances
- The method of conveying the title and who will handle the closing
- A list of appliances and furnishings which will stay with the home
- The settlement date
- Any relevant contingencies
Remember that the legalities of this phase are very important. If you have any questions or concerns, they need to be addressed right away.
Your agent can save you time and money by making sure that the offer is presented to you by a qualified buyer. There is no reason to review an offer if the person(s) making it will not be able to actually buy your home. Your agent will also be available to review the written offer to make sure that it is written in a proper way and covers the necessary areas.
6. Negotiating to Sell
- The price
- Financing
- Closing costs
- Repairs that need to be done
- Appliances and fixtures
- Landscaping
- Painting
- Occupancy time frame
To really gain some insight into why potential buyers are pursuing the purchase of your house and how they might proceed in the negotiations, it is important to know as much about the buyer as possible, especially their motivation for buying. Once both parties have reached a point where the deal is acceptable, you must be certain that you have a legally executable contract.
Your agent can save you time and money by making sure that the offer is presented to you by a qualified buyer. There is no reason to review an offer if the person(s) making it will not be able to actually buy your home. Your agent will also be available to review the written offer to make sure that it is written in a proper way and covers the necessary areas.
7. Sell
Your agent can save you time and money by coordinating all the necessary items that must be done to finalize the sale. Your agent will be directly involved and keep you informed as to the results of each action and what effect, if any, it will have on the sale of the property. He or she will also help you coordinate any actions you must take to keep the sale moving forward. There are some sales that go smoothly and some that require a lot of work to get to the closing table. Until you get into it, you won’t know which one you have on your hands. Either way, your agent will be prove to be a valuable resource to you.
8. Pre-Close Preparation
Your agent can save you time and money by making sure that all of the necessary documentation is prepared for closing. They will also make sure that all parties have done what they need to do so that the closing can proceed at the date and time planned.
9. Closing
Your agent can save you time and money by being present during the closing to help explain the process and forms to you and make sure everything goes as planned. By being present during the closing, they mediate any last minute issues that may arise. Something always seems to come up!
10. Post-Closing
An agent will save you time and money by helping you coordinate your move. They can help you develop checklists that you can use to make sure that everything is done so that your move goes as smoothly as possible.