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, we can better craft your strategy. For example, if you need to sell quickly, you might want to price your home lower than if your goal is to make a certain profit margin. Make sure you convey these needs to your Realtor® once you choose one so he or she can adjust your marketing strategy 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. Overpricing your home could lead to reduced interest, and underpricing could lead to receiving less than what your home is worth. Of course, underpricing has been a very successful and commonly used strategy in our red hot market of 2020-2022. With the concept being that the low price captures interest and the competitive market conditions cause buyers to bid against one another driving the price much higher. However, such pricing strategies are very market condition dependent and will only be effective under certain conditions as they carry fundamental risks. There are various strategies that work best under different market conditions. Additionally, the condition of your home with impact how you price it. What small or large repairs and projects will add value, if any? What would be the price "as is" vs after some work has been done to improve it? Working with a real estate agent 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, determine what sort of return various improvements will bring and make suggestions with regard to the best strategies at that time.
If you’ve kept your home in showroom condition since you’ve lived in it, you’re in the minority of homeowners. Once you decide to sell, 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 there, making any small repairs, and doing a deep clean to make sure your home is in pristine condition. As part of the preparation process, an experienced agent such as myself will also evaluate whether any larger projects such as updating bathrooms, kitchens, refinishing floors, painting, etc., will provide worthwhile return on investment. In many cases, preparing a home to be turn-key will maximize value, but again, it can be market dependent, property specific and your agent can advise you on whether it makes sense in your particular situation.
I will develop a 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. My team creates a marketing campaign that aims to get the most possible traffic to your listing in the first three weeks when momentum is most important.
Additionally, I would discuss the pros and cons of marketing your property off-market prior to, or instead of, the traditional MLS route and whether that is a good fit for your circumstances. As a verified member of the Top Agent Network, an exclusive networking group made up of the most accomplished real estate professionals in the County, I have access to off-market options that provide my clients with a competitive edge over the greater agent community.
Receiving an offer is an exciting part of the process, but it doesn’t mean the journey is over. This period can be one of the most exhilarating as well as stressful. We will evaluate each offer, make sure they are financially qualified, discuss the different offer terms and work through the pros and cons of the terms as well as your counteroffer options.
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. I will create a timeline with important due dates that will include the release dates for any contingencies such as Inspections, Loan and Appraisal. In some cases, your home may need to be formally inspected and appraised. In other cases, if there aren’t any contingencies, it may just be a waiting game for the buyer's loan to fund. My team and I will make sure everything is in order from a contractual and organizational standpoint. About a week before the closing date, we will call the title company handling the transaction to make sure everything is ready to go and schedule your signing. 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 Title 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, changing the name on accounts that the new owner is retaining, ensuring the new owner has instructions for all appliances as well as any other maintenance suggestions and possibly scheduling a walk-thru with the buyers.
Your home is sold and your new journey begins!
Taking a personalized approach, Tom aims to make the real estate transaction process easy and smooth for buyers and sellers alike. Hardworking, honest, experienced with an exceptional reputation within the local industry and insights only a native has, there is no better guide for your real estate journey. Tom would be honored to earn your trust and serve as your real estate advisor. Don’t hesitate to contact him today!
