Work with a Professional
Selling your home is a legally binding transaction, and if you’re unsure of what you’re doing it could lead to liability issues. Hiring a real estate agent who can help guide you through the sale will make this often-stressful process easier and yield you a better sale price.
As you would whenever hiring professional help, consider interviewing multiple realtors before making your decision. Ask about their experience, their marketing process and their opinions about your home, including any potential obstacles. Trust your instincts and hire the one who gives you the most realistic answers, as opposed to just telling you what they think you want to hear.
Determine Price
Sale price is often the biggest hurdle for sellers to overcome when preparing to put their home on the market. Unfortunately, variables such as what you paid for it, how much you spent on upgrades and how much income you need from the sale of your home in order to make your next purchase cannot factor into the sale price.
Rather, to sell your home quickly, you’ll need to focus on pricing it fairly according to its current market value. I will help you determine your property’s market value by following a two-step process.
First, I will visit your home to get a feel for its condition, size and any upgrades or extra amenities. Second, I will perform a detailed comparative market analysis (or CMA) — wherein I look at similar homes in your area that are currently on the market, under contract and have recently sold to recommend a list price range.
Prepare your Home
Staging your home can simply mean arranging the rooms in the clearest and most aesthetically pleasing way. While there are companies that you can hire for this, you can do the work yourself by following a few easy steps:
-
Create a focal point. Each room should have one piece as its focus that also clearly defines the function of the space.
-
Depersonalize. Pack away personal items like family photographs so that your home will appeal to the widest range of buyers possible.
-
Stay neutral. When it comes to details like paint colors and furniture styles, use neutral tones. Again, your goal is to appeal to the most buyers rather than showcase the latest trends.
-
De-clutter. Don’t make buyers struggle to see your home’s worth. Pare down wherever possible, and invest in stylish storage solutions that will allow you to stash your belongings.
-
Add homey touches. Scented candles or fresh flowers can add a warm and welcoming feel to the space.
Heading to Market...
Go to market
From professional photography, virtual tours, e-flyers, direct mailers, hosting broker & public open houses and more..my job is to market your property so that it stands out. When done well, your listing can create a good and lasting impression that will have buyers going back to it even if they review other properties.
I will invest in a multi-platform strategy to gain as much mileage as possible. Buyers spend the majority of their time home searching online therefore, a strong digital marketing campaign including social media platforms is key!
Review offers and negotiate carefully
As your agent my job is to work for you. We will review each offer carefully keeping in mind your goals and ensuring you get the best price and the best terms. If you focus solely on the price, you may overlook terms that could be favorable to you as the seller:
Some terms that may work in your favor:
-
Quick close - the buyer is pre-approved and ready to close in a timeframe that best suits you
-
All-cash deal
I will negotiate for your best interests!
Closing the Deal...
Have your attorney review the contract
Here, lawyers for each party examine and guarantee a clear title to the property. This step takes up to three days on average, but could also take as long as a month. Good real estate lawyers are thorough. They help you identify potential points of contention but will also work to ensure that you and the seller can seal the deal as soon as possible.
Go into escrow
Upon signing a contract agreeing to the terms of the sale, you and your buyer go into escrow, a process whereby the buyer’s earnest money is entrusted to a third party, also referred to as an escrow agent.
You as a seller will just have to sit this out, as the buyer deals with having a bank or lender assess your property to verify if the agreed-on price matches the market value. The buyer will also authorize a home inspection. Your role is to give bank reps and inspectors access to your property, and be responsive to issues that arise, including clearing liens on the title, or dealing with defective materials discovered in your home.
Close the deal
When every contractual obligation has been met, the escrow process ends, and the money held in trust will be released to you.