Selling Process
The home selling process is complex and very strategic. Working with us will make the process smooth and efficient. Lets talk about what we can do for you and how we may serve you.
There are several steps in the real estate selling process, see them below:
1. Preparing Home for the Market
First impressions are very important when selling a home. The seller’s top priority is to make sure the house presents well. At the initial walk-through, we’ll talk about things that can be improved, if any. Usually it is the daily wear-and-tear that needs a little patching up and sprucing up.
Sometimes only small improvements have to be done to get a home ready, and sometimes the tasks are more involved.
- Correct peeling paint and chipped corners
- Fix dripping faucets
- Change burned-out light bulbs
- De-clutter and remove extra furniture
A home should show like a model home – with minimal personal items and bare counters so the buyer can envision themselves in the space.
Sometimes we recommend more significant updates, fresh paint or newer carpet can add thousands to sale proceeds. We will go through your home and talk about what needs to be done in the space in order to make it look its best.
2. Market Analysis
Together we will thoroughly examine the market. We will consider the following:
- Similar Sold Properties
- Listed properties that are our “competition” (we may tour top 3)
- What is lingering on the market and why
- Homes that have expired their listing period
- How we can make your home stand out and accentuate its best features
- Flow chart summarizing all market activity
- Seasonal market trends specific to your neighborhood
- Odds of selling
Based on this comprehensive data, together we will come up with a fair and marketable listing price for your home and discuss our unique marketing ideas.
At this meeting, we will provide Property Disclosures and a Lead Based Paint Disclosure that we will make available to perspective buyers. Property disclosures are documents used to reveal any known defects or issues with the home. Lead Based Paint disclosure is required for every home sale, even newer construction. It is used to disclose possible presence of lead based paint inside or outside a home.
3. Effective Marketing
In some instances, we may choose an opt-out listing. In this instance, the home is available for viewing and is marketed to a group of agents “behind-the-scenes.” During an opt-out listing, the home is not listed in the MLS or any other major website. This gives the seller an opportunity to prepare the home for the market in whatever way necessary (paint, change carpets, etc). Buyers that come through during this period have typically seen everything currently listed in the MLS and are in dire need of a home.
If a home is ready for the general market, we create a custom, aggressive and effective marketing plan. Click here to view how we will market your home in detail.
- Professional, Manually Enhanced Wide-Angle Photography.
We hire only the best photographers who not only excel at taking pictures, they are committed to excellence and manually enhance each and every photo. - 3D Tour.
If the space allows, we implement state of the art 3D tours. Buyers love these and every showing that follows is a 2nd showing in theory. A buyer is able to navigate the home and if they want to physically visit the home, they are serious. - Video Tour.
A video walk-through highlighting your home’s best features and inviting a buyer to schedule a tour. - Well Written Description.
A thoughtful, exciting description of your home, exiting and enticing the buyer to visit the home. - Staging the Property or Virtual Staging.
A complimentary consultation on best furniture and art placement. For vacant properties, we may choose to ‘virtually’ stage the home to make it more appealing. - Colorful Informational Flyer.
Custom, professional informational flyer for potential buyers to take with them. - Maximum Online Exposure.
If a buyer is looking online, they will see your home. MLS, Zillow, Realtor, Howard Hanna, Facebook, Trulia, Homes.com, Harmon Homes and many others. - Aggressive Social Media Campaigns.
We take your home to the most popular place on the internet – the social media platforms. - Pay-Per-Click Advertising.
An interested buyer will have specific targeted ads ‘following’ the buyer across internet websites, reminding said buyer about the home. - Top 300 Agent E-Mail.
Strategic and targeted announcement of a newly listed home to top 300 local agents. - Print Advertisement.
We mail a variety of print advertisements to neighbors, “just-looking” pools and strategic neighborhoods identified as most likely to ‘buy-up’ or ‘buy-down’. - Broker Tours.
We invite colleagues and agents to preview the home for their buyers. - Open Houses.
Curious neighbor open houses, Sunday open houses, Twilight evening time open houses. - Listing Activity and Reverse Prospecting.
Track buyer activity, number of showings, and reverse prospect by contacting agents who’s buyers expressed interest in your home. - Solicit Feedback from Showings.
Identify and overcome buyer objections to encourage an offer. - Fair Selling Commission Split to the Buyers Agent.
We offer a fair, market rate selling commission split to the buyers agent. - Strategic Pricing Analysis.
Pricing strategy is based on a detailed, professional market analysis with price adjustments to reflect specific characteristics and features of similar sold properties.
4. Showings Success
Showings are a necessary inconvenience. We use a paid showing service, ensuring that the person making an appointment is a licensed agent bringing their buyer. In addition to this affording us safety and control, the showing service call center is available seven days a week, evenings and weekends. Showing requests can be made via online access or through an app.
A showing can be scheduled at any time (you may decline if is at unreasonable hour or with minimal notice), so it is important to keep the home in its best shape. Make sure the beds are made, the sink is empty, dirty laundry is put away. It is important to vacuum and dust regularly. An often overlooked recommendation is to get into the habit of leaving the commode lid down. If the showing is in the evening hours, turn on all lights. It is best to vacate the space – showing time is a fantastic time to run errands or to get a coffee. Buyers are often uncomfortable when the seller is home.
5. Negotiating a Contract
Negotiating is key to a successful real estate transaction. With many years of experience, we will use versatile negotiation strategies to ensure you get the most money for your home. Negotiations during an offer period can involve the price itself, what stays inside the home, sellers’ concessions towards buyers’ closing costs, buyers’ financing or necessary repairs. Once the seller and buyer agree on terms, a purchase contract is signed. The buyer’s earnest money (security deposit) is collected and deposited in an escrow account.
6. Home Inspection
Once mutual acceptance on a property is reached, a buyer may request 7-10 days to complete home inspections. During this time frame, a buyer can invite inspectors of their choice to inspect everything inside a home.
- General Home Inspection.
The inspector looks at the house as a whole – outside, inside, all components, safety concerns, major expenses, structural integrities, recommended maintenance issues, etc. - Septic System.
Condition and functionality of the septic. - Water Potability.
Quality of drinking water from a private source. This is for homes with well water. - Well Flow Rate.
Well capacity, flow rate and issues if any. - A 2-3 day test measuring radon levels in a home.
Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that may be present inside a home. - Mold Tests.
Either an air test for presence of mold species, dust sampling or an sampling of actual mold for types and levels of species. - Pest/Wood Destroying Insects.
Presence of any wood harming or destroying insects inside or outside of the house. - Lead-Based Paint.
Presence of lead-based paint inside or outside of a home. May be a comprehensive inspection or a localized sampling.
Once inspection is completed, the buyer has several options. The buyer can continue with a purchase as-is, request the seller makes certain repairs, or ask for a reduction in price due to a substantial find at one of the inspections. Lastly, the buyer can walk away from the home purchase at this time in the contractual period. Usually the buyer walks away due to something significant being found during the inspection, like a need for a brand new septic tank, a structural issue, etc.
Next, the buyer accepts the home with or without conditions and signs a contingency removal form removing any contingencies or removing contingencies with certain conditions such as a price reduction or listing of items seller must complete by title transfer. At this point, the home moves into “loan pending” status.
7. Appraisal
If a buyer is financing the purchase, the buyer’s lender orders an appraisal. An independent, third party appraiser assesses the home’s value in regards to comparable sold properties in the neighborhood, sometimes adjusting ‘value’ based on specific features. This step is necessary for the bank to ensure that the money they are lending is not greater than what the home is worth.
8. Closing
Hooray! The transaction is almost complete. A few days before closing, the buyer will return to the home to ensure it is in the same condition it was at the time of the offer and inspection. This is also the time the buyer will check on any promised repairs or agreed-upon physical adjustments to the home.
The closing officer will schedule signing of the closing documents. The seller typically signs first, followed by the buyer. The title transfers within 24 hours of the buyer’s signing.