Selling Your Home

01—

Evaluating Your Home's Sale Price

The first step to selling your home is to evaluate the home's condition. It will be important to address any cosmetic or functional problems and discuss potential upgrades or improvements that may bring additional value to your sale. Note that some problems may require disclosure to potential buyers. We will discuss the findings and available options to help ensure your home is in the best condition possible for attracting buyers.

Get a Home Evaluation
02—

Choosing An Asking Price

There are many important factors to consider in determining a competitive list price for your home sale, such as location, condition, age, supply and demand, as well as local market conditions. It will also be valuable to conduct a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) of similar homes that have recently sold in your area and how many sales have taken place. You may also choose to have a professional appraisal of your home conducted in advance. Understanding what the market will pay is a critical part of achieving a successful sale, and all of these factors will help guide your decision to establish a sales price.

03—

Getting Market Ready

Preparing your home to sell can make a big difference in what a buyer is willing to pay for it. Depending on the condition of the home, there are three key considerations: maintenance and repairs, renovations and upgrades, and staging. Getting market-ready may include a variety of tasks, from reducing clutter and fixing maintenance concerns to updating paint colors, rearranging furniture, and addressing landscaping needs. It may also be advantageous to have the home professionally staged. (If you're foregoing a professional stager, check out our DIY checklist at the bottom of the page.) The focus of this process is to prepare your home to make a great impression and invite the most attractive offers possible.

04—

Listing Your Home

When the home is ready for market, we will have listing photos taken by a professional photographer. Then your home will be listed on the local MLS and syndicated to area brokerages and real estate agents. Additional advertising methods may also be used to reach the widest audience possible within the target market. Creating a personalized plan to market your home will help attract the interest of the right buyer.

05—

Home Showings with a Real Estate Agent

Once your home has been listed, home showings will begin. It may also be advantageous to hold an open house. Showings are led by a local real estate agent. Typically, the homeowner is not present for home showings. You will be notified in advance of any appointments, and showings can be scheduled during specific times to avoid inconvenience. Remember: a good real estate agent makes all the difference! You'll work together to create an inviting and welcoming atmosphere for all buyers touring the home.

06—

Receiving Offers

At this point an offer, or multiple offers, will be made by a buyer. You may accept, counter, or reject. If a counter is made, we will enter a period of negotiation until an agreement is reached by all parties, or you choose to reject the latest counter. Negotiations can involve many factors, including settling on a sale price, concessions, and financing. Once all parties reach an agreement, you will officially be under contract. One step closer to closing!

07—

Appraisal & Inspection

Once an agreement is reached, the buyer may order a professional pre-sale home inspection and appraisal to evaluate the condition and value of the home. Depending on the results of these reports and appraised value, we may enter another round of negotiations until an agreement is reached by all parties. Depending on the negotiation strategy, you may choose to complete necessary repairs requested by the buyer in order to optimize other negotiation factors.

08—

Closing!

Closing day! The buyer’s lender will provide final confirmation that they are approved to close, and you will sign all the paperwork required to complete the sale. This process typically takes an hour or two. Once the paperwork is signed by all parties, your title company will wire the net proceeds of the sale to your bank account, and your home will officially be sold!

Home Staging Checklist

Data collected by the International Association of Home Staging Professionals about recently-sold properties shows that staging can help you sell your home up to 30 times faster than non-staged comparable homes! In addition, beautiful staging could even increase the sale price by up to 20%. A little extra effort goes a long way! How can you be sure your home will make a good impression and attract buyers? In a nutshell, depersonalizing the space helps potential new owners envision themselves in the home. Below, we've prepared the ultimate home staging checklist to help you maximize your chances of a successful sale.