Seller's Guide

A Step-by-Step Seller's Guide

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.​​​​​​​

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Step 1: Understand Why You're Selling

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, you can better craft your offer. 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 real estate agent once you choose one so he or she can adjust your selling price accordingly.

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Step 2: Determine Selling Price

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 leads to receiving less than what your home is worth. 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, and may even suggest a home appraisal.

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Step 3: Start Preparations

If you’ve kept your home in showroom condition since you’ve lived in it, you’re in the minority of homeowners. Once you price your home, it’s time to start preparing to show it to potential buyers. This includes getting rid of clutter, depersonalizing the space so that buyers can envision themselves in your home, making any small repairs, and doing a deep clean to make sure your home is in pristine condition. As a full service listing agent, I will complete a thorough walk-through of your home and will provide written recommendations on how to prepare your home as well as staging ideas to ensure your home is ready for professional photos and for showings.

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Step 4: Develop a Marketing Strategy

I will develop a customized marketing strategy tailored to your unique home. The initial steps include preparing your home for sale, arranging professional photography, videography, virtual tours/Matterports, creating professional print materials, and crafting detailed listing descriptions to highlight the important features of your home. Once your home is listed, I will focus on attracting the right buyers through agent-to-agent referrals, traditional media, open houses, social media campaigns, and SEO advertising. My goal is to create a marketing campaign that drives maximum traffic to your listing during the critical first few weeks.

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Step 5: Evaluate Offers

Receiving an offer is an exciting part of the process, but it does not mean the journey is over. I will evaluate each offer to ensure the buyer is prequalified or pre-approved by a mortgage lender or has provided sufficient proof of funds for a cash offer, and that their offer meets your expectations. If the offer is too low, you can make a counter-offer or propose other ways to bridge the gap, such as covering some or all closing costs, making repairs, adjusting the move-in date, or including certain appliances or fixtures for the new buyer. In multiple offer situations, I will provide an in-depth breakdown of the terms of each offer to ensure you are able to select one that best fits your needs and expectations.

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Step 6: Accept an Offer

Once you deem the offer acceptable, I will review the proposed contract to ensure it includes all necessary components, such as the deposit amount, down payment, financing terms, inspection rights and repair allowances, contingencies, settlement date, and a list of fees and their respective payers. When both parties agree to the terms, I will prepare a final contract for all parties to execute.

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Step 7: Get Ready to Close

You have accepted an offer and are now nearing the end of your selling journey. However, before closing, you and the buyer need to compile a list of tasks to complete. This may include formal inspections, surveys, and appraisals, as well as any necessary major or minor repairs. I will oversee the development and execution of this list, ensure each task is paid for by the appropriate party, attend inspections and appraisals when necessary, and confirm everything is in order by the closing date. A few days before closing, I will review your final closing fees and proceeds with you to ensure everything is correct and I will contact the title company handling the transaction to ensure all preparations are complete for a smooth and successful closing appointment.

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Step 8: Close

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. I will meet you on closing day at the title company or make myself available by phone should you choose to sign remotely from out of town. During this time, you will also make plans to handle final details such as canceling utilities, cable, and lawn or trash services, changing the name on any accounts that the new owner will be retaining and ensuring the new owner has instructions for all appliances that will remain in the home.This is also the time to finalize any warranty transfers that were stipulated in the contract.

Congratulations!

Once you have sold your home, you’re free to take the next step on your journey. Whether this is relocating to a new city, moving into a larger home, or downsizing and enjoying your life as empty-nesters, knowing all your selling responsibilities have been taken care of will help you achieve peace of mind for your new path.

Work With Maureen

With a collaborative approach tailored to your unique needs, Maureen's expertise and passion for real estate will guide you through every decision, ensuring a smooth path to achieving your dreams.

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