The Home Selling Process
The first step in selling your home is signing the listing contract. After you sign it we will get started preparing your home for sale.
You don't get a second chance to make a first impression. This is where we prepare the home by first depersonalizing it. We will create a neutral environment that potential buyers can envision themselves lining in. I have an excellent guide that I will provide you with upon signing the listing contract.
Staging is visually preparing the home to be shown in its best light. It can range from rearranging existing furnishings to create a more open space to adding furniture to a vacant home. Often times it simply means removing small personal items from sight and creating an environment that is clean simple and neutral.
Great marketing starts with great photography. Most people first learn of the home they purchase from the internet. The quality of the pictures is critically important. That is why we hire the best photographers in the business. This ensures that your home is presented in its very best light right from the start.
More and more people are doing their own searches for homes on the internet. They are also looking for open houses in areas they desire. Open houses are a great way to expose the home to drive by home seekers as well as neighbors who may know someone looking to buy in their neighborhood. I strongly encourage holding open houses as part of the overall marketing plan.
Broker previews are a special kind of open house where I invite all of the local real estate agents to tour the home. These agents are the ones with buyers in the area therefore I highly encourage holding a brokers preview. It is best to do this as soon as the home hits the market for the best chance of success.
Recieving offers is exciting but we have to be careful to verify the capacity of the buyer to complete the transaction. Additionally, this is where negotiations usually begin. It is crucial at this point for us to be very clear on the value of the home and know what you are willing to accept. Often your first offer is your best offer.
After you accept the buyers offer we will open escrow. At this point we will require the buyer to wire your ernest money in to escrow as proof of their commitment to begin the process of investigating the home and removing contingencies.