Home Seller's Guide To Success!

Selling your home is a huge decision and there is a lot to consider and prepare before and during the process. It is important to know what is involved and what it will mean for you. Realty Executives are experts in the home selling process. Use this exclusive Home Seller’s Guide to help walk you through the process from start to finish in preparation for selling your home.

Do Your Research

It is important to know the state of your local real estate market – and whether it is currently a buyers or sellers market. If you are able to be flexible with the time of the sale of your home, it is best to wait until it is a sellers market. A sellers market is when there are more buyers searching for homes, which can give you better negotiating power and can drive the value of your home up! Of course, if time does not permit and it is a buyers market, it does not mean your home won’t sell – some neighborhoods could still be a hot market despite it being a buyers market (and vice versa). It really takes a local area expert to understand the demand for homes in certain areas.

Find the Right Agent

Hiring a professional real estate agent is the best way to ensure you are going to sell your home at the best price in a timely manner. Ask family, friends or coworkers if they know any agents that they had good experiences with – or if there are agents they would not recommend. As noted above, agents with experience in your neighborhood is also important. See which agents work often within your neighborhood and who know the community and market. Most importantly, find someone who you want to work with, who you trust and that makes you feel comfortable being in your home. 

Make Home Improvements

When starting the home selling process, it is important to put your best foot forward when it comes to improvements. The common wear and tear on a home can lessen its appeal and sales value. Take a look and determine what improvements your current home could benefit from and then decide which are easy enough to handle on your own and which may require hiring a professional. A Realty Executives agent will be able to help you identify the best use of money and what improvements are necessary will get the best ROI. 

Curb appeal is always key for potential buyers, so make sure to give them a memorable first impression – spend some time cleaning up the front yard, power wash your driveway and add some seasonal plants to pots and garden beds.

Get a CMA and Price Your Home 

A CMA is a comparative market analysis that will tell you what similar homes have sold or are currently on the market for in your area. Your real estate agent should provide you with a CMA as part of their listing presentation which he or she typically presents during the interview process. The CMA will also include the price or price range that your agent suggests listing your home for. 

When pricing your home, make sure to ask your agent about a pricing strategy. For example, your agent might recommend to price slightly lower in an effort to get a bidding war and raise the price of the final offer. Ultimately, you need to be comfortable discussing the sale price and what is in the realm of what you will accept for the home.

Stage Your Home

Selling your home is a great excuse to clean out those closets and get rid of extra clutter. Potential buyers need to be able to see themselves in the home, which is hard to do when someone else’s personal belongings are scattered throughout. Remove photos, family valuables and other personal items to not only set the stage but to protect your belongings during open houses. 

After staging the home, freshen up everything you can – fresh towels, clean carpets, sparkling countertops. To add a special touch, order fresh flowers or cookies before an open house to make your home as welcoming as possible.

Market Your Home

Gaining the most exposure for your home is a top priority. Your real estate agent should be strategically placing your listing to help attract qualified and serious buyers. In today’s society, the internet is the number one place buyers are shopping around so make sure your agent has an extensive online marketing strategy. The agent should know how to market the home, and the community as well. Advertise schools, great restaurants, local parks and other amenities close to home and present your neighborhood as the full package.

Negotiate the Sale

Once you receive an offer, you may accept, reject or counter it. If you decide the counter the offer, be prepared to begin the negotiation process. Your real estate agent should be the main resource in guiding you through this process but depending on common practice in your area, you may also want to hire a real estate lawyer. As a seller, this process can be stressful but ask questions, be patient and rely on the professionals. 

Seal the Deal and Hand Over the Keys

Completing the home sale includes several stages. Depending on the area you are selling in, these settlements are generally handled by the closing agent, but that could differ. Be prepared to sign a lot of documents and bring various forms of personal identification. Depending on the state you live in, you may sign during the same appointment as your buyer, or you may do it separately. 

The keys are handed over to the buyer once you have moved out of the home, in accordance with your contract with the buyer. Sometimes the keys are handed over immediately and other times it could be later. 

We hope this guide assists as you navigate what is likely to be one of the biggest financial transactions of your life. Don’t worry, you will get through it all. The trick is to start planning early and take it one step at a time!

By following this guide, your home selling process should run smoothly. Are you ready to sell you home? Contact us today at (800) 252-3366 or visit www.realtyexecutives.com to view agents in your area.

Click to download Home Seller’s Guide or Home Buyer’s guide.

Article Source: Realty Executives International

Realty Executives Midwest
1310 Plainfield Rd. Ste 2 | Darien, IL 60561
Office: 630-969-8880
E-Mail: experts@realtyexecutives.com