Get Your

A STEP-BY-STEP FIRST TIME SELLER'S GUIDE

Navigate the home-selling process with ease using our Step-by-Step First Time Seller's Guide. From preparing your property to closing the deal, this comprehensive guide provides all the tips and insights you need to sell your home successfully and confidently.

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 agent once you choose one they can price your home accordingly.

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.

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 getting it ready to be shown to potential buyers. This includes getting rid of clutter, depersonalizing the space so that buyers can envision themselves in the space, making any small repairs, and doing a deep clean to make sure your home is in pristine condition.

STEP 4: Develop A Marketing Strategy

A seasoned real estate professional strategically designs a tailored marketing approach to showcase your property effectively and captivate potential buyers. This comprehensive strategy encompasses targeted social media campaigns, networking initiatives, and search engine optimization techniques to ensure maximum visibility and engagement. By leveraging their extensive industry connections and expertise, they curate compelling narratives and visually appealing content that resonate with prospective buyers, driving interest and facilitating meaningful connections. Through diligent execution and proactive outreach, they aim to create a buzz around your property, ultimately leading to a successful and expedited sale.

STEP 5: Evaluate Offers

Receiving an offer is an exciting part of the process, but it doesn’t mean the journey is over. Your agent will evaluate each offer and make sure the party making the offer is prequalified or pre-approved by a mortgage lender and that their offer is acceptable to you. If the offer is too low, you can make a counter-offer or offer other ways to bridge the gap, such as covering some or all of the closing costs, making repairs, adjusting the move-in date, or leaving some appliances or fixtures for the new buyer.

STEP 6: Accept An Offer

Once you deem the offer is acceptable, your agent will review the proposed contract to make sure it’s all in order and includes the necessary components such as deposit amount, down payment, financing, inspection rights and repair allowances, contingencies, settlement date, and a list of fees and who will pay them. When both parties have agreed to the term, a final contract will be prepared by your agent.

STEP 7: Get Ready To Close

You have accepted an offer and are now very close to the end of your selling journey. But first, you and the buyer must make a list of what needs to be done before closing. In some cases, your home may need to be formally inspected, surveyed, and appraised. In other cases, major or minor repairs will need to be made before the house can close. Your agent will head up efforts to develop and execute this list, get each action item paid for by the correct party, and make sure everything is in order by the closing date. A few days before the closing date, we will call the company closing the transaction to make sure everything is ready to go. If you haven’t done so already, you also need to make arrangements to move out of the home so the new buyer can take possession.

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. Your agent will meet with the company closing the transaction to sign the final paperwork and go over any issues that have not yet been taken care of. During this time, you can also make plans with your agent to handle final details such as canceling utilities, cable, and lawn or trash services, changing the name on accounts that the new owner is retaining and ensuring the new owner has instructions for all appliances that will remain in the home.

Let's Talk

Have questions or ready to get started? Let’s talk! Fill out the form below to connect with Trevor Zwick and take the first step toward achieving your real estate goals.