The Science of Selling
When selling a home, the end goal is to get the best price and most favorable terms in the shortest amount of time. Windermere agents are experts at this process, using their mastery of marketing, pricing, and negotiation to achieve the best outcome for you. Here’s an overview of the steps to selling a home.
Prep Work
First impressions are key when selling, so it’s
important to put in the time to make sure
your home is in top condition. Fresh paint,
clean closets, flowers; there’s a lot you can do
to make even the humblest of homes look
like a million bucks.
Price
Pricing a home is hands-down the most important aspect in getting the highest return in the least amount of time. Many considerations go into setting the price, including the condition and location of your home, recent nearby sales, and similar homes that are currently for sale. These will all factor into the Competitive Market Analysis (CMA) that I will provide to determine the optimal sales price for your home.
Marketing
I will put a plan together to market your home to the most likely potential buyers using a variety of tools, such as digital marketing, advertising, direct mail, and open houses.
Showings
While they can be inconvenient, home showings are a necessary part of selling. When your home is on the market it has the potential to be shown at any time, so it's important to maintain a certain level of cleanliness. During home showings, we recommend stepping out to give potential buyers privacy while viewing your home.
Offers
When a buyer is interested in purchasing your home, their real estate agent will draw up an offer, which I will present to you. In addition to any legal requirements, the offer specifies things such as the price, earnest money, closing terms, contingencies, and other conditions of the purchase.
Negotiaton
One of my most important responsibilities is to be an advocate for my clients. This includes negotiating on their behalf on things such as the price, repair costs, timelines, and contingencies in order to get the best terms possible.
Purchase and Sale Agreement
This is the legal contract a buyer and seller enter into once the buyer’s offer has been accepted by the seller. It outlines the terms and conditions of the sale and is signed by both parties.
Inspection
Once the Purchase and Sale Agreement is signed by the buyer and seller, a home inspector is hired to examine the home’s health, safety, and major mechanical systems. If any issues arise from an inspection, the buyer may be able to renegotiate their offer.
Escrow
Once the offer is accepted and a closing date agreed upon, escrow allows the buyer and the seller to have an outside party ensure all parts of the contract are complete.
Closing
At closing, all the paperwork is signed by the buyer and seller, both parties pay any settlement fees, and the documents are officially recorded. Prior to closing, you'll receive a settlement statement outlining any fees which may apply to you.
