Selling your home is a big one decision. There are a lot of factors involved besides all the potential paperwork! Whether this will be your first time on the selling side of the real estate process or you’ve done it several times before, we would love to assist you with the sale of your home and work to keep it as uncomplicated as possible. As professional and knowledgeable RE/MAX® agents, we can help you navigate the process and help answer any questions you may have.
Working with us could be the best thing you can do to make the selling process as quick and as easy as possible. We can offer cutting edge technology, comprehensive marketing strategies, and can effectively and efficiently guide you through the real estate process. We understand the nuances of the market and can work with you to determine a competitive and fair price for your home.
Online Listing for Your Home
Online listings feature information specific to each property and the surrounding area, as well as a property image. An invaluable marketing tool, the property image gives potential buyers an instant preview, which saves time and visually sparks interest.
Mobile Presence
Prospective buyers will be able to access the same great search technology available on our website while on the go! Our online presence increases the opportunity for your home to be shown to potential buyers anywhere and at any time.
Advanced Marketing
We have advanced marketing and digital strategies that can help drive more traffic to your listing. The RE/MAX network of agents is one of the largest in the country and can be a great resource for spreading the word about your property by word of mouth, online marketing, and other advertising opportunities.
So you have decided to sell your property. Before anything else, it is a good idea to shed a light on your motivations and draw up a basic time frame for the selling process.
Why do you want to sell your property? Do you want to find a larger property, or smaller property? Do you plan on moving to another neighborhood, school district, city or state?
You might think or feel that your reasons are obvious, but it would do well to consider the implications of each option for your lifestyle and include other opportunities, including the financial impact.
Being clear about your intentions – maybe even outlining them – will make it easier to determine the most appropriate option for your specified financial, lifestyle, and real estate goals.
Establish your time frame for selling. If you need to sell quickly, a complete market analysis and action plan can speed up the process by giving you a decisive plan to obtain all of your goals.
If there is no pressing need to sell immediately, a thorough review and the current market conditions can help define the most favorable time to sell.
When you work with us, you can be sure that you will have our knowledge, expertise and negotiating skills at work for you to arrive at the best market price and terms. We will keep you up-to-date on what is happening in the marketplace and the price, financing, terms and conditions of competing properties near your property. With us, you will know exactly how to price and when to sell your property.
Deciding to sell your property demands a serious consideration of your current financial situation and future possibilities.
We will ensure that you not only take control of your finances, but use them to their fullest potential.
You can do a lot to increase the appeal of your property and to create a lasting impact on potential buyers.
What To Do To Prepare:
The following are a couple of factors to keep in mind when listing your property for sale:
1. Curb Appeal. Keeping your landscape clean and manicured, and adding creative touches to your yard, such as colorful annuals, will create an immediate impact on passers-by and potential buyers.
2. Property Repairs. Simple upgrades such as window repairs, polishing the doorknobs, and a fresh coat of paint in the most frequently used rooms will instantly brighten up the property.
3. Cleanliness and Staging. Keep your property uncluttered, clean-smelling and well-lit from top-to-bottom. Pay attention to details: put away the kitty litter, place a vase of fresh flowers near the entryway, pop a batch of cinnamon rolls in the oven, have your carpets cleaned. Your agent will scan the property before it is listed for sale to see how you can improve the staging of your property.
4. Disclosures and Inspections. We are very familiar with the legal procedures involved in disclosures and are ready to help you develop a thorough disclosure statement beneficial to both you and the buyer, as well as suggest home improvement measures before placing your property on the market (such as termite and pest inspections).
5. Showtime. Presenting your property to potential buyers is a job that we will take care of for you. Usually, buyers feel more comfortable discussing the property with the agent.
Your agent will know what information will be most useful in representing your interests and the neighborhood area when speaking with potential buyers.
The Price Is Not Always Right.
“The higher the price, the better the offer.” Do not let yourself be fooled by this popular misconception. Price is not always the determining factor when accepting an offer for several important reasons:
You can trust our team to help you thoroughly evaluate every proposal without compromising your marketing position.
Negotiating The Right Way.
We take the ethical responsibility of fairly negotiating contractual terms very seriously. It is our job to find a win-win agreement that is beneficial to all parties involved. You may even have to deal with multiple offers before ratifying the one you judge to be the most suitable for you – and as your agents, we will guarantee a thorough and objective assessment of each offer to help you make the right choice.
The Initial Agreement and Deposit.
An effective agreement is a legal arrangement between a potential purchaser and the property’s seller. Laws vary from state to state, but in order to be a legally, binding agreement, the agreement may require consideration. This consideration (initial and additional deposit) is to be held in the closing agent’s escrow account pending the fulfillment of conditions or contingencies in the effective agreement.
Some important tips to keep in mind to streamline the process even further:
Inspections and Appraisals
Most buyers will have the property inspected by a licensed property inspector within the time frame that was agreed upon in the effective contract to purchase.
Some buyers will have several different inspectors inspect the property, if they wish to obtain professional opinions from inspectors who specialize in a specific area (eg. roof, HVAC, structure). If the agreement is conditional upon financing, then the property will be appraised by a licensed appraiser to determine the value for the lending institution via third party. This is done so that the lending institution can confirm their investment in your property is accurate.
A buyer of a commercial property may also have a complete environmental audit performed and/or soil test, if required by the lending institution.
The Closing Agent
Either a title company or an attorney will be selected as the closing agent, whose job is to examine and insure clear title to real estate. After researching the complete recorded history of your property, they will certify that
Contingencies.
A contingency is a condition that must be met before a contract becomes legally binding. For instance, a buyer will usually include a contingency stating that their contract is binding only when there is a satisfactory home inspection report from a qualified inspector.
Before completing his or her purchase of your property, the buyer goes over every aspect of the property, as provided for by purchase agreements and any applicable addendums. These include:
Depending on the outcome of these inspections, one of two things may happen:
1. Either each milestone is successfully closed and the contingencies will be removed, bringing you one step closer to the closing; or
2. The buyer, after reviewing the property and the papers, requests a renegotiation of the terms of contract (usually the price).
How do you respond objectively and fairly to the buyer when a renegotiation is demanded, while acting in your best interests?
This is when a professional listing agent can make a real difference in the outcome of the transaction. Having dealt with various property sales in the past, we guarantee our expertise and total commitment to every customer, no matter what their situation is.
Loan Approval and Appraisal.
We suggest that you accept buyers who have a lender’s pre-approval, approval letter, or written loan commitment, which is a better guarantee of loan approval than a pre-qualification or no documentation from a lending institute. Expect an appraiser from the lender’s company to review your property and verify that the sales price is appropriate.
Closing Day
If you at this point, it is almost time for a congratulations, but not yet. Do not forget to tie up these loose ends:
Final Walk-Through Inspection.
More of a formality than anything else, the final inspection takes place the day before, or the day of the closing. The buyer visits the property to verify that all is in working order, everything is the same as when the buyer last viewed the property, and that there are no extra items left behind.
Cancel Home Services and Utilities.
We will provide a list of useful numbers for the termination of home services and utilities after the closing occurs.
Be Prepared.
We are ready to assist you should an unforeseen glitch pop up, even at this last stage. If something at the property breaks down or the buyers’ loan does not pull through on time, there is no need to worry. We have encountered these problems before so we know how to handle them efficiently and in a stress-free manner.
Closing.
The closing agent will furnish all parties involved with a settlement statement, which summarizes and details the financial transactions enacted in the process. The buyer(s) will sign this statement and then you will sign as well as the closing agent, certifying its accuracy. If you are unable to attend the scheduled closing, then arrangements can be made depending on the circumstances and the notice that we receive. If you are receiving funds from the transaction, you can elect to either have the funds wired electronically to an account at your financial institution, or have a check issued to you at the closing. The seller should arrange to have all property keys and any other important information for the new purchaser at the closing, so that the purchaser may receive these items at this time.
Now…Congratulations!
There’s a lot involved with selling your home or property. Let us help you through all the rules, regulations and paperwork.
Ready to get started on the property selling process? Contact us today. And, check out the latest RE/MAX National Housing Report for a deep-dive on current market conditions in metro areas across the U.S.
Get a no-obligation property valuation report.