You have decided to sell your property. Before anything else, it is a good idea to sit down and clarify your motivations and draw up a basic time frame for the selling process.
Why Sell?
Why do you want to sell your property? Do you intend to simply find a larger property, or do you plan on moving to another neighborhood, school district, city or state? You might think your reasons are obvious, but it would do well to consider the implications of each option for your lifestyle, opportunities, and finances. Being clear about your intentions for selling will make it easier for us to determine the most appropriate option for your specified financial, lifestyle, and real estate goals.
When Should I Sell?
You should immediately establish your time frame for selling. If you need to sell quickly, we can speed up the process by giving you a complete market analysis and action plan to obtain all of your goals and assist in reviewing the current market conditions.
How is the market?
When you work with us, you can be sure that you will have our knowledge, expertise and marketing skills at work for you to arrive at the best 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. With us, you will know exactly how to price and when to sell your property.
We continuously evaluate the market, competing properties and additional market factors to keep you informed. We provide you with feedback to position your home to achieve the best results.
When you receive an offer or offers, 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 agent, we will guarantee a thorough and objective assessment of each offer to help you make the right choice.
Click here to request a meeting and a complimentary property Market Analysis
We will ensure that you maximize your opportunities in the current real estate market. With our extensive market knowledge, years of experience, and our networks, we will employ the most effective marketing and negotiation strategies for your property. We will also guide you through the complicated paperwork involved, from the initial agreement to the final documents.
What you can expect from our agents
- Experience, Expertise and Education.You want a full-time agent who is familiar with your area and with the type of property you intend to sell. We employ a diverse range of marketing and advertising strategies, have tech-savvy agents and years of experience. Our agents stay current with on-going educational opportunities to further their knowledge. We continuously evaluate the market, competing properties and additional market factors to keep you informed. When you receive an offer or offers, 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 agent, we will guarantee a thorough and objective assessment of each offer to help you make the right choice.
- Availability and Commitment.We are there for you – mornings, nights, weekends – and respond with a sense of urgency during the course of selling your property.
- Rapport.We take the time to listen to your goals, clarify your needs, understand your unique situation and are genuinely concerned about the outcome of the process. Our goal is to be your guide and partner in this crucial decision. We operate authentically and work to create a strong relationship of trust.
How can you get the best price for your property?
How can you ensure top dollar for your property and attract the most potential buyers? The following are a couple of factors to keep in mind and items you can address when listing your property for sale:
- Curb Appeal
Keeping your landscape pristine, and adding creative touches to your yard, such as colorful annuals, will create an immediate impact on passers-by and potential buyers.
- 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. Make sure all light fixtures are functioning and all bulbs working. Fix any hinges or knobs.
- Cleanliness and Staging
Keep your property uncluttered, sweet-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, make sure beds are made, trash empty, tables clear.
- 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, as well as suggest home improvement measures before placing your property on the market.
- Showtime
Presenting your property to potential buyers is a job that we will take care of for you. Buyers feel more comfortable discussing the property with the agent, if you are not there. Moreover, your agent will know what information will be most useful in representing your interests when speaking with prospective buyers.
Along the way
We continuously evaluate the market, competing properties and additional market factors to keep you informed. When you receive an offer or offers, 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 agent, we will guarantee a thorough and objective assessment of each offer to help you make the right choice.
-The Initial Agreement and Deposit – we will ensure all steps and conditions are met
-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 1) your title is free and clear of encumbrances (eg. mortgages, leases, or restrictions, liens) by the date of closing; and 2) all new encumbrances are duly included in the title.
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:
- Obtaining financing and insurance;
- Reviewing all pertinent documents, such as preliminary title reports and disclosure documents; and
- Inspecting the property. The buyer has the right to determine the condition of your property by subjecting it to a wide range of inspections, such as roof, termite/pest, chimney/fireplace, property boundary survey, well, septic, pool/spa, arborist, mold, lead based paint, HVAC, etc.
Depending on the outcome of these inspections, one of two things may happen:
- Either each milestone is successfully closed and the contingencies will be removed, bringing you one step closer to the closing; or
- The buyer, after reviewing the property and the papers, requests a renegotiation of the terms of contract (usually the price).
We are there to assist you in how to respond objectively and fairly if the buyer is requesting a renegotiation while acting in your best interests. 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 have come this far, this means that it is almost time for a congratulations, but not yet. Do not forget to tie up these loose ends including:
- 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.
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.