Selling a Home
As a homeowner, the FIRST STEP is
to hire a strong real estate agent (Link to our link
of agents) to sell your property. You'll fare best
with sound marketing exposure and a strong
negotiator.
The most reliable way to hire a
real estate professional is to investigate more than
one specialist. Here are tips to help guide you.
(Link to Choosing an agent).
Before we put your property on the market, the
Realtor will tour your home and help you see it
through a buyer’s eyes. They can recommend simple
repairs and improvements for your home’s interior
and curb appeal that will increase the marketability
of your home. Your RE/MAX Douglass Realtor can also
provide you with creative tips on using lighting and
pleasant aromas to create a warm and inviting
atmosphere that will appeal to the home buyer’s
senses.
You also may want to consider a professional
pre-sale inspection. Your RE/MAX Douglass Realtor
can recommend inspectors with proven track records.
Taking this added step to identify potential problem
areas before you sell – and attending to them or
disclosing them to the buyer up-front – will improve
the speed, price and likelihood of a sale.
Establishing The Asking Price
Property pricing your home is the most crucial
element in making a successful sale. Under-price
it, and you lose on your investment. Over-price it,
and you may discourage potentially qualified
buyers. And because most homes lose market value if
they linger on the market, there’s no time for trial
and error.
The
greatest amount of buyer activity occurs during the
first three to four weeks. Then it begins to
taper. If you start too high and reduce your price
later, you’ve lost your best opportunities and now
must settle for a smaller pool of potential buyers.
A
RE/MAX Douglass Realtor will help you establish a
fair asking price based on general market data and
recent sales in the area of homes similar to yours.
From there, they’ll take into consideration other
factors that may affect the value of your home, such
as the location and condition of your property.
Then, they’ll continue to advise you on competitive
adjustments until your home is sold.
Estimating Net Proceeds
Based
upon the asking price, your RE/MAX Professional will
prepare a "net sheet" for you. This worksheet
itemizes costs associated with selling your property
and subtracts them from the sale price, thus
estimating the net cash you will receive from the
sale.
Marketing Your Property -The Listing Agreement
When
you have set your price and are ready to sell, your
RE/MAX Real Estate Professional will help you
complete a Listing Agreement. This agreement
authorizes the listing broker to market your
property under certain conditions, including but not
limited to terms, price, commission and time period
of the listing. When signed by both parties, this
Listing Agreement becomes a contract between you and
the broker.
The
Marketing Process
It takes more than a “For Sale” sign in your yard to
generate serious buyers, especially since 40 percent
of home buyers relocate from out of town.
Your RE/MAX Professional will now start the wheels
in motion to show your home to as many real estate
agents and prospective buyers as possible. They will
submit the listing to the Keweenaw Multiple Listing
Service (MLS). It is the single most important
place to promote the sale of your property.
Information about your property will be entered into
the MLS computer data bank for immediate access by
all agents in the Keweenaw MLS. Of course, your
RE/MAX Douglass Realtor will place the highly
visible and most-recognized RE/MAX balloon yard sign
on your property. The property will be advertised
in local newspapers and publications on a regular
basis.
Your property will also be displayed on our website,
KeweenawRealEstate.com. The internet plays an
ever-increasing role in the marketing of real
estate. Traffic at KeweenawRealEstate.com has
increased dramatically over the past year, 27% more
visits and doubled the daily hits. We advertise our
site and link from many other popular sites so your
property can be found with the least amount of
clicks.
Your RE/MAX Professional will develop a marketing
campaign designed exclusively to give your property
high profile and get maximum value.
Showing Your Home To Buyers
Keep
it neat! A clean, neat home allows buyers to see the
"home" itself when previewing your property. Clutter
tends to divert attention away from the most
saleable features of your home. Dirty dishes and
messy rooms leave buyers with a negative impression
of your property.
Be
sure that all pets are securely closed within their
cages or pet yards since some buyers have an
aversion to animals.
Whether
or not you are there when your home is previewed,
the sales agent will leave a business card so that
your RE/MAX Professional will be able to make an
inquiry about the showing.
Download our brochure "How
to Help Buyers Fall in Love With Your Home",
presented in PDF Format
When Buyers Come
Avoid
participating in the conversation between the agent
and the buyer. When real estate professionals arrive
with buyers, graciously greet then and excuse
yourself. If asked a specific question about your
home, answer as briefly as possible and let the
agent continue the conversation. Buyers appreciate
the comfort of being able to compliment features or
verbalize objections without being overheard by the
owner.
And
when an open house is scheduled, arrange to be away
during that time.
The Offer
Presentation
When
a buyer signs an offer to purchase your home, either
your RE/MAX Douglass Realtor will present the offer
to you in person or via phone, depending upon custom
and your availability.
Qualifications
The
written offer to purchase should include detailed
information about the buyer's offer. Together with
your RE/MAX Douglass Real Estate Realtor, you will
review the price, the amount of earnest money
deposit, the proposed closing and occupancy date,
any contingencies, and the buyer's ability to
qualify for a loan.
Acceptance
If
possible, your decision should be made following the
presentation. You have three options in responding
to the offer:
When
you and the buyer have agreed to all terms and
conditions of the offer, you have both signed the
document, and the buyer has been notified of your
acceptance, the document becomes a valid sales
contract.
Closing The Contract
At
the closing or settlement, you and the buyer will
each have completed the conditions and met the terms
pursuant to your contractual agreement and title to
the property will be conveyed to the buyer.
Your
RE/MAX Douglass Real Estate Professional will help
you through the myriad steps of closing, including
handling of the many details.
Following
the closing, you will receive a final settlement
statement for your records that clearly illustrate
all fees paid by you to close the contract.
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