Selling your home

A seller's market occurs when the number of potential buyers exceeds the supply of available homes on the market. With a smaller inventory of homes and more buyers, homes sell quickly, and the price usually increases. For you, as a seller, this means that you may obtain a higher selling price for your property.
A stable market is a good time to sell as well, as there is enough supply, and buyers are looking for homes. The buyers just have more houses to view and choose from.

Think of the reasons of why you are selling your home. Why are you selling your home, and what do you expect to accomplish with the sale? Are you selling because of your growing family and a need for more space; a job opportunity in another town/city, or are you downsizing due to kids moving out? What would be more important to you: selling your house within a certain time frame or making a particular profit margin?

Before we list your home, we need to determine the true value of your property. The Comparative Market Analysis is very helpful for this purpose. It is based on Comparable homes that are currently for sale that were recently sold, and that failed to sell. Basically, the market determines the value of your home or what today's buyers are willing to pay for a home. I will prepare this Comparative Market Analysis for you, analyzing homes similar to yours. The aim of this market analysis is to achieve the maximum selling price for your home, while being able to sell your home within a relatively short period of time.

Pricing your property right is key. When property is priced at the market value, it can attract 60% of prospective buyers; if the property is priced +15% higher, then only about 10% of prospective buyers are attracted. In other words, the more your property is overpriced, the less potential buyers will look at it, greatly reducing your chances of a sale.



Some sellers believe that if they price their property high to start with, they can lower it later. When a home is priced too high, it experiences little to no activity and stays on the market for a long time. Later, when the sellers are ready to lower the price a bit, buyers will be wary and reject the property. Sometimes, the price the property gets sold for is lower than the market value because of initial overpricing and a long time on the market.


How does the right pricing benefit you?

1. Property sells faster as it is exposed to more qualified buyers
2. A well-priced property can generate higher offers as well as competing offers
3. It won't lose its marketability

The first step in marketing your property is signing a Listing Agreement. We will meet at a convenient time for you to go over a Listing Agreement, Marketing Plan and preparation of your home for showings to potential buyers.
What do you need to prepare for your appointment?

• Utility bills/costs
• Deed or Title search
• Think of any recent renovations or/and upgrades you've done to your property
• Property Tax Receipt
• Plan of Survey or Building Location Certificate
• Spare set of keys
• Pet(s) safety instructions
• Alarm Codes

During our listing appointment we will also discuss the following:
Date and time for a professional photographer to come and take pictures of your property, and how best to prepare your home for these photos
How to prepare to show your property to potential buyers
What to fix/update in your house (small interior and exterior repairs or clean ups)

By this time, great quality pictures of your home can be seen on the agency website, Facebook, Instagram, HelloGoodbuy, etc. and the first request for a showing just came in. You only get one opportunity to make a good impression, so you want to make it count. To make a good first impression on a buyer, a clean driveway, a freshly mowed lawn or a trimmed hedge will work wonders. Once inside, make sure that the front hallway, the kitchen and bathrooms are clean. Remember that "less is more" when getting ready for a showing. Remove all clutters and anything that is not needed for daily housekeeping. Ask your family members to help keep the property ready for viewers.

All the work, marketing and correct pricing have done their job and the first offer is here, or potentially multiple offers. Quite often, the price offered is different from the asking price. That is when negotiation comes into play. As your Realtor, my goal is to get the best sale price possible for your property. I will guide you through the offer, its conditions and terms.
A few things that may need negotiation:

• Price
• Financing and its terms
• Repairs
• Appliances and fixtures
• Landscaping
• Painting
• Move-in date

Once an offer is accepted, there are a few things that you need to know. If the offer has a financing condition, there is always a slim chance that the financing condition will not be satisfied, and your home can end up back on the market. Only after all the conditions are met can we consider the property as being sold, and place a "SOLD" sign on your property.
The "Closing Date" itself refers to the date where ownership of the property is legally transferred to the buyer. I will be present during the closing to guide you through the process and make sure that everything goes as planned. On the possession date we will gather information from your meter reading.