To determine your home’s value and set a listing price, I will complete a Comparative Market Analysis. The CMA uses recent sales of homes close in geography, age, size, and features to yours. (A CMA is not the same as an appraisal, which a licensed appraiser can perform.)

Many sellers like the idea of “starting high” to see if they get higher offers, but this strategy isn’t usually practical. First, buyers may not see your listing if they use a price filter set to what they expect prices in the area to run. Second, you run the risk of the appraisal coming in lower than your contract price, which will require your contract to be renegotiated or canceled. Third, if your listing price puts your home higher than your neighborhood value, your home will likely sit on the market longer as buyers wait for you to make a reduction. It’s best to set a realistic listing price that will bring you buyers quickly. My goal is always to get you the highest possible price in the shortest amount of time.

The list-to-sell ratio is determined by dividing the selling price by the listing price. The ratio is largely market-driven. In a sellers’ market, which is when inventory is low, sellers may get close to 100% or over 100% if the home sells above list price. In a market with a large inventory of homes, a buyers’ market, buyers have more negotiating power, so the list-to-sell ratio may be closer to 90%. My goal is to get you as close to a 100% list-to-sell ratio as the market will bear.

Once we agree to work together, I will begin entering your home information on the MLS system. I will also schedule a time for a professional photographer to take photos of the property. As soon as all the information and pictures are uploaded items, your listing can go live on MLS.

This could all be done within a day or 2!

For your part, it’s a good idea to begin cleaning out or organizing storage spaces, closets, and drawers and putting away some of your décor or belongings. You may also want to have the exterior pressure washed, and the landscaping cleaned up. We can talk further about specific things that will help your home show better.

I have an entire guide on what to do before you list so there are no questions on whether you should or shouldn’t do something! I give this to my clients once we have agreed to work together.

You and I will agree on the terms you are comfortable with for showings. We want to make the home accessible to buyers without too much disruption to your personal life. We can use a showing schedule, and unless we agree otherwise, I will notify you in advance of showing requests. We use a customized showing request system that allows real estate agents who have interested clients to request showings and you will receive emails and texts with the requested showing. We will discuss in detail how the system works before the house hits the market!

This is my speciality! Marketing your listing is of utmost importance. Most buyers find their properties online through MLS (via their agent,) Realtor, Zillow, or other search engines. Listings in our MLS system automatically show up on these sites within a day or two of becoming active. In addition, I share my listings with the agents in my network, on my website, and on my social media. We can discuss additional opportunities such as hosting open houses and marketing within your neighborhood.

I love marketing homes for sale and the biggest difference with me as your Realtor is that I do it CORRECTLY and EFFECTIVELY! No crappy cell phone photos will be taken, my marketing team provides you with the high quality photos and top notch marketing.

Several factors influence the time it takes to find a buyer. These include the market conditions, price range (higher-priced or luxury homes typically take longer to sell,) location (whether your home is in a desirable neighborhood or a unique location,) and the condition of the home (is move-in ready or in need of renovations?) In a balanced market, most houses, when priced accurately and without significant damage or extenuating circumstances, go under contract within thirty days. Homes sell faster in a seller’s market, while buyers take more time to look when inventory is high.

When an offer is received, I will work with the buyer’s agent to vet the buyer. All offers should be accompanied by either a pre-approval from a mortgage lender or, if paying cash, by verification of funds available to cover the purchase price. Once you accept an offer, the buyer must put down the agreed upon escrow deposit, schedule any inspections as stipulated in the contract, and, if financing is involved, their lender will initiate the loan approval process. I will stay in close contact with the buyer’s agent to make sure due process is followed.

The seller usually pays for the real estate agent fees, which are divided between the buyer’s agent and the seller’s agent. The seller will also incur closing costs such as transfer taxes, tax prorations, wiring fees, closing fees, etc. I always give my clients a seller net estimation so you will have a solid idea of what you’ll be walking away with.

You hired me to represent you as the seller and my fiduciary duty is to you- to get you the most amount of money possible and to ensure that you are fully represented to the best of my ability. If I also represent the buyer, I am no longer able to represent you to my full potential because I have to become more of a middle man. Many agents do this in order to “double dip” on commission.

I prefer to stay loyal to my seller and will refer the buyer to another agent who will give them full representation, as well.

The listing agreement is a contract between you and me and/or my brokerage. It stipulates the terms for cancellation, which you are encouraged to review. Once we have signed the listing agreement, a prospective buyer that approaches you directly should be redirected to me.

Communication is key to an easy and successful sale. I will keep you informed of events every step of the way. I will give you weekly updates of progress, as well.

You are welcome to reach out to me with questions or concerns. When we go over the listing information, we will discuss our preferred means of communication and schedules to make sure we know each other’s availability and boundaries.