Seller's Guide

A Step-by-Step First Time Seller's Guide

Putting your home on the market can be a stressful process, especially when you don’t know what to expect. Fortunately, with the help of an experienced agent and this easy to follow guide, you can smoothly complete the process. Following these steps will help you prepare so you can get organized and sell your home for the best price possible.

Step 1: Understand Why You're Selling

What do you want to accomplish with the sale of your home? Do you want to make a certain amount of money that you can put toward a larger or nicer home? Do you need to sell it as soon as possible to facilitate a move to a new city or area? Once you understand your needs, you can better craft your offer. For example, if you need to sell quickly, you might want to price your home lower than if your goal is to make a certain profit margin. Make sure you convey these needs to your real estate agent once you choose one so he or she can adjust your selling price accordingly.

Step 2: Determine Selling Price

Knowing how to price your home is one of the most important parts of the selling process. When you set a fair price in the beginning, you’ll get the most interest from other real estate agents and prospective buyers. Overpricing your home could lead to reduced interest, and underpricing leads to receiving less than what your home is worth. Working with a real estate agent is the best way to determine the right selling price for your home. An agent with experience can determine what other comparable homes are selling for, evaluate the current market, and may even suggest a home appraisal.

Step 3: Start Preparations

If you’ve kept your home in showroom condition since you’ve lived in it, you’re in the minority of homeowners. Once you price your home, it’s time to start getting it ready to be shown to potential buyers. This includes getting rid of clutter, depersonalizing the space so that buyers can envision themselves in the space, making any small repairs, and doing a deep clean to make sure your home is in pristine condition.

Step 4: Develop a Marketing Strategy

An experienced real estate agent will design and implement a marketing strategy that is customized for advertising your home. This involves listing the home and then driving the right people to that listing through social media campaigns, agent-to-agent referrals, traditional media, or social media advertising. Keep in mind not all agents are able to execute a professional marketing plan.

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Step 5: Evaluate Offers

Receiving an offer is an exciting part of the process, but it doesn’t mean the journey is over. Your agent should present each offer to you immediately, keeping you informed each step of the way. If there are multiple offers your agent will help you evaluate which offer is the best for you to accept. And whether it is one offer or several an experienced agent will be able to make recommendations on how to respond. However accept, reject, or counter offer it will be up to you as the Seller. Your agent’s job is to work as your advocate to get the very best terms.

Step 6: Accept an Offer

Once you deem an offer acceptable, your agent should review the proposed contract to make sure it’s all in order and includes the necessary components such as deposit amount, down payment, financing, inspection rights and repair allowances, contingencies, closing date, etc. Before you sign your agent will make sure the offer is written correctly and meets your objectives.

Step 7: Get Ready to Close

You have accepted an offer, signed the purchase and sale, and are now very close to the end of your selling journey. Did you agree to any repairs? Obtain your smoke detector certificate in MA? Final water read? What else needs to be done per your offer and purchase and sale agreement? Cancel utilities and any home services no longer required. Don’t forget you have to pack up and move out!! The buyer will want to do a final walk-through the day before or the morning of the closing. In most cases, the property should be vacant and free of any personal property.

Step 8: Close

You’ve reached the last step in the seller’s process. When you close on a home you are selling, you are legally transferring ownership of the property to the new buyer. Your agent will be in communication with the buyer/buyers agent, lender, closing attorney, and seller’s attorney to go over any issues that have not yet been taken care of. Most likely you will sign your documents a few days before closing. In turn, your attorney will send all documentation to the closing attorney on your behalf. Once the buyer signs the deed will be recorded at the Registry of Deeds and the sale is finalized. You get any proceeds that are due and the buyer gets the keys. Congratulations!!!!

Choosing the Right Agent

If you are ready to sell real estate in the Greater Boston area I would love to be considered for the job. I will work for you every step of the way to deliver the best results. Call me when you are ready to make the move!!

Work With Stephen

I have been a full-time Boston Real Estate Sales Agent since 2001. I focus primarily on the South Boston, MA real estate market. However, I have closed sales throughout Greater Boston. I monitor values and market activity so that I may provide my clients with timely market information and expertise.

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