Ten Steps to Selling Your Home

Read on, and find out about the steps involved in selling your home and how a Realtor can help you with this process.

1) Goal Setting & Needs Analysis - The first step involves asking yourself "Why am I selling my home and what do I need to accomplish". Whether you are moving into a larger home, downsizing, or relocating, as a professional Realtor I can help you in defining your goals and needs, and help in setting a realistic time frame for the whole home selling process. I will also help you define and prioritize your home selling goals. This also includes how to best achieve your goals within the local real estate market.

2) Pricing Strategy - The next step is to determine the best possible selling price for your home. To be considered is the state of the local real estate market, the condition of your home, and sales pf comparable homes in your neighbourhood. This is where using a Realtor is imperative. I will help you determine the best price for your property by comparing recently sold houses in your neighbourhood, as well as what is currently listed.

3) Property Preparation - It's time to get your house into "showing and selling" condition. How your house looks will have an immense impact on how quickly it sells and whether or not you get full market value for it. I can save you time and money by providing an objective and expert opinion on what needs to be changed or improved. Because I am in the marketplace everyday, I know what the buyers are looking for. I will perform an analysis of the entire property and, taking into account the state of the market in which you are selling your house, point you to the changes that need to be made in order to sell it for the most amount of money and as quickly as possible.

4) Marketing Strategy - Once your house is ready, it's time to put it up for sale and market it. Establishing a marketing strategy is a must. There are many different ways to advertise your property. Yards "For Sale" sign, flyers, newspaper ads, agent opens, open houses, and direct marketing are just a few of the many options we have. The first 2-4 weeks should be the busiest. I will make sure your home is exposed to the most potential buyers possible. I will present to you the best marketing plan that will have the highest possibility of bringing not only the most buyers, but the most qualified buyers, to your doorstep.

5) Receiving an Offer - Once a buyer decides they would like to buy your house, an offer will be presented. The offer will be in the form of a Contract of Purchase and Sale. There are many aspects involved in an offer including, but not limited to price, financing, terms, possession date, inclusion and/or exclusion of repairs and fixtures or equipment. I will review the written document, with you, taking care to note what needs to be done by both parties to execute the transaction. I will present you with all written offers and if you receive several at one time, you are under no obligation to accept one over the other. When you receive an offer, you can accept it, refuse it, or make a counter-offer to the buyers, with the changes you want. An offer usually contains subject clauses that the buyer needs to remove by a specific date. A subject clause is a special condition that must be met before the sale can take place. For example, a buyer may want to have a certified home inspection done before they commit to the sale. Once the subjects are removed and you've signed the offer, it becomes legally binding.

6) Negotiating the Sale - Most offers to purchase your house will require some level of negotiating to come to a win-win agreement. As your agent I will represent you through this negotiation process, and make sure that your best interest are protected throughout the negotiations. I will review the written offer with you to make sure that you thoroughly understand what the buyers are offering and what they are asking in return.

7) Finalizing the Sale of Your Home - Once you have accepted an offer to sell your house, I will assist you in preparing for a successful closing. I will be directly involved and keep you informed as to the results of each action and what effect, if any, it will have on the sale of the property. I will also help you coordinate any actions you must take to keep the sale moving forward. There are some sales that go smoothly and some that require a lot of work to get to the closing table. Until you get into it, you won't know which one you have on your hands. Either way, I will prove to be a valuable resource to you.

8) Pre-close Preparation - There are many different aspects that need to be looked after in order to transfer the title of your home to the buyer and for you to receive the funds of the sale. My job is to coordinate all of the efforts to ensure a smooth completion. I will ensure that your attorney or notary has all of the necessary information to process the sale of your home. I will also make sure that all parties have done what they need to do so that the closing can proceed at the date and time planned.

9) Closing - This is where ownership is legally transferred to the buyer. Closing involves:

• Transfer of title - arranged by your lawyer and the buyer's lawyer
• Transfer of money - deposited to your lawyer's trust account
• Verification of the offer-to-purchase
• Pre-possession walk-through of your home

Again, I will guide you through this process and make sure everything flows together smoothly.

10) Post-Closing - Congratulations on the successful sale of your home. I will help in the coordination of the transfer of your home and with your move. You should make a list of all the items you will need to do to turn the property over to the new owners. You will need to do such things as make sure that all of the local services (i.e. electricity, gas, lawn care, cable, etc.) have been cancelled or, if the new owner is going to retain some of the services, the name for the account should be changed. The property and anything assigned to the buyer according to the contract should be prepared appropriately for the new owners.

Tricks & Tips for Successfully Selling Your Home

Find Out What Your Home is Worth... the market is constantly changing, get an up to date evaluation.

Can You Sell Your Home Yourself... the important questions you need to ask.

Ten Steps to Selling Your Home... find out the most important steps in planning the sale of your home.

Pricing Your House Right... determining your "asking price" is the most important step in preparing your house for sale.

How Does Assessed Value Relate to the Market Value of Your Home? ... find out the difference between the two.

What is the MLS... one of the most important tools used for selling your home.

Preparing Your Home for Sale... selling your home faster and for a potentially higher price.

Documents You Will See When Selling Your Home... understanding all of the paper work.

Closing Costs... don't forget about closing costs when you are selling your home.