Find an agent who has experience with listing and marketing homes
Contact an agent to set up an appointment to meet for an interview and if possible have it be at the home to be sold. Once the appointment is set, the agent will possibly do a drive by inspection along with preparing a preliminary market analysis to help determine the value.
Meeting and interview at the home
This will be the time to get acquainted. I usually start with a walk through of the entire home and property. Then we sit down and go over the market analysis. That is a good time for questions. Motivation, timing, state of the market, marketing strategy, preparations for showings, any repairs, fees, conditions of the listing contract, etc. Next the pricing is usually discussed.
Listing the home for sale
You have chosen your agent. A meeting to go over necessary paperwork is the beginning point. There is a listing contract, mandatory disclosures that the agent provides. Once the paperwork is signed the home is technically listed. The paperwork provided by your agent complies with all current laws.
Photos are taken as soon as possible or an agreed upon time. Instructions for prospective showings is determined. Agent enters the necessary information and photos to FLEX/MLS system. From there it will feed into many media and websites.
Showing the home
All showings should have an agent present. If not contact your agent. Otherwise your agent will set up showing appointments as directed per the listing agreement. Whenever possible leave the lights on for upcoming showings. Open houses can be an effective way to get prospective buyers in the property. Typically these are held on Sunday afternoon at various times.
When an offer to purchase comes in
Your agent will contact you as soon as possible. A sit down meeting is best to go over the offer as there are many details to discuss and it is a big decision. Most of the time the offer will need to be answered within a short time frame. Your agent will go over the offer and explain your options. Having a knowledgeable agent at this point in helpful as marketing conditions change often. You answer the offer by accepting it, countering the offer, or rejecting it.
You have a fully signed offer on your home
The day the offer is fully signed is the beginning point for any necessary inspections to be done. Usually the buyers have 10 days to perform any inspections and be able to request any repairs or changes to the sales agreement. If the home has a well or septic, your agent will order that inspection, this is a seller expense and is usually $200-500. Buyer formally applies for their loan. Usually the agents keep track of the processes necessary to keep things moving towards closing.
All of the conditions of the sales agreement are met, and buyers financing is cleared to close
At this point you are a week or so from a closing. This will happen at a Title Insurance Company. All final papers will be signed there. It is usually a one-hour appointment. Any details are discussed at the closing table, such as utility transfers, key exchange, and any other items.
Congratulations! It’s moving time!
