Steps for Selling Your Home with a Realtor
Selling your home or luxury estate is a life-changing decision that should be handled as a business transaction, yet with care and understanding. The selling process should be as easy as possible and enjoyable for YOU, from the minute you call a Realtor until you sign the closing papers.
As a homeowner, there are steps you can take to simplify preparing your home for sale and mitigate the stress involved, starting with choosing the right real estate agent and avoiding common pitfalls.
Step 1: Hire the Right Real Estate Agent
As Realtors, our Sarah Bernard Realty Team feels it’s important to listen first, learn your objectives, and get to know you before we do anything else. When you are interviewing agents to sell your property, you want to connect personally and feel he or she is listening; that you have a trusted partner who has your best interests at heart. You also want to look for:
- Whether the agent is full-time or part-time.
- The brokerage the real estate agent belongs to – is it a top-producing agency?
- Does the real estate agent have a reliable full-time team you can count on?
- Territory expertise – does he or she know the specifics of YOUR area and pricing range?
- Professional certifications and specialties within real estate and other relevant areas.
- Marketing knowledge and education beyond simply the MLS system and basic social media.
- Appropriate response time with phone calls, texts, emails.
- Honest testimonials and reviews that back up their claims.
Step 2: Price Your Home Correctly
This is the #1 mistake sellers make. Most sellers have an idea of what their home is worth and want to stick to that price, even if the Realtor has done their research and suggested a lower price that aligns with the market, the area, and seller’s comparables, or “comps.”
We know you are the expert when it comes to the condition of your home. You know its high points, what’s been done to it, and what you love about it. Most likely, the same features you love about it, others will too. A great real estate agent will take your knowledge, combine it with his or her marketing expertise and research, and determine what your home should be worth. It’s imperative to price a home correctly from the very beginning – as soon as your house goes on the market, buyer interest will be at its highest. You don’t want to miss an opportunity for a fast sale.
Step 3: Avoid Seller Pitfalls
Besides insisting on listing your home at the price you feel you should get, other pitfalls to avoid include:
- Choosing the wrong Realtor or choosing a Realtor for the wrong reasons.
- Showing a cluttered, messy, or odorous home.
- Failing to take the first offer seriously.
- Using a “hard sell” during showings (best to be out of the house during showings).
- Over-improving the home prior to sale or decorating/painting with non-neutral colors/designs.
- Not knowing your rights and obligations.
- Limiting the marketing and exposure of the property.
- Not allowing price adjustments as recommended by your real estate team.
Step 4: Help Sell Your Home Fast
Before you even interview agents, you can start getting your home ready for photographs and showings. Organize room-by-room and clear off as many surfaces as possible – less is more. You want it to look spacious and clean. It’s hard to put stuff away, but you’ll be packing soon anyway, so think of it as a jump-start on your move.
- Put away all personal photos and clutter.
- Clear off kitchen and bathroom counters and pack up knick-knacks.
- Clean, clean, clean! Grout, corners, baseboards, lighting fixtures, cobwebs, doors and handles, trim, mantles, windowsills – you get the idea!
- Organize closets, the pantry, shelving units.
- Clear the basement and garage. Space here is a premium as well.
- Put children’s and pets’ toys away neatly; make sure they’re not a trip hazard.
- Eliminate pet odors.
- Arrange for your pet to be out of the house for showings if possible.
Repairs: You will want to make any small, obvious inside and outside repairs (your agent can help you determine what needs doing), add curb appeal by planting flowers, sweeping walkways, removing barriers to entry.
Pre-listing inspection: Though optional, you may want to get an appraisal and/or a pre-listing inspection of your home to make sure it is priced right and repair-free when you go to market.
Paperwork organized: Have all your homeowner’s paperwork, warranties, appliance receipts, and any updates that have improved your home ready to share with a prospective buyer.
Accommodate showing requests quickly: Once you go to market, you will receive showing notices for your home by text and email; please let your Realtor know if you cannot accommodate the requested times as soon as possible after receiving notices.
Out of town notice: If you will be out of town or if any of your plans affect our ability to show your home, let your agent know as soon as possible.
Step 5: Be Sure You’ve Hired the Right Realtor
Defining your home’s value when you’re ready to sell is just one piece of the puzzle. Our top-selling Sarah Bernard Realty Team has vast experience in the greater St. Louis real estate market, from the Arch to Lake St. Louis and Innsbrook, and everywhere in between. We simplify the steps to selling your home so you can carry on with your life and look forward to your move. When you hire us, you will know you’ve hired the right real estate team!
“Sarah worked very hard to get my house sold and get me a good price in a timely manner. She used the latest technology to advertise and assertively contacted other agents to get my home in front of them. She followed up on EVERYTHING, especially after a showing. She addressed issues that came up in the feedback and worked with me to make needed changes to make the home more appealing to buyers. Sarah is conscientious, a trait that is hard to find in a real estate agent.” – DIANNE, Seller
We Help with the Steps to Sell Your Home and You Become Our VIP
We help sell your home while you enjoy VIP perks. With the objective of a quick and efficient sale at the highest selling price, we start by listening to you and getting to know you and your goals. Then we move forward with a marketing plan and thorough strategy that includes research, pricing, staging, industry data, and a top-notch online presence.
We walk you through every step along the way and have a steadfast commitment to excellence, client care, and respect for your time. During your real estate experience, we become a trusted partner and friend and you become our VIP! Contact us for a no-obligation complimentary seller’s consultation anytime – we’re here to help. 314-780-9070