First Things First
Think about this:
- Why are you selling?
- What are your goals (move-up, move-down, move-away, liquidate or build assets?)
- What is your timeframe?
- What needs to happen before you sell?
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.​​​​​​​
Let’s tour your home. Show me what you love. Show me what you don’t. I will take notes and photos that will help me complete a market analysis and marketing plan. We’ll ask each other questions. On the second meeting, we’ll review the data and develop a pricing and marketing strategy designed to obtain top dollar return.
Sign the listing agreement. Every good thing requires a commitment. There is a ton of paperwork in every real estate transaction, but don’t be frightened, I’m trained to help navigate.
Make it shine. I can help you tackle the things we’ve agreed should be accomplished before the “unveiling” by recommending service providers, coordinating with contractors, cleaners, stagers, etc. We’ll have the de-clutter and de-personalize conversation. If anything is broken, fix it!
Do it. Sure, it’s not always possible to sell your home “vacant and staged”, but if at all possible, you will be happier and your chances of getting a higher price is almost guaranteed. We want the home to be as accessible as possible, especially at the outset, to allow for the most unrestricted showings of your home. Properly staged homes create the emotional impact that is so important for first and lasting impressions. They also help buyers see themselves in the property without personal distractions. Staged homes spend half as much time on the market and sell, on average for more than 6% above asking. So there’s that.
Once the home is ready, I will coordinate any staging installation, professional photography + print + web and digital marketing. I’ll provide a calendar outlining events leading up to the listing, through the launch and beyond. The goal here is to be dialed in to attract the most potential, qualified buyers to your home, spreading the word far and wide right out of the gate
Your property is listed on the Northwest Multiple Listing Service reaching every broker not only locally, but those both nationally and internationally.
Your listing will be promoted on hundreds of real estate and media sites. Through our network, your listing will reach buyers in 47 countries on over 500 sites.
I will distribute targeted emails to my extensive sphere of prospects and other Real Estate Brokers to get the word out about the home and Open House schedules.
Broker’s Open House will be scheduled on the appropriate tour date for your neighborhood, with Public Open houses scheduled on weekends.
As showings occur, I will monitor the activity, follow-up with the Brokers for feedback and report back to you on our progress.
Marketing continues full speed ahead until we attract the right buyer for your home.
A key part of my service to you is to ensure not only that we attract buyers to your home, but that we attract the right buyer. This is the buyer who can actually close the deal and meet the terms of the contract. All cash, close in 10 days? Perfect! But rare. We need to make sure that all terms are correctly and clearly stated in the buyer’s offer and that all parties are in mutual agreement on terms. If they are financing their purchase, we need to connect with their lender to gain assurances that they are fully qualified and have been pre-approved for their financing.
This can be the most important piece of a real estate transaction. In recent years, lending criteria has become much more scrutinized and, in the wrong hands, can become mired in confusion and misinformation causing delays that can easily stall or break a deal. It is critical we have as much information as possible and maintain close communication with the buyer’s lender throughout the transaction to keep everything on track. I do everything in my control to bird-dog the stakeholders to keep it moving forward until the money is in your bank.
The luckiest sellers may receive multiple offers. When this happens, it is even more important to scrutinize each offer to select the best one with the highest probability of closing. I will walk through the details and explain the intricacies of each offer so that you can make an informed decision.
Most transactions involve multiple players including lenders, title and escrow officers, inspectors, the buyer’s broker and more. I take my role seriously as cruise director to ensure each transaction goes smoothly from start to finish. Not to say, there won’t be a few bumps along the way. If it happens, I will keep you informed and advise you on the best way to move forward.
Once in contract, my team and I will monitor all dates and deadlines and keep you informed until the sale is finalized.
I’ve represented buyers and sellers in each of Seattle’s neighborhoods, and my extensive experience in this market, working with people from a diverse range of backgrounds and needs, has enabled me to develop efficient systems and resources to help my clients succeed in this highly competitive market.
