When looking to sell your home I have 10 critical steps that you should be taking:
1. Interview and find the right agent- When looking for an agent it is important to review their past listing and what they will do marketing your home. Several times I see MLS photos taken with an Iphone along with no creative marketing plan. When interviewing the agent, see what they are going to do to market your home and make it stand out.
2. Pricing- Asking an agent for a CMA (Comparable Market Analysis) should be a complimentary service they offer. Oftentimes they will advertise a “Free market analysis”…. this is just a CMA report that is easy for us to get with the tools agents use. It reviews the listed, pending, and sold homes so it can give you and the agent a better idea of the listing price of your home.
3. Staging- Prepare your home by cleaning and removing any type of personal items such as family photos before the house is listed on the market.
4. Photographs- As stated in number 1, photographs are a big thing. Photos put on MLS and social media are the first things a potential client sees when looking at your home so it is important to use a professional photographer.
5. MLS- Your home will go live on the Metro Listing Service referred to as the MLS. This is what is viewable to agents to send to buyers giving them all the information pertaining to your home.
6. Marketing- A strategic marketing plan with maximum exposure is necessary to make sure the right client is seeing your home.
7. Offer- A goal is always a strong offer. Make sure when you hired your agent, you felt they were strong in communication as well as negotiation. When the offers are submitted from potential buyers, this is where those skills help maximize your profits.
8. Under Contract- You have accepted an offer, and now you are in contract and can have your listing updated to pending or sold on the MLS.
9. Back to Negotiations- Oftentimes during inspections it is very normal to go back into a negotiations on the home based on findings during inspeciations or appraisals. These can be a little stressful, but happen in the majority of escrows.
10. Closing!!! Time to hand over your keys and celebrate your home is sold… and maybe possibly working with that listing agent of yours to find you a new home.