Selling Real Estate
Seller's Guide to the Real Estate Process
What to Expect - From Listing to Offer
The Multiple Listing Service: Your property will be placed into our Multiple Listing Service (MLS). MLS will expose the information on your property to all active/qualified Realtors in the area. Your property information is available to these Realtors via computer 24 hours a day.
Appointments for Showing Your Property: At one of our first meetings, we agreed upon how Realtors need to go about showing your property. We'll get the feedback to you as soon as we hear. Sometimes it takes a while to connect with the showing agent. The majority of the time, Realtors will schedule an appointment with plenty of time for you to be ready. Once in a while you may encounter a short notice showing or, even rarer, a Realtor who knocks on the door with buyers in the car. In these cases you have the right not to show or, better yet, call us. Occasionally we encounter "no shows," a frustration for you and for us. Please understand that we have no control over buyers or other Realtors. If you let us know about the situation, we will address it with the parties involved in an effort to reduce the likelihood of similar disappointments.
Showing Your Property: It is always best to leave the house while your property is being shown. If you are home, a buyer may feel embarrassed to say what's on his/her mind and, in turn, it makes it hard for the showing Realtor to properly handle the situation.
It is very important to look great for each showing. We live in our homes differently than we show them. Don't forget to turn on lights, eliminate clutter, place toilet lids down, and open drapes when you know your house is being shown. It really does make a difference. We can offer you a video which will give you more detailed suggestions about "staging" your house for the market.
About Pets and Other "Furries": We all love our animals...but we can't expect our buyers to love them equally. Many people are frightened of dogs...and even cute, lovable, friendly dogs distract buyers from the job of concentrating of your house. A lead in the back yard or a walk around the block will dramatically improve the showings on your house. It is easy to grow immune to kitty litter and smells...but they can be a real turn off for other people. There are products that can reduce or eliminate animal odors. When you're on the market, it's a good idea to use them.
Instant Offers: If your property shows well and is priced realistically, don't be surprised to receive an offer soon after listing. The temptation is to think the property has been priced too low and to hold out for something better. Don't dismiss early offers; they are often the best you'll receive.
Property Tours: Our Kinlin Grover agents will tour your property, followed by the Multiple Listing tour -- an opportunity for agents from all local offices to become familiar with it and to contact their customers who could be good prospects.
Yard Sign: The sign has been ordered and should be in place by the time of the MLS tour. If this is not the case, please let us know immediately.
Property Information: We will be dropping off a book containing information about your property some time during the first few weeks. Your job will be to keep it in an area easily visible to the showing Realtors and their buyers. Ideally this area should be where they might be encouraged to sit down and linger over it.
Advertising: Ad copy will be written and submitted to our administrative offices. You will have the opportunity to review it and make any changes you care to.
Written Updates: In addition to periodic phone calls, written updates will be mailed to you once every few weeks. The information will include, but not be limited to, the feedback from showings, samples of the marketing being done and a chart or letter updating you on market activity in general.
Unfinished Business: When we placed your property on the market, we may have discussed some sprucing up or needed repairs. Now is the best time to attend to these items. It can really make a BIG DIFFERENCE in the long run. Other paperwork items that may save us time and unnecessary energy later are:
Plot/Survey
Utility Bills
Seller's Disclosure
Interest Bearing Escrow Account Form
List of Service Providers
Key Release Form
Providing these additional items will allow us to work that much more effectively for you.