First impressions are key when selling, so it’s important to put in the time to make sure your home is in top condition. Fresh paint, clean closets, flowers; there’s a lot you can do to make even the humblest of homes look like a million bucks. Check out our Get Ready To Sell checklist for a list of ideas and tips.

Pricing a home is hands-down the most important aspect in getting the highest return in the least amount of time. Many considerations go into setting the price, including the condition and location of your home, recent nearby sales, and similar homes that are currently for sale. These will all factor into the Competitive Market Analysis (CMA) your agent puts together to determine the optimal sale price for your home.

Your agent will put a plan together to market your home to the most likely potential buyers using a variety of tools, such as digital marketing, advertising, direct mail, and open houses.

While they can be inconvenient, home showings are a necessary part of selling. When your home is on the market it has the potential to be shown at any time, so it's important to maintain a certain level of cleanliness. During home showings, we recommend stepping out to give potential buyers privacy while viewing your home.

When a buyer is interested in purchasing your home, their real estate agent will draw up an offer that is presented to you by your agent. In addition to any legal requirements, the offer specifies things such as the price, earnest money, closing terms, contingencies, and other conditions of the purchase.

One of the most important roles of a real estate agent is to be an advocate for their client. This includes negotiating on your behalf on things such as the price, repair costs, timelines, and contingencies in order to get the best terms for you.

This is the legal contract a buyer and seller enter into once the buyer’s offer has been accepted by the seller. It outlines the terms and conditions of the sale and is signed by both parties.

Once the Purchase and Sale Agreement is signed by the buyer and seller, a home inspector is hired to examine the home’s health, safety, and major mechanical systems. If any issues arise from an inspection, the buyer may be able to renegotiate their offer.

Once the offer is accepted and a closing date agreed upon, escrow allows the buyer and the seller to have an outside party ensure all parts of the contract are complete.

At closing, all the paperwork is signed by the buyer and seller, both parties pay any settlement fees, and the documents are officially recorded. Prior to closing, you'll receive a settlement statement outlining any fees that may apply to you.