The thought of selling a home can give anyone anxiety. We speak to clients all the time and they always express the fear of something going wrong; anything and everything. Initial consultations always seem to begin with easing the fear of the client and leading them to realize what an opportunity selling their home is. From the significant return on your 30 year investment, to upgrading to a bigger home, to downsizing for more freedom, selling your home produces a feeling of excitement, and that’s what we’re here for.
The aspect of the home selling process that separates us from any other agent team is our unique ability to guide you through the entire process, including your transition after selling. From listing your home to financing your next property we have the expertise to have every angle covered.
Let’s take a look at the actual process to give you some perspective on what’s ahead.
The first step is to schedule an initial consultation with us using the contacts on this page. The most important thing to do first is for us to get to know you and your specific situation. During this initial call we’ll begin to put the pieces of your unique puzzle together and begin discussing a plan of action that is best for you. During this call we will obviously discuss your property and your financial plans. We focus on these two variables in tandem because they are completely intertwined in this process. Most agents will discuss only selling your home and why you should list with them, but this only 50% of the process. Ignoring the other 50% can lead to failure, or at least leave you in a precarious position where you have to play a guessing game, hoping you are right. We eliminate this uncertainty and provide you a complete listing, financial and transition plan. Every variable that can impact you immediately and in the future is addressed.
The next step; Evaluating Your Property
Typically agents will conduct what’s called a Comparative Market Analysis. This is simply referred to analyzing the ‘comps’ or comparable listings in the last 6 months to 1 year in your neighborhood and then determining an appropriate listing price. This is a completely normal and acceptable practice, but we go further… We also incorporate other metrics commonly used in appraisal including;
Situs = location
Increasing and Diminishing Returns = quantifying home updates in
Regression and Progression = comparing your home to other in your immediate neighborhood
Supply and Demand = neighborhood trend lines / buyer psychology
Highest and Best Use = Is your property being used to its maximum potential.
You may be wondering, how do we make sense of all this?
We take a traditional Comparative Market Analysis and combine these other variables, which are considered to be the most important to quantify the ‘specific’ home value. Through trial and error, we have developed a specific formula to quantify these variables and produce a more specific value of your home. This is so important because it increases the objectivity of your home’s value. We take into account variables that will impact the perceived value of your property that others ignore. It becomes less subjective, less emotional, and as a result we make better decisions. Our evaluation process reduces opinion and is hyperfocused on facts. This is a winning formula for you, considering the biggest mistake agents make that negatively impacts the sale of your home is incorrect pricing. Price a property wrong and it’s very difficult to recover.
Once we define that specific value of your property we can then move toward the next important process; Marketing / Listing.
The first thing we need to emphasize is that every home we list matters and deserves the same attention and professionalism. This is our personal guarantee.
We use a holistic marketing approach with the ultimate goal of getting your property the most exposure, while highlighting all the best qualities of your property. The result, your home is a desired commodity, and you get the most return possible on your investment.
Our Process:
- Professional Photography – Our personal professional photographer will highlight the very best of your property to make that great first impression on buyers. We also use drone footage where appropriate to showcase larger lots.
- Video – During these trying COVID times it is natural to want to limit traffic in your home. Great video is a solution. With our personal walkthrough videos we not only highlight every aspect of your home in a virtual open house format, but through narration we also help create the vision for your specific end buyer.
- Floor Plans – Creating a digital floor plan of your home. Some of the best information you can provide to a prospective buyer is your home’s unique floor plan.
- Social Media / MLS – Buyers’ agents mainly use the MLS to search for properties for their clients. We ensure that there is accurate and comprehensive information to make your property stand out. Think this should be a given? Think again. You would be surprised at the lack of effort some agents make listing their property on the MLS.
We then take your visually appealing photography and video to create engaging social media posts and Landing Pages highlighting your property to get maximum exposure to create excitement even before your first showing. We also use YouTube to promote each property using a tactic called Search Engine Optimization. In addition, our vast network at Compass Real Estate allows us to also market your property to agents throughout the country, continuing to broaden your pool of prospective buyers. Compass has the best technology platform in real estate that helps to facilitate a broad network of connections for our agent teams to sell properties faster.
This is just a basic outline of our marketing. We hope we didn’t overwhelm you, but don’t worry. We will bring these strategies to life during the consultation period and answer all your questions. It’s also important to note that we will adjust our marketing to your personal comfort level. At the end of the day we are serving you. This philosophy also translates to showing your home.
Next, we need to show your home.
During the showing process we can create a schedule that is suitable for you. The positive here is that we have already marketed your home effectively through digital marketing to attract your potential buyers. For a home that is priced and marketed correctly it shouldn’t take more than two weeks of showings to have a desirable offer. However, this is the case in a competitive market, and for home prices between $400,000 – $800,000. This price range produces the largest pool of buyers. Higher priced homes naturally take longer to sell because the pool of buyers is smaller. Again, we will discuss all these variables and identify proper expectations for the sale of your specific home.
Finally, the best part; getting offers and facilitating the deal.
In these end stages we help you make sense of the presented offers, identify the most qualified buyers and weigh other other contingencies. It is important to highlight the pros and cons of each offer, because the offer you ultimately choose will dictate the transaction process. The balance is entertaining the best offers with the best terms to ensure a smooth transaction process. Our real estate and finance expertise will help you make the best decision.
Yes, I know that was a lot, and yes these were the basics. Don’t stress. We will make sense of all this for you, and it will make sense. We are patient, thoughtful, and here to educate you. We want to earn your trust and future business. We will take as much time as you need to earn this. If you are ready to move forward, schedule a consultation with us today, and most importantly DON’T STRESS!