Thinking About Selling? Get to Know the Ins + Outs of the Process to Streamline Your Sale and Maximize Profit
Whether you're sizing up, sizing down, moving out of town, or cashing in on your mountain real estate investment, you want to get the best return possible on your mountain property. Understanding what to expect and the value of a local realtor in the process before you list your property will help streamline the selling process and bring you to the closing table with maximum profit.
THE PROCESS
1. Interview: Find the right Realtor for you
Having a local Realtor who is familiar with the market is key. Informed property descriptions set your listing apart, and top-notch marketing coupled with access to local resources increase exposure for a property. The right Realtor for you will negotiate to sell your property for the best price and minimize stress throughout the process. With support from pre-listing to closing, sellers who work with real estate agents net 33% more, on average, than those who list on their own
2. Pricing + Positioning
Using Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) and taking into account special features (e.g. views, amenities), condition of the property, utilities, rental history (if applicable), and competition, we'll help you price your home to sell quickly and for the best price.
We also keep a close eye on the statistics, annual histories, and other factors to make sure your property hits the market at exactly the right time to optimize profits and minimize time on the market.
3. Preparing Your Property for Sale
Preparing your property for sale typically involves de-cluttering, depersonalizing, small repairs, deep cleaning, and staging. Fun fact: staged homes often get sold for 1-5% more than those that aren't. Cosmetic upgrades like paint, flooring, or new fixtures and even remodeling can be helpful in some cases. Our years of experience help us guide you as you spruce your place up for the photographs and showings.
We also have a large network of contractors and professionals should you need a recommendation for a plumber, electrician, painter, etc. as you prepare your home to sell. We'd love to introduce you or pass along their information!
4. Photography
We utilize seasoned local real-estate photographers to visually tell the story of your home. Our photographers use High Dynamic Range (HDR) cameras, drones, and optimal lighting to present your property to potential buyers in the best possible way.
5. Listing
After all the pre-listing work, your home will go live on the MLS and major real estate platforms, viewable to potential buyers. We communicate with buyers' Realtors to coordinate showings that work best with your schedule and minimize the disruption to your day-to-day life.
6. Marketing
Every home's story is special and unique, and we use our years of experience and in-house marketing department to make sure yours is seen and heard by potential homebuyers. Professional listing flyers, in-home marketing books, open houses, broker property tours, one-to-one social media advertising, custom websites, posts on high-traffic blogs, feature listings shared with our extensive in-office database, and attention-catching materials are just a few of the marketing strategies we employ to maximize reach and exposure to get your property sold in record time.
7. Offer
Once you start receiving offers, we walk you through the ins + outs of the terms. When an offer comes in, you can either accept it, reject it, or send back a counteroffer (all paperless and efficient for you and the buyer).
When you counteroffer, you can ask for more money, come back with exclusions (e.g. appliances), or negotiate closing costs (which typically fall primarily on the seller).
If you get multiple offers on your home, we can help you understand the nuances of each offer and guide you in next steps (like asking all potential buyers for their best and final offer) so that you can weigh your options and make the best choice for your situation.
The best contract might not always be the highest price - we help you consider all the factors involved. This might include considering the best dates + deadlines for your timeline, provisions like waived inspections or offers that include appraisal gap coverage. I you need to find a replacement property or would like to have the option to rent your home back for a few days or even weeks after closing, that is also something we consider when reviewing and negotiating offers.
8. Under Contract
The purchase agreement spells out in detail all the conditions agreed to when the offer is accepted, including the purchase price, contingencies, earnest money, closing costs, and various deadlines. Once signed, you're on the home stretch! We manage your transaction from contract to close, working to keep everything on track and moving forward as smoothly as possible. From important dates and deadlines to coordinating with your buyer's agent, lender, and the title company, there are a lot of moving parts involved - but we are on top of them for you, every step of the way!
9. Negotiations
After the contract is signed and we start working to ensure deadlines are met to get you to the closing table, there is still room for negotiation. After receiving an earnest money deposit, seller disclosures and buyer investigations take place. Buyers can order inspections and appraisals and may come back asking for concessions depending on what they discover. We are here to expertly guide you in any negotiations that come up in this part of the process!
From there, contingencies are removed, and a final walkthrough (typically within 5 days of expected closing date) takes places before the sale is finalized.
10. Closing!
At closing, all property transfer documentation is signed by the seller and the buyer, and keys are transferred to the buyer. And you can toast to the sale of your mountain property!
IMPORTANCE OF A LOCAL REALTOR
Here at West + Main Grand County, we are committed to providing sellers with a smooth transaction, as little hassle as possible, and a seamless process with transparent and constant communication. We would be honored for you to trust us to tell the story of your home. Connect with us today to get a complimentary market analysis or start the selling process for your mountain property!
Posted by Angela McDonough (Sandstrom) on
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