SELLER FAQs

As your real estate team, we will strategize a plan to prepare your home for the market most efficiently and cost-effectively.  We have been in the real estate business for over 35 years and have assembled an experienced team of professionals to help with this process.

Our process is organized to achieve the fastest sale at the highest price. Every step we take prompts the next step. We are able to work faster and smarter because all of our team members work together with our program. We periodically meet with and maintain relationships with our vendors which gives us an advantage—they help us anticipate and solve problems. Plus, they provide our clients with superior work and better prices. Many of our contractors are able to coordinate their schedules to meet our tightest deadlines.

Our team can prepare (paint, refinish floors, etc.) and stage a home in 5 to 10  business days.

With any marketing strategy, it is important to research the market conditions that are currently influencing the marketplace and the value of its products. “Market value” is the highest price at which a property will sell on the open market, given a

reasonable time period to find a qualified buyer.

What a property is truly worth — whether that is higher or lower than the selling price — and what a buyer is willing to pay for it, is known as the “Fair Market Value” as the buyer is influenced by the following criteria:

• Location of the property

• Condition of the property

• Buyer demand

• Prices of similar properties on the market

• Recent sales of competitive properties

• Availability of financing

Fair Market Value

Typically, market conditions are not in your control, but choosing to use an agent with extensive experience in the local market, a respected reputation, and who implements a proven comprehensive marketing strategy could make all the difference in MAXIMIZING THE TRUE VALUE OF YOUR HOME. 

The following key factors affect the sale of your home and are, for the most part, in your control:

There are many ways and philosophies real estate agents use to determine the list price for a home. We will clearly define the target audience and market to the buyer demographic willing to pay the most for your home. We also strategically price to sell, meaning we set a reasonable price that will attract the most buyers to see your home. That is how we encourage buyers to compete and bid against one another to win your property. 

We examine the last 4 to 6 homes with similar attributes that sold in your area. Ignoring the listing prices and basing it on their final sale price, we calculate a realistic average dollar per square foot range, adjusting for the homes’ condition, location, and other attributes.  

You can use this current market data to estimate your home’s value per square foot. When it is time to set your home’s listing price, we will recommend a well-deliberated number, based on your neighborhood data and the current real estate market.

We are asked this question all the time. The right time to sell is when you are ready.  

In the past, many real estate agents recommended avoiding holidays and even certain times of the year due to weather and school vacations. Our team of realtors has a proven record of listing and selling homes at ANY time of the year.

We can only tell you how much time it takes US to sell a house. A good rough estimate is about 4 weeks, but some steps move faster when we are able to start earlier (such as getting your home on our vendor’s schedules).

Our timeline includes about two weeks for home preparation (repairs, painting, cleaning), landscaping, and staging. Then, two weeks on the market followed by the offer date.

Are you looking to close escrow by a particular date and receive your funds? We are able to work backward from that date. The schedule may vary depending on the type of property, the list price of your home, and its location, as well as the current real estate market. 

By performing all inspections before listing your home on the market, we eliminate uncertainty and give prospective buyers the comfort they need to make their highest offers. As the seller, you project strength when you fully disclose your property’s condition. These up-front inspection expenses typically guide the way to more offers and higher sale prices.

As a seller, knowing the condition of your home early in the process reveals a more accurate home valuation, and it helps determine your budget for repairs, cosmetic improvements, and upgrades.

We strongly recommend you NOT leave the inspections to a buyer and their agent. If the buyer discovers flaws you did not know about, you look less than forthright. This might give the buyer a reason to renegotiate. 

You will benefit from having our professional inspectors conduct the inspections. With the inspection reports in our hands, you can choose whether to simply disclose everything or repair the critical items and disclose the rest. Either way, that kind of transparency creates a lot of goodwill with buyers. 

Yes, our brokerage has a program that most sellers qualify for that offers interest-free financing for cosmetic, non-structural renovations.

Yes, we recommend staging. According to The National Association of REALTORS®, 83% of buyers’ agents say that staging makes it easier for buyers to ‘visualize’ the property as their future home, and 44% say it increases the dollar value offered. Additionally, 53% of seller’s agents say that staging a home decreases the amount of time a home spends on the market. Our team works with the owner and principal designer of an award-winning Design and Home Staging firm.

Virtual staging can be a valuable tool when used properly. If you are selling a home that is empty, outdated, or cluttered, virtual staging can showcase the property’s full potential. 

The Pros of Virtual Staging:

What are the benefits of virtual staging? Virtual staging can be a valuable tool when used correctly. Here are a few of the biggest pros of the process:

• Virtual staging showcases a unit’s full potential. Empty units can feel cold, and it’s tough for a buyer to get a sense of space during an online viewing. 
• It’s non-invasive. Unlike physical staging, virtual staging doesn’t require a large physical effort or moving a bunch of stuff in or out of a unit. Instead, virtual staging is all done digitally, and it can be adjusted to suit a unit perfectly.
• Virtual staging is fast. While physical staging can take a full day or more to complete, teams can complete virtual staging for an entire house in just a few hours. 
• Virtual staging is flexible. Transform a nursery into a spare bedroom, a closet into a craft room, or a cramped living room into a beautiful open space. Virtual staging allows for creativity. It also ensures you position your unit as attractively as possible for new buyers. 

Cons of Virtual Staging:

While virtual staging can be a great tool, there are a few things to consider.

• Virtual staging can be misleading. It’s critical to use clear watermarks that state images are virtually staged. Otherwise, you risk buyers being disappointed when they arrive at a unit that was virtually staged but is empty in real life. 
• Virtual staging must be professionally performed to provide buyers with the quality they demand. Virtual staging performed by a novice can look fake or unrealistic, which only makes the room feel off-putting and dissuades buyers from touring the space. With this in mind, always invest in a professional virtual staging service. 
• Virtual staging must be brought into the showing. If agents are showing empty spaces, it can be helpful to bring the virtually staged images and display them, room by room, on easels or a flyer. This again, allows buyers to mentally see themselves within the home.

The Pros and Cons of Virtual Staging. (n.d.). Retrieved April 29, 2022, from https://www.hometrack.net/blog/the-pros-and-cons-of-virtual-staging