There's a contradiction in terms! Anyone who says selling your home is easy is getting paid too much. The realty is that it takes a lot of hard work to take it from beginning to end.
We don't want to imply that it is impossible to sell your property by yourself, as some people have with great success, but rather give you a snapshot at what is involved, so you can make a more informed decision. In the "thinking of an agent" section of this site, you'll see how we help you if you do find a buyer while we have the property listed .
To sell your home on your own, here are some of the everyday items you will handle. You have to:
Devise a marketing plan to include all feasible forms of advertising.
Be ready when the phone rings with a positive attitude.
Be ready with all the pertinent information to answer the caller's questions, not just about the home, but as equally as important, is the information about the schools, neighborhood, travel times and local property values to name a few.
Be ready to stop what you are doing, and present the property to the caller at a moments notice.
Each time the phone rings, the person on the other end could be the perfect buyer for your home. If you are not prepared with all of the above, you may just cost yourself the sale.
Use skill, care and diligence to negotiate the numerous terms of the contract. The price is the easy part.
You have to have a closing agent ready to receive the escrow deposit.
Be ready to recommend inspection companies and the procedures during and after the inspection. Many deals are lost due to misunderstanding of the inspection and needed repairs.
Follow up with the closing agents and buyer to verify all deposits have been made and the funds have cleared.
Verify the mortgage financing is in place and all underwriting conditions have been met.
Be available for the final walk through for the buyer to verify the property is in the condition agreed to in the contract.
Audit the HUD-1 Settlement statement to verify all the proper fees are being charged and all the proper disbursements are made to the intended parties, such as mortgage pay-offs, inspection companies, appraisers, etc.
That's why you need professionals.
A professional will:
Have a complete and proven marketing plan to advertise your home.
Have extensive knowledge on the local market conditions to evaluate your homes value.
Have advice for you on preparing your home for a sale in a reasonable time frame.
Have a proven track record for selling homes in your specific area.
Have the ability and local knowledge to answer all of your customer's questions with ease.
Have the sales experience to handle each call with the care and courtesy your customer deserves.
Have the courtesy to follow up with you on the progress of the marketing and feedback from showings
Have the skill, care, and diligence with negotiating the purchase and sales contract for both you and your buyer.
Have the expertise and network of associates to bring your sale to a smooth settlement.
Have the courtesy to follow up with you on the progress of sale moving forward to the closing.
Have the courtesy to attend the closing to say thank you in person, when they get paid.
We don't want to imply that it is impossible to sell your property by yourself, as some people have with great success, but rather give you a snapshot at what is involved, so you can make a more informed decision. In the