Step 2: Choose Your Agent

Home selling has become more complex than it used to be. In the maze of laws and regulations, transaction forms, financing, inspections, marketing, pricing, and negotiating, it makes sense to work with professionals who know the community and much more.

Your Watkins Realty Group (WRG) professional can provide the experience and local knowledge to guide you through the entire process, and sell your home within the ideal time frame and at the most effective price point.

As the representative of your best interests, your WRG Agent has state-of-the-art marketing resources to showcase your home’s best assets, and help you determine what improvements will make the biggest difference.

The job of a full-service WRG Agent is to represent your best interests through every step of the sales process. Your Agent will listen to your needs and help you understand the market.

The typical home sale today involves more than 20 steps after the initial contract is accepted to complete the transaction.

Much of what needs to be done before the closing is the responsibility of appraisers, loan processors, escrow and title officers, inspectors, etc. Your WRG Agent’s role also includes coordinating those responsibilities, helping to ensure that others do their jobs promptly and correctly.

Many steps between contract ratification and closing involve the cooperation of both buyer and seller, and attentive real estate professionals on both sides of the transaction will troubleshoot and keep everyone on track.

Millions of existing homes are sold each year, and while each transaction is different, every owner wants the same thing: the best possible deal with the least amount of hassle and aggravation. Your Watkins Realty Group Agent is ready to help you reach these goals.

Step 3: Set the List Price

Several factors, including market conditions and interest rates, will determine how much you can get for your home.

Are local home prices rising or falling? Is it a buyer’s or seller’s market? How much local inventory and competition is there? What is your home’s condition and features compared to the competition?

Your Home’s First Price Should Be Its Best Price

Research tells us that pricing your home appropriately from the beginning is critical to getting it sold quickly and at the best price. Overpricing your home and then dropping the price several times while it languishes on the market usually leads to selling it at a lower price than what you originally should have asked for it.

How to Price Your Home Correctly

If you price your home too high, some potential buyers won’t want to look at it at all, while others will simply walk away without making an offer. If you under-price the property, you may receive lower offers and “leave money on the table.”

So pricing your home correctly the first time is critical.

There are a lot of factors that go into determining a home’s market value, such as the sales price of nearby homes that have recently sold, the listing price of similar homes that are currently on the market, as well as the condition and location of a home.

To determine pricing, your WRG Agent will provide a full comparative market analysis (CMA) which walks you through what your home is worth – and why.

To help facilitate this whole process, your WRG Agent will:

• Walk through your home’s selling features and suggest improvements that could lift your price
• Prepare a CMA to show you what comparable homes sold for and chart demand in your neighborhood
• Recommend a target price, and marketing plan.
  

Step 4: Market Your Home

Once you’ve prepared your home for sale, chosen your Agent, and set the list price, it’s time to implement the marketing plan and begin showing your home so it sells as quickly as possible. We ensure that your home gains the best and most effective exposure to potential buyers.

Your WRG Agent will Market your Home in Multiple Ways:

• List your home on the local Multiple Listing Service
• Featured listing on the WRG website
• Virtual tour
• Custom Single Property Listing Website Page
• Strong online presence, including all major websites and social media
• Market your home to our current list of Buyers
• Reach out to other real estate brokers and agents who work with buyers in your price range.
• Take high quality digital photos of your homes best features and important rooms.
• WRG Yard sign
• Flyers and printed materials
• Open Houses
  

Today, the vast majority of homebuyers use the internet in their home search, so our marketing plan includes focused online activities. Your home will be shown on:

• Local MLS, WRG website, and all local brokerage and Agent sites that provide home searches
• Zillow, Trulia and Realtor.com
• Social Media websites, including Facebook
  

Home Showings

Showings are an inconvenient, yet necessary part of the home selling process. When your home is on the market:

• Keep your home as clean, neat and odor-free as possible.
  
• Make your home as available as possible to buyers.
• Whenever possible, leave the house when buyers are there, since studies have shown that buyers linger and look more carefully when the homeowners aren’t present.
• Lock up your pets or take them away when buyers are visiting, especially during an open house when multiple visitors are expected.
  

Step 5: Negotiate an Offer

Perhaps the most complex moment in the sales process comes when you get an offer for your home. Watkins Realty Group has many years of experience in strategic negotiation and we are here to represent your interests in securing the highest possible price for your home.

Whether you have one offer or several to consider, your WRG Agent will be your partner and educate you on the terms of the offer and help you understand the offer in the context of the housing market in your area.

How to Evaluate Purchase Offers

With your Agent’s assistance, you’ll need to carefully evaluate each offer and begin a negotiation with the buyers and their agent. Before you begin to analyze any purchase offer, the most important step is to determine whether the buyer can fulfill the terms of the contract with financing. Your WRG Agent can help assess this.

What Factors Should You Consider in a Purchase Offer?

Once you know the buyer can legitimately qualify for a loan, here are just a few of the factors to consider when evaluating an offer:

• How close is the offer to your asking price?
• Will your home appraise for the contract price?
• How large is the earnest money deposit that accompanied the offer?
• Has the buyer asked for assistance with closing costs?
• Has the buyer asked you for any unusual terms?
• Is the requested settlement date appropriate for your needs?
  

If you’re not immediately satisfied with the offer or are uncertain about whether to accept it, consider your options:

• Are there other offers?
• Can you wait for more offers to come in?
• How will you handle it if no other offers come in after a particular deadline?
  

Making a Counteroffer

As a seller, you have the options of accepting the offer as is, declining the offer, or making a counteroffer. Your WRG Agent can give you specific advice about your negotiating stance based on your home and the market.

Your negotiations can go more smoothly if you have a clear sense of your own priorities, such as a particular settlement date, the ability to rent-back your home from your buyers, or a minimum price that you need to achieve to meet your financial goals.

Opening Escrow

If a successful final purchase agreement is negotiated, then an “escrow” will be opened. The terms for the sale of a property are given to a neutral third party known as the escrow holder. Escrow has the responsibility of seeing that the terms of the escrow are carried out. They act as a depository for all monies, instructions, and documents needed.

Step 6: Plan Your Move

The time to plan your move begins once you’ve decided to sell your home. Some of the activities required to prepare your home to sell can actually help with the moving process. For example, by cleaning out closets, the attic, and the garage, you will have less to do once the home is under contract.

Your plans to move should ramp up a notch during the listing period, and into high gear once escrow has been opened.

Your planning will be guided by a number of things:

• Are you moving long distance? If yes, you’ll likely require an interstate mover and the use of a large van.
• Moving locally? If yes, will you move yourself? You’ll need to consider packing boxes, peanuts, blankets or padding and a van rental.
• Planning is key: Stock up on boxes, packing materials, tape and markers. Always mark boxes so that movers will know where goods should be placed.
  

Which Mover Should You Use? There are a number of factors to consider:

• Reputation: Movers must have the right equipment, training and experience to do a good job. A mover, no matter how large or small, should be able to provide recent references.
• Get mover estimates in writing. Also be aware that it’s possible to get discounts through some membership organizations.
• Always confirm mover credentials: Movers should be licensed and bonded as required by state law, and employees should have workman’s comp insurance.
  

Get a Checklist

Moving is a big job and checklists can make it more organized and easier. Here are some of the major items to consider:

• Money: If you’re moving more than a few miles, you should have enough cash or credit to cover travel, food, transportation and lodging.
• Medicine: Keep medications in a place where they will be available during the move.
• Number boxes: Make a list of boxes by number and indicate their contents. It makes it easier to count all boxes on arrival.
• Keep kids occupied: If moving with children, make sure that each has a favorite toy or toys, blankets, games, music and other items.
• Moving historic, breakable or valued items? Such goods routinely require special handling and packaging.
• Have address books readily available in case you need help.
  

Step 7: Close Escrow

After a successful final purchase agreement is negotiated, an “escrow” will be opened. During the escrow period of roughly 30-45 days, you will deliver to the buyer a series of “seller disclosures” regarding your knowledge of the condition and history of the property.

The buyer will conduct their due diligence, which typically includes a home inspection, an appraisal, reviewing HOA documents (if applicable), a Title Report, etc.

It’s important to stay in constant communication with your Watkins Realty Group Agent during the escrow period. Be sure to return all phone calls and complete paperwork promptly.

Also, don’t hesitate to ask questions along the way. We are here to help you!!

Closing

After all this is complete, you’re in the home stretch to complete your home sale and sign the final escrow documents.

On the day of closing, ownership of the home officially transfers title from the seller to the buyer.You typically provide the keys to the buyers on the day of closing, unless negotiations provide for a different move-out date.

Finally, if you are moving locally and selling and buying a house simultaneously, we have helped many sellers in similar circumstances. We can help coordinate the two transactions and work with you to sync them together and make your move as seamless as possible.

And remember, just because the sale is complete, your relationship with your Watkins Realty Group Agent doesn’t need to end. After your purchase, your Agent can still help you – providing information on the real estate market, or helping you find your next home.

Ready to Move Forward?

Watkins Realty Group offers a variety of solutions and experience.

With over 15 years of real estate and finance experience AND over $250 million in transactions, we have helped HOMEOWNERS with many situations and challenges – Traditional Sale, Remodel and Sell, Cash Sale, Short Sale, Trust Sale, Probate Sale, Court approved Sale, Simultaneous Sale and Purchase, and Double Escrows.

Whatever your need is, we have multiple solutions to help you – and the experience to ensure a successful result!

Our many years of experience in strategic negotiation will help ensure the highest possible price for your home.

Complete the form below and we’ll be happy to help you move forward and answer any questions you may have.