Selling a house is never a daunting task when you are prepared. Use this brief but detailed guide to plan out a productive and stress-free home sale:
I. Choosing a real estate professional to work with
Spare yourself from massive hassles and headaches. Look for an experienced, local real estate agent that specializes with the type of property that you own. Start with this essential step, and you’ll enjoy a smooth home selling journey the rest of the way.
When it comes to selling real estate in Los Angeles County, you won’t go wrong by working with me, Toni Patillo, My work speaks for itself. More than just your agent, I will also be your go-to consultant, educator, negotiator, and problem-solver throughout the home selling process.
II. Getting your house ready to sell
Your entire property must be in its best and most presentable condition when you advertise it. Here are three ways to do it:
- Do a deep clean in and around the house. Clean like you’ve never cleaned before. More than just sweeping the floors and wiping down tables and countertops, make sure that every inch of the property is spotless. Don’t hesitate to hire professional cleaning services for best results. They’ll have the equipment, products, and methods best suited for your home’s deep cleaning needs.
- Depersonalize all living spaces. Put away your personal decor and keepsakes ahead of buyers’ visits. Give them a blank canvas that allows them to visualize how they can own and personalize the living spaces to their liking.
- Take care of necessary repairs and updates. Don’t ignore little things like faulty light switches or old plumbing fixtures. The slightest flaw in your home can cause buyers to second-guess the condition of the rest of the property.
- Boost your curb appeal. First impressions always matter, so spruce up the exterior of your house to make people go “wow” as soon as they drive up in front of it.
III. Determining the right asking price for your home
The right listing price is a crucial element in your property listing. Avoid overpricing based on personal and sentimental biases, because unreasonably priced listings tend to be ignored by savvy home buyers and their agents until you are forced to make a drastic price cut.
Focus on an objective, data-based analysis of asking prices for similar properties in your area instead. This comparative market analysis is something your agent can help you with. With their access to current listings, recent sales, and pulled listings, you can make a more reasonable estimate of real estate prices in your corner of the Los Angeles housing market.
IV. Creating effective marketing strategies and materials
Work with your agent to create a marketing and advertising strategy. You need one that showcases all the best qualities of your home, while also highlighting the features and amenities that are in-demand among buyers in your area.
Expect your agent to refer you to colleagues and professional partners who can stage and photograph your property to create attention-grabbing marketing materials. Maximize these resources for your online listings, print ads, social media posts, and other marketing strategies you agree to use.
Ask your agent for the best time to put your listing on the market, as well. Make sure it gets maximum exposure at a time when buyers are most actively searching.
V. Reviewing offers
When offers begin to come in, practice patience and level-headedness. Avoid getting too excited by the earliest and the largest offers. The buyer and their agent might demand substantial concessions and contingencies that will leave you with less than what the offered price suggests.
To avoid situations like this, consult your agent and ask them to explain every detail presented in your buyers’ offer letters.
VI. Negotiating with the buyer
Before agreeing to an offer, ask your agent to negotiate on your behalf. A counteroffer that aims to increase the final sale price is a good place to start, but your agent might also explore other options that will help you maximize your returns from the sale. For example, instead of agreeing to shoulder repair costs which may vary depending on the result of the buyer’s home inspection, your agent can request to shoulder a fixed amount for closing costs instead.
Be sure to communicate your concerns with your agent at all times so that they can represent your best interests at the negotiation table.
VII. Closing the sale
When you and the buyer finalize a sale agreement, you can enter escrow. At this stage, cooperate with any required processes like the buyer’s home inspection and appraisal. Make your property accessible to these specialists so they can complete their reviews at the soonest available date.
Once all these steps are complete, you can officially close the sale. Congratulations!
Key questions to ask yourself before putting your home on the market
Setting the right price, listing the home, and showcasing it to prospective buyers are all important steps in the home selling process. Perhaps the most important step however, is the very first one: taking a close look at your goals and making sure selling your home is the right decision.
Before you take the next big step, taking some time to evaluate your objectives can ensure a seamless, less stressful home sale. In this page, we give you several key questions you should ask yourself before you put your home on the market. These will help you determine whether it’s the right time to sell your home or if you should wait for a better opportunity.
5 ways to determine the value of your home
If you have plans of selling your home or have other investment plans in mind, then knowing your home’s objective and accurate value is a must. By knowing its value, you get to price it competitively so that it attracts buyers and gets offers in no time. But how do you arrive at the objective value of your home? In this article, we go into detail about five of the best ways you can get a reliable estimate. These include using online estimators called automated valuation models (AMVs), getting a competitive market analysis (CMV), and hiring a professional real estate appraiser.
Looking for a dependable partner to help you sell your home fast and for top dollar in the exciting Greater Los Angeles area housing market? Reach out to us at 424.289.2662 or email your inquiries to Info(at)toni(at)patillo(dotted)com to learn more.