THE HOME LISTING PROCESS
Once you have decided to list your property for sale, you can count on an agent to:
- Put your home on the market in a timely manner. My team is highly organized and prepared to work intensively for you to meet your timelines.
- Take care of all the paperwork and organize all the details, from staggers to professional photographers and floor plans.
- Advise you about your legal rights, sale options, and obligations.
- Check in with you frequently to advise you on what is happening behind the scenes, provide feedback from showings and keep you updated on what is being done on an ongoing basis to actively market your property.
- Negotiate offers to get you the best price and the best terms.
Real estate never stops, homes can be sold over the Christmas holidays and even in traditionally slower months, like August. Though spring and fall are the most active seasons for real estate, in the summer and winter there are usually fewer homes for sale to accommodate the needs of Buyers, so your property would have more exposure. Going a little bit against the grain has helped clients in the past, but we will look at all factors, keeping your ultimate goals and timelines in mind, and determine the best time for you to sell.
In order to put your home on the market, legal documents will come into play. The most important of these is the Listing Agreement, which is a contract between you and the brokerage. It will:
- Clearly spell out the rights and obligations of all parties, the length of the agreement, and the compensation (commission rate).
- Set the listing price.
The second major form is the MLS Data Form for putting your home on the Multiple Listings Service (exclusive agreements are different, used less often, and may be appropriate in some cases but we will discuss that during our consultation.) The MLS data form will:
- Accurately describe the property (including lot size, building size, style, and materials, floor areas, heating/cooling systems, room sizes and descriptions)
- Detail what is, and what is not, included in the sale. As a general rule, fixtures are included; chattels, things which are movable, are not, but each transaction is unique, so take some time to decide what you would like to do.
- Provide information about annual property taxes, and note any easements, rights of way, liens or charges against the property.
In addition to these documents, there are other forms to spell out in writing your preferences about showings, offer dates, and other important items. These documents are binding for us both, so we will go over them very carefully before you sign anything! Of course, you will receive copies of all the signed documents for your records.
There are also some things an agent will need from you, including:
- Plan of survey or sketch showing the lot size, location of buildings and any encroachments from neighboring properties. You should hopefully have this from when you bought your property. Not to worry if you do not
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