Seller's Toolkit: Your Plan

1. Find the right representative
The experience and knowledge of a dedicated real estate professional can be priceless. A good Realtor® forms a powerful team with his or her clients that makes it possible for them to have a smooth, successful, stress-free sale.

2. Work with your agent to determine your needs/wants for the sale and for your new home
In the current market, selling your primary residence can be tricky. First weigh your priorities – selling price is certainly important, but having a quick and efficient sale can often be worth accepting a slightly lower offer. Talk to your agent and make sure you’re comfortable with your priorities.

If you are selling because you want to move up, you should be compiling a needs/wants list for the home you will buy. You will probably have to act fairly quickly when once you have a contract, so any amount of preparation you can do will serve you well.

3. Prepare your house for showing
Underprepared homes can be sales disasters. Your home will never get as much attention from potential buyers as when it is first listed, so clearing clutter, cleaning, making repairs, and putting your home’s best foot forward is essential. Don’t “open for business” until your home is ready to be seen as favorably as possible.

4. Find out what your local market looks like
Being realistic about your market is the key to a smooth sale. You agent should provide you with the local activity. You need to be educated about the market in your neighborhood.

5. List away!
Lots of photos and online exposure are the key to getting a good response for your listing. Since 90% of the buyers in our area begin searching for homes on the internet, we feature our listings on Realtor.com, HGTV's FRONTDOOR.com, as well as many other syndicated sites.