A STEP-BY-STEP FIRST TIME SELLER'S GUIDE

Putting your home on the market can be a stressful process, especially when you don’t know what to expect. Fortunately, with the help of an experienced team of real estate agents and this easy to follow guide, you can smoothly complete the process. Following these steps will help you prepare so you can get organized and sell your home for the best price possible.​​​​​​​

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Step 1: Listing Consultation

This is where we make a plan together. As your agent, I'm going to be asking you questions about your goals for selling your home and any questions or concerns you may have related to your sale. Please take a moment to think about those things before our consultation so that we can ensure we make the best use of our time together and address the most important issues.
I'll also be preparing materials for your review, including an overview of our marketing campaign, an explanation of social strategy and a comparative market analysis to show you what is selling (and not selling) in your market
area.

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Step 2: Setting the Right Price

You know what happens when you overprice your house? Nothing. Nothing happens. No showings get scheduled, no offers come in.
Pricing is a science and the single most important strategy you'll employ when going to market. During your listing consultation we'll make sure your goals align with market conditions and make a plan together.

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Step 3: PREPPING THE HOME

Cleaning & prepping your home to sell can increase its value by 3%-5%. Prior to photos and videos we'll have a professional cleaning crew come in to give the home a good deep clean. A deep clean communicates that the home has been well cared for and increases the home's value to buyers.

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Step 4: PROFESSIONAL PHOTOS

Ever heard that old saying: "You never get a second chance to make a first impression"?
Well, it's true! In real estate, that first impression can be the difference between selling your house and having it sit on the market for months.
When it comes to real estate photography & video, the first impression is not just about the home-it's about the potential buyers' initial perception of how they would feel living in that home.

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Step 5: GO TO MARKET TIMELINE

Homes perform best when they go to market as a coming soon on a Wednesday and active on a Friday. In order for your home to go to market on Wednesday, all cleaning and photos need to be taken 2-3 weeks prior.
On photo day, we'll do staging and cleaning prior to photo and video. This is an all day event and it is best if you plan to be gone for the majority of the day.
The photos and videos will then be edited and used to build the following marketing materials:

  • Your home only webpage
  • Neighborhood direct mail pieces
  • Social media posts
  • Property & Open house materials
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Step 6: ONLINE DEBUT. LISTED TO SELL

It's no secret that the housing industry has changed over the years. Gone are the days of newspaper listings and word-of-mouth lead generation-now, most people turn to the Internet when looking for new homes. With 95 percent of home buyers using it, the Internet is an essential tool in the home search process. In fact, 54 percent of buyers say that using the Internet is their very first step in finding a new home.
The average home buyer spends 10 weeks searching for a home and previews 12 properties before deciding on their purchase.

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Step 7: Open House

Think about it: when you hold an open house, you're exposing your listing to the world, especially if you do it regularly. That means that each of those events will give your property renewed attention on all of the online portals and make your listing pop up in front of more potential buyers. And because this is physical real estate we're talking about, an open house also gives them a chance to experience your home in person!
Not only does this mean more exposure for your property and more traffic for you-the extra foot traffic means that someone who's just looking for fun or out of curiosity might end up being your next buyer.

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Step 8: Offer Presentation

Offer presentations happen any time we receive an offer. We'll review the offer with you so we can review the terms and decide how to proceed.
Once both parties agree upon price and terms, the offer to purchase will be signed and the first deposit will be collected. This deposit will be held in an escrow account. Now you have a fully executed Offer to Purchase, this document needs to be distributed to all parties including attorneys and lenders.

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Step 9: Closing Day

Final walkthrough - ahead of closing the buyer will come through the property to ensure it is in the same condition as when they signed the contract. Property should be cleaned and completely empty. If anything happens between now and closing please let me know immediately so we can get it resolved in time.
Makesure to call all service providers and homeowners insurance and cancel service for the date of closing.
A closing time and place convenient for all parties planning to attend is scheduled. You'll be signing a lot of paperwork, most of it pretty dull, all of it important. The good news is, it's all paperwork you will have already reviewed. After everyone has signed the paperwork and funds have been recieved the buyer's attorney will record the deed with the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds and keys will then be exchanged.

Congratulations!

Once you have sold your home, you’re free to take the next step on your journey. Whether this is relocating to a new city, moving into a larger home, or downsizing and enjoying your life as empty-nesters, knowing all your selling responsibilities have been taken care of will help you achieve peace of mind for your new path.

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Jorie and her team are positioned to continue to offer the comprehensive and focused service her clients have come to expect.