Home Selling Process

40 steps to sell your home for top dollar in the shortest amount of time.

Seller Checklist: Please use these checklists to follow along through the process.

Key: C means this is a task Chris completes. S means this is a task the Seller completes. CS means this is a task we complete together.

Prior to Listing:

1. Contact me to let me know you are interested in Selling your home. S
2. Schedule a time for me to walk through your home and discuss your goals and motivation for selling. S
3. Discuss marketing and pricing strategy. CS
4. Schedule Truth in Housing Inspection if required by city. Ask me for a contact. Seller expense. Usually about $325 depending on city and inspector. S
5. Sign listing paperwork sent by me and I am happy to review in person, via email, or over the phone. CS
6. Declutter home and clean the home to prepare for listing. S
7. Fix anything that is broken or doesn’t function properly. Ask me if you are unsure. S
8. Staging (when needed). Seller expense. Arranged by Chris. C
9. Schedule Professional Photography. Chris will send a Photography Checklist. C
10. Lockbox placed at home. C
11. Have Sellers send me a list of any and all updates they have done. S
12. Send final listing description to Seller to review and approval. CS

Pre- Listing Networking:

1. Network within my own network for potential buyers. C
2. Network the home to agents in my office and agents from other brokerages. C
3. Contact anyone you as a seller may know might be interested in the home. C

List the home:

1. List the home on MLS and will then populate to all other sites like Zillow, Trulia, Realtor.com, and other mobile apps for searching homes. C
2. Description underneath photos. C
3. Fliers at the home within 1-2 days of listing. C
4. For Sale sign in yard within 1-2 days of listing. C
5. Showings – you will receive a text to approve or decline showings. Y for yes and N for no. Or you can suggest another time. S
6. Make sure your home is clean and lights are turned on prior to showing. Fix or repair anything that is broken and replace any lightbulbs. S
7. I will follow up with the realtors promptly to provide feedback. C
8. Open house first weekend and every 2-3 weeks after as needed. C
9. MLS search of comparable homes nearby so we can keep an eye on the competition.

Once Offer is Received:

1. Contact all agents that have shown the home to see if there is further interest and let me know we received an offer. C
2. Follow up with loan officer to confirm pre-approval is solid. C
3. Discuss and negotiate terms of the offer to ensure the highest proceeds and best outcome. Explain all aspects of the offer to the Sellers. CS
4. Prepare an updated net sheet to demonstrate costs of selling and proceeds. C
5. Confirm Buyer has submitted their earnest money within two days of accepted offer. C
6. Send the title company the fully executed purchase agreement so they can begin the title work. C
7. Buyer’s lender will schedule an appraisal. This will get booked like a showing. Approve the showing. You are allowed to be there for the appraisal but typically is it easier for the appraiser is people aren’t home. S
8. Make a list of any furniture you might want to give away or sell to the buyer. Provide me with this list. S
9. My title company will reach out to you to schedule the closing time and location. Sellers can pre sign for their convenience or remote sign if they are out of state. S
10. A week or so prior to close, transfer utilities to the buyers on the day of closing. S
11. Review Settlement statement about three or more days prior to close to ensure proceeds are accurate. CS
12. Move everything out and clean the house for the new owners. Ask me if you need a contact for movers or cleaners. If the home is staged, I will contact stager to remove items. CS
13. Buyer’s agent will schedule a final walk-through. Typically, within 24 hours of closing. This is to check if your stuff is out and there is no damage since they were there last.

Closing:

1. Bring your ID to closing. S
2. Sign paperwork and receive copies of signed documents throughout the transaction. S
3. Congratulations! You just sold your house! CS 🙂

This checklist is meant to help keep us all of us on the same page and never be left wondering where we are in the transaction or what the next step is. Although not every step needs to be in this exact order, this is the order for the most part. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out. My goal is to provide exemplary service and net you the most amount of money in the shortest amount of time.

Chris

Seller to-do list:

Prior to listing your home for sale:

1. Contact me to let me know you are interested in Selling your home.
2. Schedule a time for me to walk through your home and discuss your goals, motivation for selling, market trends, and pricing.
3. Schedule a Truth in Housing Inspection if required by city. I will provide a contact. This is a Seller expense and usually costs about $350 depending on city and inspector.
4. Sign listing paperwork sent by me and I am happy to review in person, via email, or over the phone. Fill out the Seller’s Disclosure.
5. Declutter home and clean the home to prepare for listing.
6. Fix anything that is broken or doesn’t function properly. Ask me if you are unsure.
7. Discuss potential staging (when needed). Staging is a Seller expense.
8. Send me a list of any and all updates they have done.
9. Review final listing description confirm everything looks good.
10. Clean and prepare the home for photos. I will send you a photography checklist.

Once your home is listed for sale:

1. Clean home for showings. Leave lights on and heat or air conditioning on as needed.
2. Please remove pets for showings unless the pet is very laid back and can stay calm and out of the way during a showing.
3. Approve the showings through the book a showing texts you will receive as agents book the showings.
4. Tell your friends, family, and neighbors that home is for sale or will be for sale as they may know a buyer. Often times your neighbors know someone who wants to live in the neighborhood. Feel free to share any marketing materials with them if you would like.
5. Relax. I know this is an emotional and potentially stressful time but you are in good hands and can rest assure I have the skills, process, and strategy to get your home sold for top dollar in the shortest amount of time and with minimal to no stress. Some sellers like to get away for the first weekend as the that weekend is usually the busiest and I often times will have the home sold that first weekend.

Once Offer is Received:

1. Review the offer with me. We will go over the offer in detail and I will point out all the pros, cons, and any potential pitfalls to avoid. I will also negotiate any terms as needed that should be revised in your favor.
2. In the case of Multiple offers, we will either set a deadline for highest and best offers, or we will negotiate the offers in hand if there are only a couple of them. We will talk through which strategy is best depending on the situation.
3. If the offer is suitable and makes sense to accept or counter then we will do so.

After Offer is Accepted:

1. The Buyer will submit the Earnest Money within two days of accepted offer and I will confirm they submitted it to Keller Williams Realty. There is nothing the Seller needs to do here but just be aware this is taking place. 
2. The buyer will typically conduct the inspection. This will be booked through book a showing for your approval. It usually takes a few hours and the sellers should not be present during the inspection or the inspection review.
3. After the inspection period is over the lender will order the appraisal. Prepare for an appraisal like you would for a showing. It is okay if the Seller is home during the appraisal.
4. Title Work: I will submit the fully executed Purchase Agreement to the title company and they will do the title work and also schedule a time with you to pre sign for closing or a time to sign the paperwork on the day of closing.

Preparing For Closing:

1. The buyer will be doing a final walk through the day oof or day or two before closing. Ideally have everything moved out by then and the house cleaned.
2. Make sure any inspection items are completed by the final walk through and also provide any receipts for paid work completed regarding the inspection items.
3. Transfer the utilities out of your name and into the Buyers’ name for the day of closing.