FIND YOUR Dream Home

In today’s real estate market, it’s critical to have a digital game plan and an effective online marketing strategy when selling your home. One of the ways your agent can help with this is to make sure your listing photos and virtual tours stand out from the crowd, truly giving buyers a detailed and immersive view of your home.

So, if you’re ready to move forward, virtual practices may help you win big when you’re ready to sell. We can help make your sale happen. We know exactly what today’s buyers need, and how to put the necessary digital steps in place. Here are ways we help homeowners successfully sell their homes:

• Professional photography
• High-quality video
• Accurate and detailed listing information
• Detailed neighborhood information
• In-person or virtual tour of the home

First impressions are critical. You will find all types, but in general buyers prefer homes that are well-maintained, clean and clutter free. Depending on your home’s condition, there are three kinds of improvements that will impress buyers and help you sell for top market value: renovations, upgrades and repairs, reorganization and maintenance.

Renovations

Focus on the “right” renovations, those that will improve the overall impression and value of the property. Kitchens, bathrooms and energy efficient improvements will have the biggest impact. Be careful not to over renovate.

Small Upgrades and Repairs

If you want to get top dollar you might need to make some minor upgrades.

Exterior Improvements

• Fix or replace anything damaged or worn (gutters, screens, lights, etc.)
• Touch up the paint, especially the front door
• Fix doorbells, make sure screen doors operate freely, oil squeaking hinges, etc.
• New welcome mat outside the front door
• Potted plants beside the front door are a nice touch

Interior Improvements

• Brighten interiors with a fresh coat of paint. Light neutral colors will accommodate the greatest number of buyers
• Fix or replace any cracked tiles, stained or missing grout, loose door knobs, etc.
• Shampoo carpets and rugs and/or replace if necessary
• Add closet organizers or shelving to make closets more functional and spacious looking.
• Buy the furniture you planned for your new house. The latest furniture always spices up a room.

Reorganize and Maintenance

Similar to repairs, basic reorganization and maintenance tasks are “must-dos”. The will help to improve your home’s curb appeal.

Exterior

• Mow the lawn, trim hedges and shrubs, weed and edge gardens, perhaps add fresh mulch
• Power wash the driveway, roof and lanai
• Remove any debris or litter
• Clean off your outdoor furniture and remove any in poor repair
• Clean out your garage, an organized garage always seems to impress
• Clean your pool and make sure it is functioning properly

Interior

• Clean and tidy the entrance
• Create the feeling of space by storing all excess furniture, less is more
• Remove from closets, cabinets and shelves any clothes and other items you won’t need until after you move. Pre-pack and store as much as possible.
• Thoroughly clean everything in and out of sight
• Remove all odors, but be careful not to use overly aggressive air fresheners, potpourri or candles, less is more here too

Clutter-free homes typically seem brighter, more spacious, cleaner and indicate they have been well maintained.

Strategically pricing your home to achieve top market value involves a comprehensive approach:

• Market Analysis: We will provide a comparative market analysis (CMA) to evaluate recent sales of similar homes in your area, considering factors such as size, condition, location, and amenities.
• Current Market Conditions: We will share current market trends, including supply and demand dynamics, and economic indicators, to determine whether it is a buyer’s or seller’s market.
• Unique Features: Highlight your home’s unique features and upgrades that add value, such as renovated kitchens, energy-efficient systems, or premium landscaping.
• Competitive Pricing: Set a competitive price that attracts buyers while allowing room for negotiation. Pricing slightly below market value can generate more interest and potentially lead to multiple offers.
• Staging and Presentation: Invest in staging and high-quality photography to enhance your home’s appeal, making it stand out in listings and attract higher offers.
• Adjust Strategy: We will adjust the pricing strategy based on feedback from showings and market response.

By combining these strategies, you can position your home to attract serious buyers and secure the best possible price.

Selling your home includes home preparation, pricing, presentation, negotiation as well as strategic advertising and networking. An experienced Realtor has the knowledge, expertise, and resources to implement a plan that will effectively coordinate all of these activities to maximize your home’s market exposure. Maximum marketing equals maximum buyers equals maximum opportunities for offers equals maximum price. This is the recipe for the greatest possible price in the least amount of time.

How do buyers find out about homes for sale?

To market your property effectively, you need to know where most qualified buyers come from. In today’s day and age, it’s the internet (including REALTOR.com, Realtor websites, social media, blogs, etc.) as well as direct contact with Realtors. Studies show as many as 94% of homes are sold as a result of the internet and real estate agents. Other sources of advertising include yard signs, open houses and newspapers. In our area, many communities do not allow home signs, so advertising via the Internet is even more important. The Internet has revolutionized the real estate industry. What are buyers looking for on the internet?

• 99% – Property photos (lots of them)
• 99% – Detailed information about properties for sale
• 88% – Virtual tours
• 80% – Real estate agent contact information
• 78% – Interactive maps

To ensure your property is marketed to its fullest potential, your Realtor must have a significant presence on the Internet.

Market your community as well as your home

Industry surveys have repeatedly found that neighborhood quality is THE most important reason why home buyers choose where to live. Be sure to highlight the benefits of your community’s amenities – proximity to shopping, restaurants, schools as well as other benefits that impact the lifestyle.

Comprehensive approach to showcasing your home and community in the marketplace

While the Internet is the real estate information source of choice, if you want to maximize the number of serious buyers, showings, and offers you get it is necessary to employ a broad spectrum of advertising in a coordinated manner. When selling your home your Realtor will have a wide range of options to maximize your property’s exposure, many of which you would not have access to on your own. Some of these options include:

• Multiple Listing Service (MLS)
• Notifying the area’s top agents
• Notifying all potential buyers and referral sources in their database
• National and Global Websites (e.g. Realtor.com)
• Company website (Downingfrye.com)
• Personal website (NaplesGolfGuy.com)
• Social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Google, LinkedIn and Instagram
• Local Real Estate Newspapers and Publications
• Direct email and mail campaigns
• Open houses
• For Sale Sign (If allowed)

I mentioned this before, but it bears repeating, first impressions are critical. Be sure your property looks its very best for showings and virtual tours.

Proven Tips for Showing Your Home

• Ideally, you should be absent so buyers feel comfortable making comments
• Make sure your home highlight sheets are right near the front door in plain view
• Open all drapes and shades during the day to let in as much light as possible
• Turn on all the lights, especially dark corners and hallways
• Turn off the television. Play quiet background music.
• Showcase your homes best features
• If you’ve repainted in neutral tones, add bold splashes of color with throw pillows, pictures, crockery, etc.
• Place fresh flowers where they’ll stand out
• Open all doors between rooms to give an inviting feeling
• If possible, open windows beforehand to circulate fresh air
• Remove all clutter, ensure beds are make and clothes are put away
• Floors should be clean, carpets and rugs vacuumed
• Trash and recycling bins should be tidy and odor-free or out of sight if possible
• The kitchen and bathrooms should sparkle
• This trick still works, if possible bake cookies or put a pan of cinnamon in the oven to create a warm and inviting aroma
• Ideally, pets should be unseen. Pet areas should be clean and odor-free.
• Lock away and hide all cash, jewelry and small valuables

Important: Keep your home available and ready for showings at all times!

• This is especially important during the first 6 weeks when you’re selling your home and your listing is new.
• Try to accommodate the time the buyers want to see your home. While this may be inconvenient from time to time, you’ll want to be sure your maximizing the number of quality showings by motivated buyers.
• Allow your realtor to put a lock box on the front door to maximize access to your home for showings.

In general, negotiating the transaction is the most complex part of selling a home. It’s important to have an experienced and savvy Realtor who has successfully worked through many different transaction scenarios. So a buyer has submitted an offer. Now what? Below is an outline of the overall process.

Keep in mind, that most buyers are trying to get a good deal. Often they will submit an offer that is shocking low. Just because an offer is low doesn’t mean the buyer isn’t serious. Like all of us, we want to buy our home cheaply and sell it for a high price. The first offer is just the beginning of the sales process. There is almost always an expectation that you will counter the offer. Many times, there may be multiple rounds of negotiations between you and the buyer as you work towards a mutually agreeable sales price.

Overall Process for Selling Your Home

• Typically a buyer with the help of their own realtor will make an offer on your home using a contract that has been developed by your local real estate association in conjunction with legal counsel. These contracts enable the buyer to submit a price and they may also include clauses for specifying various terms of purchase, such as the closing and possession dates, the deposit amount, and a variety of other conditions.
• The offer will be delivered to your Realtor who will then present it to you. Closely review every detail of the offer with your Realtor. At this point, you can accept the offer, reject it, or counter it to initiate the negotiation process. Multiple offers and counter-offers with deadlines for responding and meeting various contingencies and special conditions (example – a home inspection or buyer financing) will be exchanged between you and the buyer until a mutually satisfactory pending agreement is reached or negotiations collapse.

Don’t show your hand

It is crucial to keep certain aspects of your selling situation (for example – how urgent you are to sell) as concealed as possible from the buyer and buyer’s agent.

Understand and respect the buyer’s priorities

While it’s important to keep your own priorities in mind, you also need to understand the priorities of the buyer. If a buyer is adamant about the sales price it may be because they are at the top of their price range and can’t afford a higher price. This is where creativity by your Realtor is important. There may be other concessions that could be made by the buyer which which will allow you to continue negotiations bringing you one step closer to selling your home.

Respond quickly to offers

If a buyer has submitted an offer, they are motivated to make a purchase. Respond as quickly as possible. Buyers have been known to get buyer’s remorse. If you want to sell your home, don’t delay. You want to work towards an agreement as fast as possible.

Stay calm and be patient

Sometimes buyers will make requests that are not acceptable to you. At all times keep communication civil and agreeable, even if the buyer gets tense, or you might lose the sale.

Agree on big issues first

Come to an agreement on any major issues first, then circle back and resolve any smaller issues. If you’re not able to agree on major issues, there is no sense in wasting your time negotiating on smaller issues.

Meet halfway

At the end of the day, if there are disagreements about relatively small expenses, split the difference.

Contingencies

When you’ve landed your buyer, your signed acceptance of a written offer becomes your sales contract. Except for removing any contingencies, this document is the binding basis for the sale. There will be set dates for contingency items such as a home inspection or confirming financing.

Rely on your Realtor

It’s your agent’s responsibility to represent your best interests every step of the way. Your success is their success.

If both you and the buyer have taken care of your respective obligations outlined in the contract the process of completing the transaction (closing, escrow and settlement) should go smoothly. Almost every sales agreement includes contingencies and special conditions that have to be fulfilled by the buyer and seller before the closing date which is usually thirty to sixty days after both parties sign the contract. Typical contingencies and special conditions include:

• The buyer securing financing
• A Title search which is a historical review of all legal documents relating to ownership of the property to ensure that there are no claims against the title of the property
• The purchasing of Title Insurance in case the records contain errors or there are mistakes in the review process
• A professional appraisal of the home, requested by the lender to ensure that the home’s actual value justifies the loan amount
• Any additional contractual promises you have made in connection with buyer incentives, home improvements, etc.
• An independent inspection of the home’s structural and functional condition (roof, electrical, air conditioning, plumbing, pool, etc.)
• The mold, radon and termite inspections should be performed by an inspection company that only provides these services
• A final walk-through by the buyer to look at the home to make sure that it’s in the same condition as when the sales agreement was signed

It is important to review the sales agreement with your Realtor and adhere to any obligations you committed to in the sales agreement. Any shortfalls or mistakes at this point can be very costly.

The closing is typically handled by a third party professional who conducts the closing proceedings. The third party is usually a lawyer or a title agent, I highly recommend an attorney represent your interests and conduct your portion of the closing process. The closing attorney or title company representative will review the sales agreement and does the following:

• Determines the total amount due from the buyer and collects the check
• Determines all the adjustments (e.g. seller prepayment of taxes, legal fees, association dues, etc.) and ensures that they’re factored into the transaction
• Assures that the transaction costs (closing, legal fees, etc.) are paid
• Determines the seller’s payments, credits and adjusted net proceeds
• Witnesses the seller’s signing of the property title and all other documentation associated with the transaction
• Collects the keys and any other necessary items from the seller
• Provides the seller with the net proceeds as well as copies of the documentation pertaining to the sale
• Ensures that the buyer’s title is properly recorded in the local records office along with any mortgage liens

The buyer will take possession within a couple days of the closing date.

I’m looking forward to the opportunity to work with you and congratulating you on selling your home!