Selling Your Property
A customized approach must be taken in order to sell your home for the maximum return. Before any plan or pricing is determined, I must visit/tour the property and then we can discuss the ideal plan to sell your home.
The most important step in the Selling Process is that you have made the decision to sell! I will assist you with the rest of the process.
The next step is to prepare your home for sale.
After my initial visit, I’ll go over some simple, effective steps to market and present your home to prospective buyers. With buyers, first impressions count! A small investment in time and money will give you an edge over other homes for sale in your neighbourhood!
The number one effective method of selling your home is cleaning! The buyer is interested in seeing how spacious your home feels so it’s important to make your home feel comfortable and inviting.
Tips to Keep in Mind when you Clean your Home!
1. Remove the biggest items first. This is a good time to remove and/or throw away unused furniture and miscellaneous items. It’s helpful if you decide whether you plan to take these items with you to your new home.
2. Remove/put away any personal items and or excessive personal collections. Personal items and/or personal collections tend to make the room feel smaller than it is. For example, if your walls are filled with family photos, it’s hard for the buyer to envision themselves in your home.
3. Remove those fridge magnets! Everyone has them on their fridge…selling your home is the only time that you should remove them because it makes the kitchen feel cluttered.
If necessary and/or applicable, I’ll hire a professional staging company. Staging a home is very effective if you plan to sell your investment property that is vacant or when your home needs updating.
If you live in a condo, it’s necessary to give copies of the strata documents to the prospective buyer. Without these documents, an offer to purchase your home will likely not proceed. It’s best to obtain all the documents prior to listing your home on the MLS® because additional charges will apply if we need to obtain ‘rushed’ copies from your strata corporation.
Professional photographs will be taken. Photos are the first impression that we give prospective buyers and it’s best to take as many photos as possible. Why? Photos generate interest and give buyers an opportunity to envision themselves in your home.
Floor plans are a great way to market your home. The plan will be used for feature sheets and created into a PDF for the web. It is another tool to help us qualify prospective buyers. Not only does a floor plan look professional, it’s useful for buyers and it verifies the room dimensions as the measurements are guaranteed (O&E insured). It takes around 2-3 days to produce a final floor plan.
Once we have taken care of the basics, I will provide you with a thorough market analysis of your home.
I will list your home on the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) after we have determined details such as pricing strategies and timing.
Pricing a home requires a lot more knowledge and experience than knowing the basic details of your home. Other details such as your neighbourhood, unique characteristics of your home, views, and recent renovations play a big factor when determining pricing. Contact me for further details.
Once your home is listed on the Multiple Listing Service®, your home needs to be marketed to prospective buyers using a customized approach. Below are a few methods that will be implemented:
Just Listed Flyers. This is a tried and true method of getting the word out there. Your neighbours might not be interested in buying a home at the moment but they might know someone that is currently looking to purchase a home similar to yours.
Internet Marketing. Let’s face it. Very few people visit a home without viewing it first on the internet. Not only can you view additional photos, but you can view other important details such as square footage, lot size, and number of bedrooms, just to name a few. Below are the ways I use internet marketing to reach prospective purchasers:
By using the MLS®, your home will be accessible to over 9,700 realtors in the Greater Vancouver area that are looking for properties like yours to show to their clients. The public can also view properties listed on the MLS® via realtor®.ca / MLS®.ca. The MLS® is the number one marketing tool that we should use that will give you the most exposure for your home.
A custom listing sheet will be produced and sent to my database via email and/or Facebook. These people are my clients, friends, and other people whom I met through open houses or acquaintances. They may not be currently searching but they may know someone who is looking for a home that meets their criteria.
Handling offers is one of the most important steps of the Selling Process.
As your agent, I will inform you as soon as I receive an offer to purchase your home. I will also guide you through the process of an offer, explain your options and negotiate on your behalf. Below are some important details that you need to consider:
- Expiry Date and Time
- Full name and legal address of the Buyer
- Sale price
- Amount of the Deposit and Terms
- Completion Date (on this day, you will receive the funds from the Buyer and the Title is transferred to the Buyer)
- Possession Date (the Buyer receives the keys to your home; utilities, pro-rated strata fees (if applicable) and property taxes are adjusted on this date)
- Any chattles included with the purchase (chattel=objects that are not attached but can be easily removed, for example, stove, drapes, refrigerator, etc.)
- List of Conditions that must be fulfilled (also known as Subject Clauses)
Within the time frame noted in the Contract of Purchase and Sale, I’ll negotiate the best price and terms on your behalf. There are many pros and cons when dealing with offers. Every situation is different!
Ideally, we want to be in the situation of competing offers, also known as ‘multiple offers’.
We’ll discuss the best way to proceed in this situation. Inexperienced agents won’t know how to manage a multiple offer situation. There’s legal implications for the Seller if not handled properly!
Congratulations! Your home is now officially sold when you have received the funds from the buyer and the Certificate of Title has been transferred to the buyer’s name!
Your lawyer or notary will also ensure that your old mortgage has been properly discharged (if required) as well as ensure that you have signed all the necessary documentation and properly submit those documents on your behalf.
On Possession day, I’ll ensure that the buyer has received all the keys to your home.
I hope you have a better sense about the Selling Process, how I work and how I can help you sell your home.
If you believe what I offer can benefit you, please get in touch with me.
