An easy answer is when it’s best for you! Obviously, if you are closing on a home purchase, moving for work, or want to get settled before the new school year, you have a timeline you need to work with. But, if you have the luxury of choosing when to sell, there are a few considerations. Spring is traditionally a time when there are more buyers looking, but you may also have more competition. Fall, and closer to the holidays, is a good time to get a higher price from buyers that need to move before the new year. Watching the market is always smart. A seller’s market, meaning there are more buyers than sellers, is always a good time to list.

The value of your home is determined by both quantitative and qualitative factors. The first is a calculation of home price based on similar properties sold near you. The qualitative factors are covered in the comparative market analysis, where we will apply a subjective lens on the house. Does it need repairs? Did you recently renovate? Each unique attribute of your home will play a role in determining the price.

Determining your home’s market value is one very important reason to use a real estate agent. We will do a comparative market analysis (CMA) to help you set the correct listing price. We look at recent sales of comparable homes, similar homes that are under contract, and homes that are listed in the same price range of your home. Then we compare features of the homes including the size, style, number of rooms, age of the home, amenities, condition, lot size and placement, and the location or neighborhood. (Note: the tax appraiser’s assessed value of your home has nothing to do with the market price.)

The seller and listing agent must disclose material facts and material defects about a home or property. We always advise our sellers to over-disclose anything that you are aware of pertaining to the property, whether it’s a leaky faucet, an appliance that doesn’t work properly, or neighborhood noise - - disclose it all.

Setting a very high price just to “see what we get” is never a good idea. Setting an unreasonably high price usually results in longer time on the market, which does not look good to buyers and will frustrate you. Many sellers ask about the price that Zillow or other real estate websites give for their home. These are not reliable because these sites are only taking into consideration very general demographics. Our job is to determine the perfect listing price to get your home sold for the most amount of money, in the shortest amount of time.

The length of time on market will depend upon the market in your area at the time of listing and whether the home is priced realistically. We are always working to get you the highest price in the shortest time possible. On average, a home that is priced right goes under contract in two to eight weeks. If you need to sell fast, that should be reflected in the list price.

The standard real estate commission is 6% of the sales price, split between the listing and selling sides. Commissions are not paid directly to the agents, but to brokers. There are fees we pay for marketing your home on MLS and other websites, administrative costs, insurance fees, and required fees for storing your transaction records as required by law.  As your agent, we will work very hard to represent you ethically and with your best interest always the priority. If you have any questions about the commissions, we’d be happy to talk with you further.

We recommend that you give the home a thorough cleaning– get rid of anything you aren’t taking with you, declutter surfaces, take care of repairs, make sure the major mechanical systems are in good operation, have the exterior pressure cleaned and the landscaping spruced up. You may also consider repainting if it is overdue or if the home is painted in dark or bold colors.

We will decide together on how to handle showings. We can set parameters as to the hours and days that showings are allowed, and how to notify you in advance. Homes show best when the homeowner is not present, but if this is not possible, we will work together to create the best experience for the buyer that also fits your lifestyle. Usually we use an electronic lockbox that allows buyers’ agents to access your house key. These boxes also notify me any time they are opened, so no one is accessing your home without my knowledge. If you have pets in the home that need to be tended to during showings, we will work out the best way to handle them. Furthermore, I will try to get feedback from each showing and pass that information back to you.

Hands down, our best marketing tool is the Multiple Listing Service (MLS.) This is the database all real estate agents use when searching for properties for buyers. And buyers are using websites like Zillow, which is why all of our listings automatically show up on these websites through the MLS. We will also take care of the professional photography, videography and all other marketing including print and online ads to ensure your home is shown in the best light across all mediums. We will list your home on our company website, and we also use additional avenues such as open houses and brokers’ tour to attract buyers.

When you sell your home, you may be responsible for paying taxes on the money you earn (𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘺) — depending on how long you’ve lived there. To legally avoid these taxes, you’ll have to live in your home for at least two of the past five years; then, you can exclude up to $250,000 in gains from a home sale if you’re single, and up to $500,000 if you’re married filing jointly. 𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘰 𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘊𝘢𝘱𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘎𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘴- 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘶𝘵! ⁣