First steps to selling your home - Easy breezy

Okay so let's state the obvious here, selling a house can be nerve wrecking and intimating BUT if you hire the right agent, it can be a breeze and quite a pleasant and stress-free journey! From my experience, communication between agent and client are key! So before deciding to sell your home, envision how you would want the home selling experience to go for you! Let's jump in to the first few steps to getting your home on the market!

The very first thing you should consider when thinking about selling is doing a nice thorough walk through of your home. Has there been some repairs you've been meaning to get to? Considering a few minor repairs can make all the difference when deciding to sell. Chances are, if there are imperfections that stick out to you, they may stick out to potential buyers as well. Also, more often than not, homeowners tend to be so focused on preparing the interior of their home that they forget about the exterior. Making sure your home has some decent curb appeal can and WILL attract buyers!

Now, let's be realistic here! I'm not saying that you need to go and dish out thousands of dollars to make a ton of repairs. Things such as: a fresh coat of paint on a scratched-up wall or replacing any broken hardware would suffice. If your worried about having to repair any big-ticket items, I think it's best to save those concerns to discuss with your realtor and go from there. Your agent will also give you some staging tips and recommend how to keep your home clean and in tip top shape for any potential buyers that walk though.

Next is FINDING THE RIGHT AGENT FOR YOU! There are so many of us out there who can't wait to help you. Asking friends and family for referrals is always a good place to start. I recommend doing some of your own research. There are tons of websites out there that will choose an agent for you based on your zip code and you can decide from there who you want to contact. Once you have a couple agents in mind that you want to call, jot down some questions you want to ask them.

"How will you market my home?"

"How will you use social media?"

"What offline resources will you use?"

And what I'm sure your most curious about: "What's your commission?"

Remember, every one of us realtors are different and bring different strategies to the table. Don't assume that the most inexpensive agent will get the job done. Our time is valuable and any agent who's confident in their abilities to sell your home will ask for fair compensation.

Once you've chosen an agent, it's time to meet in person and have the agent tour your home. At this stage in the game, I'm going to assume you've only had a phone conversation so far. This meet and greet is what we call a "listing appointment". This is where client and agent meet face to face so if you have more questions and concerns, now would be the time to share. Your agent should come prepared with a detailed market analysis of your home and all contracts needed if you decide to move forward. In my opinion, I think the most important topic is discussing what your home is worth right? Sometimes sellers believe their home is worth more than the market says it is or you may be surprised to learn it's worth more than what you thought. Either way, you and your agent will should come to an agreement as to what the list price should be then we start the signing of the contracts. Your agent will then start taking pictures of the interior and exterior which will be used to market your home. If I was the agent that you just officially signed with, I'd be shaking your hand and jumping for joy because I'm literally so excited to make this the best possible experience for you!

That same day, I would be putting it on the MLS for the world to see, preparing my social media posts to advertise it, ordering a For Sale sign and planning an open house (if that's something you agree to)

Remember what I said in my introduction about how, in my opinion, communication is key! Your agent should be updating you a few times a week if not daily with feedback from showings and should be presenting you with any offers that come through in a timely manner.

Well, there ya have it in a nutshell! That'll get any seller started when thinking of selling. Sounds easy right? The home selling process should be as stress-free as possible and the weight of it all should fall mostly on your agent. As a realtor, I always strive to make this process as smooth as I can for my clients.

Once you have an offer that you'd like to accept, there's a new series of steps that'll take place but again, your agent will guide you through! We're not just there to sell your home then call it a day, we're there to offer moral support and advice! And to top it off, you just made a forever friend in the world of Real Estate!