HOW TO SELL A HOME
As a top-ranked real estate agent in San Francisco, I’ve come to learn what’s needed to sell your home and get the best deal for YOU, and my more than 25 years of experience in changing markets speaks for itself. The number one goal I see as YOUR Realtor is getting the maximum dollar for your home while minimizing your stress level and the time to sell your property.
You sell a home for many reasons, from relocating, downsizing, investing, growing a family, retiring, or jumping into the real estate market as a first-time buyer. Whatever your reason, it is essential to bring in the right Realtor to help you achieve your goal.
Read more below for home-selling tips, guidelines to follow, or even an overview of home-selling.
You can call us at 415.735.8037, email me at mark@markdmchale.com, or send us a message to contact us if you have any questions.
Are YOU getting ready to sell?
Schedule a consultation today and get ready to discuss your home-selling needs.
How to Sell Your Property
Are you on the fence about deciding to sell your home or investment property? If you think about it, it's the right time to sit down with your Realtor® and have a conversation. Deciding to sell can be a process, and I can help you clarify your reasons and motivations, help you understand the market and what you can expect from the sale, and together we can create a game plan and timeline to get the best results.
You might want to sell your home or investment property for many reasons. Are you relocating to a new city or state for a job? Has a lifestyle changed, another child, divorce, or marriage? Maybe you're an empty nester now and need to downsize. Possibly you're retiring?
A casual conversation with your Realtor® can help you get clear about your intentions to sell, and it will help us create a plan that is appropriate for your goals.
Choosing the Right Real Estate Agent
Integrity, service, and results are what I offer my clients. I've seen every level of professionalism across the presentation and negotiation tables, and I am confident in what I offer.
Intake Consultation: a first conversation to introduce ourselves and discuss what you have in mind. I listen, ask questions, take notes, walk through the property, and take pictures to prepare to present in short order.
Property Evaluation (or Comparative Market Analysis): A detailed written opinion of how much your home is worth in today's marketplace compared to other recently sold properties nearby.
A Marketing Plan: outlining what I would do and how I would introduce your property to buyers for the best results.
Improvement Tips to Sell Your Property for the Highest Price Possible: Working within your budget, your desired level of involvement, and your timeline, I can suggest improvements that will likely increase your proceeds significantly.
A Detailed Estimate of the Costs of Selling and Your Proceeds: there can be significant costs in preparing and selling a property in San Francisco. To know what you have to work with, I will provide a detailed estimate of the numbers up front.
Spot On Presentation and Pricing: Professional staging, photos, and marketing materials are essential to getting buyers in the front door, and so is listing at the right price. We'll use proven strategies to attract the right buyers who are qualified to buy your property.
Risk Reduction: My job is to help you disclose all the relevant property details and reduce your legal risk when selling. I'll guide you through the required paperwork, reports, inspections, and additional forms to keep your risks low.
Transaction Management: My transaction coordinator will maintain a file of all documents, reports, and disclosures along the way and provide you with a complete and organized digital copy of everything delivered to you just a few days after your closing.
Project Management and Coordination of Service Providers: I'm a pro at managing vendors, contractors, service providers, and inspectors. It's a significant component of my service. You focus on where you're going, and I'll coordinate the sale events, look after the house while you're away, and keep you updated.
My A+ Team to Show and Sell Your Property: I have a team of experienced, trained, and trusted colleagues who will help me show your property and keep a watchful eye during open houses, private showings, agent tours, and other public events. I will deliver a verbal update on the outcome of each event.
Negotiating Skills: Get the best prices, terms, and timelines based on your wants and needs.
Effective Communications: Keep you informed and aware of our progress without overwhelming you with details or leaving you scratching your head wondering what's happening. I will keep an open channel of communication during and after the transaction.
Referrals to Quality Services: I offer tried and true service providers who do the job well, on budget, and at a fair price. I can even recommend a trusted agent in your destination city to make a move easier.
What is Your Property Worth?
Many times, most independent property or home sellers tend to overestimate the value of their property. Knowing the current marketing in your neighborhood, the surrounding neighborhood, and the town/city is how you'll benefit from working with an experienced real estate listing agent.
Preparing to Sell Your Property
Once you've chosen me as your real estate listing agent, I will get to work. There are many facets to consider to make a positive impact on potential buyers.
What does your home look like when potential buyers arrive? Freshening any landscaping, which includes creative touches like shrub and flower plantings, painting the façade, upgrade or repair windows and doors if needed, hiring a handyperson, and washing the windows. These small-ish changes will help boost your curb appeal for anyone stopping by to see your property.
What does the inside of your property or home look like when potential buyers come through? Keeping your home looking great from top-to-bottom during the sale means minimizing clutter, cleaning carpets, removing knickknacks, and painting. We want potential buyers to see the house and not be distracted by your life story (as exciting as that is!). I also highly suggest a professional stager.
What does your property look like on paper for potential buyers? When selling your home or property, it is essential to know the deeper bones of the building, and that's why disclosures and inspections are required. I know how to develop a thorough disclosure packet that benefits you and your potential buyers and lets you know what modifications, measures, and changes you should make before placing your property on the market.
Do buyers feel more comfortable discussing the property with an agent? Yes, they do, and this is why I ask you to trust me to present your property to potential buyers. I know what information is most valuable, and my focus is representing you and your interest when speaking to likely buyers. I'll show your property while you catch that movie you haven't seen yet.
Presentation and Marketing are Everything
My job is to take a more detached view of your property with market trends and buyers in mind because making the best first impression is critical.
I know what buyers want in a property and when they're willing to pay top dollar. The optimal presentation involves both the "look and feel" of the property and the pricing.
Consider moving out of the property: even temporarily. While it's not possible in every situation, I've found that a "lived-in" home dampens a buyer's enthusiasm and willingness to imagine themselves living in the space.
Property clean-up and improvements: even small unfinished items can create more significant problems in a buyer's mind. Thorough cleaning and making an effort to repair damaged or broken things can add thousands of dollars in value.
Staging: staging isn't just furniture; it is the fuel that provides a buyer with conceptual possibility, a sense of scale, and what's possible in the space. Staging creates an ambiance and allows buyers to see the space as it could and imagine themselves living there.
Photos, Videos, and Marketing Pieces: every property has something different to offer and various aspects that make it unique. I have a host of professionals I call upon who go to work to capture the best aspects of your home and create outstanding marketing pieces to attract the right buyers.
Proper pricing is the most important rule: ask me about the "buyer's psychology" Pricing right is everything- not too low to be misleading, and not so high as to make buyers go elsewhere.
Marketing Schedule: exposing a property to potential buyers can happen in several ways and depends primarily on your needs and expectations. Let's talk about off-market and on-market selling and see what's right for you- I have access to both markets, and either way, I'll provide you with a calendar of events so that you know what to expect.
Selecting the Right Offer
One of the big misconceptions when selecting the right offer for your property is that the highest offer price wins. The initial offer is not necessarily the final offer, and terms and conditions influence the "value to the seller" of the ultimate sale price. Taking each proposal and reviewing them carefully with you is another way you can trust me to represent your interests. I will help you understand which offers are the best for you and if additional capacity is available from those making the offer.
My goal from day one of my marketing efforts is to attract at least one excellent offer- likely more than one. When I receive an offer(s), I go to work cleaning up missed details, clarifying the buyer's intentions, securing proof of funds and financial capacity, and vetting lenders, inspectors, and agents while putting the terms of each offer side by side for easy comparison even before we talk.
Reviewing offers side-by-side, apples-to-apples, is made easier with my insight and experience. I'll guide you through the pros and cons of each and provide my opinion if more money or better terms are in sight. Ultimately, the choices are yours, and once you're satisfied with the best offer, I will get all the pertinent documents signed and begin escrow.
Escrows, Inspections, & Appraisals
Once you've accepted an offer, the next phase of the transaction is escrow which can include inspection, appraisal, and loan contingencies. In short, here is a definition of each as it pertains to selling real estate.
Escrow: (Also known as being "in-contract"), in the simplest terms, is an account held by a neutral, trusted third party to carry out the agreed instructions of the contract. The escrow officer works with both parties to perform as promised, and the escrow account holds the funds (like the initial deposit, down payments, lender funds, etc.). When all the funds are in place and all the instructions are complete, the buyer and seller will transfer the ownership by recording the buyer's names on the title and then "close escrow."
Inspections: The buyers are entitled to any and all inspections to understand what they are buying. Inspections in a more balanced real estate market generally occur after their offer is accepted. The results of these inspections might result in a request that the seller does some repair work or a credit back to the buyers. In a seller's market, the seller generally completes the customary inspections before listing the property for sale. Buyers are asked to review the reports with the hope that an offer is written "as-is" with no additional inspections requested.
Appraisal: If financing is involved, the lender will want to be sure the property values more than the loan considered, so they will order an appraiser to visit the property and determine its fair market value. The appraisal report is used with the buyer's total credit picture to approve the loan.
Loan Approval: Once the lender receives and approves the appraisal report and the buyers receive any final item requests, the lender then provides loan approval, and the buyers can remove the appraisal and loan approval contingencies.
Preparing to Depart: it's considerate to assemble all warranty and owner's manuals, gather extra keys and garage door openers, and write down paint colors and irrigation timers. It's also important to contact your utility providers and remove your name from the accounts.
What to Expect at Close of Escrow
Now, we're in the home stretch. As we approach the close of escrow, there are just a few more pieces to pull together before transferring property ownership.
Walk-through Inspection: a few days before closing, the buyers will ask for a walk-through inspection to ensure the property is delivered to them as it should be. The property should be free of the seller's items, the staging cleared, and the property cleaned again for the new buyers to take possession.
Preparation: sometimes, problems can occur even in this last stage, whether a snag with the buyer's loan or just some last-minute paperwork needed. In my 20 years of experience, I've seen some pretty quirky issues come up, and I usually know how to handle them efficiently. Not to worry, I'll be the first to know about it and will get to work to put a solution in place.
The Signing Appointment: the signing appointment is where everything comes together, where you arrive at the escrow office to sign all the documents. We will ensure the financial numbers add up, the title report is clear, and the payoff notices are in place. You won't see the buyers, but they will have a signing appointment. I will be with you to answer any questions you might have as we review each form. Here are a few things to keep in mind as we get to this point:
You will receive a settlement statement before the signing appointment to verify the financial details, including the proceeds you can expect.
Bring your bank routing and account numbers if you want to wire your proceeds.
Bring a valid ID such as a driver's license or a passport.
Bring any remaining keys and garage door openers to the closing.
The closing: when all the paperwork has been received and verified by the escrow officer and the buyer's lender, the escrow officer disburses the funds in escrow to the various parties- you among them. At the same time, the property records with the tax assessor under the new buyer(s)' name. You'll get a phone call from me stating "you are now off title- congratulations!" This part typically takes several days to happen after you sign. If you are wiring proceeds to your account, you can expect the process to take an additional business day.