1. Your listing agent
• Will represent you and have a fiduciary responsibility to look out for your best interests.
• Interview agents and determine who is your neighborhood specialist!
• Negotiate your listing agreement, including term.

2. Get Home Ready for Sale
• We can assist you in getting your home ready! Below are some ideas if you’d like to get started.
• Prepare your home for sale by cleaning, de-cluttering and improving curb appeal.
• Hire a professional stager to stage your home, or Brettany will assist in providing staging for your home.
• Protect your privacy while your home is on the market.
• If you’re selling a home where pets live, make alternate plans for your pets.

3. Figure Out How Much Your Home is Worth
• Pricing your home at a competitive price will make or break your selling experience.
• A seller’s biggest mistake is to overprice.
• Price your home in line with sold homes identified in a comparative market analysis report.
• Consider whether your market is hot, cold or neutral, and price according to the market temperature.

4. Marketing Your Home
• Identify the sizzling selling points and choose advertising words to sell.
• A full marketing profile and plan should be given to you so that you know exactly where your property is being advertised, how it is being advertised and who is viewing your property. Weekly reports can be sent to you so you are informed of all activity.

5. Show Your Home
• If you’re wondering about lockbox vs. appointments, you’ll get more showings if you allow agents to utilize a lockbox. However, appointments will be made if you occupy the home.
• Your home will show better if you are selling in spring or summer.
• Selling during the holidays will likely result in slower activity so be patient and trust your agent.
• Your agent will provide you with buyer feedback so we can adjust together, your price, condition or marketing campaigns accordingly.

6. Receive Purchase Offers and Negotiate
•  Offers should be evaluated based on the market trends and activity.
• Even if you receive a lowball offer, we will negotiate by issuing a counter offer. Don’t ignore offers.
• Don’t be afraid to make a full-price counter offer, if you are priced competitively.
• If you are priced right, prepare yourself for multiple offers.
• Your agent will assist you throughout this entire process and explain in detail what is happening, as it happens.

7. Open Escrow / Order Title
• Once we have an accepted offer there are some things that need to happen right away.
• Open escrow and order a title policy.
• We will select a date to close based on when the buyer’s loan will fund.

8. Schedule Appraiser Appointment
• Clean the house the day before the appraiser arrives.
• If you receive a low appraisal, ask your agent about alternatives.
• You are not entitled to receive a copy of the appraisal if you did not pay for it.
• If the buyer decides to cancel the contract based on an appraisal, ask your agent about your rights.

9. Cooperate with Home Inspection
• Get ready for the home inspector.
• Ask your agent to provide you with a home inspection checklist so you will know which items an inspector will want to see.
• Expect that the inspector will want access for an attic inspection and will look for a wet basement; prepare those areas for inspection.
• Prepare as well for the final walk-through inspection.

10. Obtaining Seller-Required Inspections
• If your contract calls for a roof certification, hire a reputable company to conduct the inspection.
• States that allow for termite / pest inspections make these reports public records.
• The fees for all inspection reports, even if seller-mandated, are negotiable.
• If your home was built before 1950, a sewer inspection might call for a new sewer line, but trenchless sewers are less expensive to install.

11. Delivery Seller Disclosures
• All homes in the US are subject to lead-based paint disclosures.
• If you are aware of material facts, disclose them.
• Your title company should provide CC&Rs, but if you belong to a homeowner association, additional documentation will be required.

12. Negotiate Request for Repair
• Ordinarily, sellers do not need to accept a buyer’s request for repair; however, buyers can generally then cancel.
• You are entitled to a copy of the home inspection report, if the buyers request repairs.
• If you do not choose to make repairs, a buyer might instead accept a closing cost credit.

13. Ask Buyer to Release Contingencies
• In California, for example, contracts default to 17 days, at which time, the buyer must release contingencies.
• If you do not demand a release, buyers are not obligated to provide it.
• If buyers do not provide a release, in CA, sellers have the right to cancel.

14. Sign Title / Escrow Documents
• In southern California, you will sign escrow documents shortly after opening escrow.
• In northern California, you will sign escrow documents near closing.
• Bring a valid picture ID.

15. Close Escrow
• Your property deed, re-conveyance and deed of trust will record in the public records.
• Title will notify you and your agent when it records.
• Depending on buyer’s possession rights specified in the contract, you may be required to move on the day it closes.

For more information about selling your home please contact The Peral Group at 626.272.0816.