THE SELLING PROCESS It is very important to understand the steps involved in selling your home. Here is what to expect. Pre-Listing
Before listing your home you may want to interview several companies to find the best fit. When you call Seller's Realty Group, we will need to ask you a few questions about your home and your motivations. We will answer any immediate questions you have and arrange for a time to view your home and present our market analysis. One trap that many sellers fall into happens when a seller only look at the price a broker recommends. For many agents, any listing increases the number of calls they receive. So by overpricing a home, the agent "buys the listing." This process helps the broker, but hurts the seller. Over pricing your home will generally costs you time and money. Your decision on representation should be based on service, professionalism and commission structure, not suggested selling price. Marketing
After a listing agreement is signed, we will arrange a time when we can photograph your home. We like to allow the home owner adequate time to prepare for this session, because these pictures will show potential buyers what your home will look like and will let them imagine them living in your home. When the home is ready for viewing we will take virtual tours and videos, if necessary. When staging your home it is important to remember that clean, neat and clutter free is what impresses a buyer. Self-storage of all unnecessary items is highly recommended. The photographs will be used online, in the newspapers and in the design of your custom for sale sign. Showings
Your home will be available to all real estate agents via the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). Agents will call us to arrange a showing appointment. Some agents may be touring with clients, see your sign and request a showing without notice, remember be flexible, as this may be the showing that sells your home. Our electronic access key ensures only legitimate agents can gain access to your home, it will also record the person and time of entry. Our appointment desk will request feedback from every agent that shows your home, this helps us track interest and first impressions. We use this information to improve future showings and advertising. Offers
Once an offer is presented to our office, we will check the buyer's ability to purchase your home and assess how the offer terms and conditions may affect you. We will then contact you with details of the offer. All offers will be presented within minutes of receipt. Although all written offers must be presented, you always have three options; to accept, to counter or simply decline the offer. We do everything possible to encourage multiple offers. Multiple offers can become complex scenarios. There is no simple explanation; we will always work with you to achieve the best result. Contracts
The contract is a legal document between the buyer and the seller that outlines each person's responsibilities. In New Jersey, the standard contract has an "Attorney Review Clause." This clause allows three business days for both the buyer and seller to consult an attorney. Under this provision, either a buyer or seller can cancel the contract for any reason during this period. Seller's Realty Group always recommends you retain legal counsel to represent your interests pertaining to the contract. Inspections
Buyers will hire professionals to inspect your home; these inspections may reveal defects ranging from a leaky faucet to structural damage. Once the inspections are done the buyers may request that you rectify or compensate for defects. Buyers and sellers look at these defects very differently and it is usually at this point when a contract falls apart. Fortunately this is why you hired professionals to handle the negotiations and sale of your home. Appraisals, Contingencies and Commitments
The appraisal is ordered by the buyer's mortgage company to verify that the selling price of the home is justified. A lender will not loan more then the market value, this is why initial pricing of your home is crucial. Contingencies are often used when a buyer is using the proceeds from his sale to buy your home. You have probably heard horror stories about contingencies wrecking deals; the truth is a contingency is most often used to strengthen your position as a seller. Commitments are simply letters issued by the lender stating they are happy with the progress. Quite often these commitments contain conditions that still need to be met; this is normal and nothing to be worried about. Closing
The buyer's will generally do a walkthrough of the house the morning of closing, this is just to make sure the house has not burned down and that you left what was indicated in the contract (washer/dryer etc). Closing is just a fancy word referring to the exchange of keys and monies. The closing can take place anywhere; quite often it is in the office of the buyer's attorney. At the closing you will see a sheet called the HUD-1, this simply defines where all the money goes and where it came from. Note: Although every sale is unique, it typically takes about 45 days from signing of contracts to closing. Top
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Back to FAQ Why shouldn't I use a discount Broker? Instead of paying a 5-6% commission, some sellers are initially attracted to 3% commissions or flat fees. This is a big mistake. Under these schemes, the buyer's agent receives at most a 1% commission. As mentioned above, most buyers already have representation with a buyer's agent. As strong as a seller's desire is to save money by paying lower commissions, agents are human beings that respond to incentives. As a result, homes that offer low commissions are not generally shown. Therefore, unrepresented buyers are the only audience for these homes. Higher commissions attract more buyers. More buyers mean competition for your home and more money in your pocket. This is especially important as the market cools. Back to FAQ
How long will you be my agent? As long as you want us to be. While, by law, we need to have a fixed end date, with our unconditional service guarantee, you can end our contractual business relationship with-in one business day. You can do this with any reason - or no reason at all. At Seller's Realty Group, we do not think that you should have to maintain a relationship with any agent if they are not doing the job for you. We work for you - you do not work for us. Back to FAQ Why should I consider your services? Your home is typically the greatest asset you have. When it comes to selling, everyone has a friend or family member in the business who is more then willing to represent you whether you are in their market area or not. The question is: Do I entrust my greatest asset with a specialized professional at Seller's Realty Group, or a friend of a friend who may be full or part-time, but will certainly be primarily a buyer's agent? Typically, sales agents spend about 90% of their time with buyers, leaving less then ½ a day per week dedicated to you and the other sellers they handle. At Seller's Realty Group we devote our complete attention to you the seller. The only time that we represent buyers is when they specifically ask to see your property. The vast majority of our time is devoted to making sure your house will sell for as much as possible. We spend more money advertising the average home than anyone in the industry. With our group concept , an agent is on call 24/7. If an agent goes on vacation, has a sick child, or a family event, then your property will never suffer. Our agents rotate being "On Call", so no matter what time a client or customer calls it won't be an imposition. Our mission is to provide the highest level of service in the industry, and do it at a lower cost. Back to FAQ Can you explain your unconditional service guarantee? As part of our ongoing commitment to providing superior service to our clients, we proudly back our services with an unconditional guarantee. This guarantee allows you to cancel your listing agreement at any time - for any reason. Upon receiving your request to cancel our agreement, within one business day, we will remove your home from all marketing and multiple listing services and our lawn sign. If you are intending to list your home with another brokerage firm, we would ask that you supply us with their contact information so that we may provide them with a written release to avoid any marketing delays. There is a 90 day protection period, beginning from the date of termination that allows Seller's Realty Group to complete a transaction under the original listing agreement terms. This protection applies for those buyers who have viewed your home during our listing period, whether with us or a cooperating broker. Back to FAQ Top
TIPS AND ADVICE FOR SELLING YOUR HOME Whether you're making a job change, retiring or just in need of a change of scenery, one thing is certain when it comes to the sale of your home: your main objective is to determine the best and most realistic price for your home and to achieve it in the least expensive and quickest amount of time. First impressions are lasting; therefore the presentation of your property is critical in creating interest from potential purchasers. Below are some simple suggestions that will improve the presentation of your home and help you achieve the highest possible price. - Exteriors - A bright and cheery home invites inspection. Keep your lawn trimmed and edged and the flower beds cultivated.
- Sparkling interior - Clean the walls, floors and skirting and marks on the carpet or around light switches. Put clutter away neatly in cupboards, clear tables and countertops, and don't leave dishes in the sink. A thorough house cleaning will give your home that well-kept look.
- Pets - Not everyone is a pet lover, and not every pet is a people lover. So when it comes to pets and selling, it is a good idea to either contain them in a garage with a warning sign, or coral them in the back yard. This will reduce stress on your pet and allow the buyers to view your home in peace. Better yet, remove your pet from the house, whenever possible.
- Odors - refresh your house and remove any strong odors.
- Storage and closet space - Storage is an important feature. Remove all the unnecessary articles that have accumulated. A house with minimal furnishings, etc. will appear larger and more welcoming. We encourage every seller to take all unnecessary items to a self-storage facility for temporary storage.
- Fix faults - Repair defects that can annoy buyers such as dripping faucets, sticky doors, loose tiles, etc.
- Bedrooms and bathrooms - Neat, orderly rooms look larger. Tidy up the bedroom for a spacious appearance. Check and double check your bathroom. Bright and clean bathrooms sell many houses.
Leave the house - Buyer's will feel more comfortable looking at your house when you are not there. The longer a buyer stays in your home the greater your chance is of a sale. Make buyers comfortable. Top
PRE-LISTING QUESTIONS Now that you are ready to sell, we have prepared a list of questions for you to answer before calling us. These answers will assist us in preparing a pre-inspection market analysis of your home. We will then meet at your home to validate the findings, confirm when you would like to begin marketing, and schedule a time for the photography. QUESTIONS: - Address, including name of development?
- Who owns it?
- When did they buy it?
- Style of home?
- Beds/baths and lot size?
- What renovations or landscaping has been done?
- What do you consider your homes greatest feature/selling point?
- What is the reason you are selling? (timeframe desired)
- Will you need the sale to coincide with your next purchase?
- Are you or have you been recently listed unsuccessfully?
Now call your professionals at Seller's Realty Group and let us sell your home the way we would sell our own. Commission:
We will go over this in depth during our home visit. In short we charge 2% for our services and 2½% for the buyer's broker, So your total commission will be 4½%. Top
UNCONDITIONAL SERVICE GUARANTEE Seller's Realty Group is so certain that our service is superior, we proudly back our services with an unconditional guarantee. This guarantee allows you to cancel your listing agreement at any time - for any reason. Upon receiving your request to cancel our agreement, within one business day, we will remove your home from all marketing and multiple listing services and our lawn sign. We have all heard horror stories of agents who do nothing to sell a property. Sellers try everything to get their agents to work for them. Often they have to mark the days off their calendar until their listing contract expires. Not with Seller's Realty Group. We believe agents should work for sellers. Sellers don't work for their agents. If you are intending to list your home with another brokerage firm, we would ask that you supply us with their contact information so that we may provide them with a written release to avoid any marketing delays. There is a 90-day protection period, beginning from the date of termination that allows Seller's Realty Group to complete a transaction under the original listing agreement terms. This protection applies for those buyers who have viewed your home during our listing period, whether with us or a cooperating broker. Top
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