Selling your home is a huge decision and there is a lot to consider and prepare before and during the process. It is important to know what is involved and what it will mean for you. Realty Executives are experts in the home selling process. Use this exclusive Home Seller’s Guide to help walk you through the process from start to finish in preparation for selling your home.

Do Your Research

It is important to know the state of your local real estate market – and whether it is currently a buyers or sellers market. If you are able to be flexible with the time of the sale of your home, it is best to wait until it is a sellers market. A sellers market is when there are more buyers searching for homes, which can give you better negotiating power and can drive the value of your home up! Of course, if time does not permit and it is a buyers market, it does not mean your home won’t sell – some neighborhoods could still be a hot market despite it being a buyers market (and vice versa). It really takes a local area expert to understand the demand for homes in certain areas.

Find the Right Agent

Hiring a professional real estate agent is the best way to ensure you are going to sell your home at the best price in a timely manner. Ask family, friends or coworkers if they know any agents that they had good experiences with – or if there are agents they would not recommend. As noted above, agents with experience in your neighborhood is also important. See which agents work often within your neighborhood and who know the community and market. Most importantly, find someone who you want to work with, who you trust and that makes you feel comfortable being in your home. 

Make Home Improvements

When starting the home selling process, it is important to put your best foot forward when it comes to improvements. The common wear and tear on a home can lessen its appeal and sales value. Take a look and determine what improvements your current home could benefit from and then decide which are easy enough to handle on your own and which may require hiring a professional. A Realty Executives agent will be able to help you identify the best use of money and what improvements are necessary will get the best ROI. 

Curb appeal is always key for potential buyers, so make sure to give them a memorable first impression – spend some time cleaning up the front yard, power wash your driveway and add some seasonal plants to pots and garden beds.

Get a CMA and Price Your Home 

A CMA is a comparative market analysis that will tell you what similar homes have sold or are currently on the market for in your area. Your real estate agent should provide you with a CMA as part of their listing presentation which he or she typically presents during the interview process. The CMA will also include the price or price range that your agent suggests listing your home for. 

When pricing your home, make sure to ask your agent about a pricing strategy. For example, your agent might recommend to price slightly lower in an effort to get a bidding war and raise the price of the final offer. Ultimately, you need to be comfortable discussing the sale price and what is in the realm of what you will accept for the home.

Stage Your Home

Selling your home is a great excuse to clean out those closets and get rid of extra clutter. Potential buyers need to be able to see themselves in the home, which is hard to do when someone else’s personal belongings are scattered throughout. Remove photos, family valuables and other personal items to not only set the stage but to protect your belongings during open houses. 

After staging the home, freshen up everything you can – fresh towels, clean carpets, sparkling countertops. To add a special touch, order fresh flowers or cookies before an open house to make your home as welcoming as possible.

Market Your Home

Gaining the most exposure for your home is a top priority. Your real estate agent should be strategically placing your listing to help attract qualified and serious buyers. In today’s society, the internet is the number one place buyers are shopping around so make sure your agent has an extensive online marketing strategy. The agent should know how to market the home, and the community as well. Advertise schools, great restaurants, local parks and other amenities close to home and present your neighborhood as the full package.

Negotiate the Sale

Once you receive an offer, you may accept, reject or counter it. If you decide the counter the offer, be prepared to begin the negotiation process. Your real estate agent should be the main resource in guiding you through this process but depending on common practice in your area, you may also want to hire a real estate lawyer. As a seller, this process can be stressful but ask questions, be patient and rely on the professionals. 

Seal the Deal and Hand Over the Keys

Completing the home sale includes several stages. Depending on the area you are selling in, these settlements are generally handled by the closing agent, but that could differ. Be prepared to sign a lot of documents and bring various forms of personal identification. Depending on the state you live in, you may sign during the same appointment as your buyer, or you may do it separately. 

The keys are handed over to the buyer once you have moved out of the home, in accordance with your contract with the buyer. Sometimes the keys are handed over immediately and other times it could be later. 

We hope this guide assists as you navigate what is likely to be one of the biggest financial transactions of your life. Don’t worry, you will get through it all. The trick is to start planning early and take it one step at a time!

By following this guide, your home selling process should run smoothly. Are you ready to sell you home? Contact us today at (800) 252-3366 or visit www.realtyexecutives.com to view agents in your area.

Click to download Home Seller’s Guide or Home Buyer’s guide.

Article Source: Realty Executives International

Realty Executives Midwest
1310 Plainfield Rd. Ste 2 | Darien, IL 60561
Office: 630-969-8880
E-Mail: experts@realtyexecutives.com

Moving can be stressful for all members of the family, but especially your kids. No matter the age, kids can have a difficult time adjusting to a move, especially once back-to-school season rolls around. Since summer is the most popular time of year to move, starting a new school after moving can be challenging, so here are a few tips for helping your kids feel less alone when starting a new school this fall.

Be A Helpful Listener

Your child’s reaction to moving may be exactly or entirely different than what you expect, so keep an open mind, be positive, and above all, be a good listener. Your child should know that you are there for them no matter what. Talk about the move frequently and share what that means when it comes to starting a new school, and listen to how your child is feeling about the changes.

Go For A Sneak Peek Of The School

Giving yourself a sneak peek of your child’s new school can help not only your child adjust, but you as well. Once you figure out which school your child will be going to, take them on a walkthrough of the campus, checking out the classrooms, cafeteria, recess area, etc. Test out the morning drive or bus route, walk around the school hallways to get a feel for them, and start talking about what it will be like for your child to be a student there. This will make it easier on them once the first day rolls around and they already know what to expect.

Talk To The School’s Staff

During your sneak-peek visit or before or after, talk to your school’s staff when enrolling your child about what they might be feeling or going through. Ask the school’s staff what resources they may provide for new students to help them adjust and feel more at ease when they first start. You can even get in touch with your child’s teachers to let them know how your child is currently feeling about the move and ask if they can help your child feel more welcome as a student.

Don’t Set Unrealistic Expectations

No matter what, your child will adjust to moving to a new school in their own way, so don’t set unrealistic expectations for them. Keep the discussion open, especially within the first days and weeks of the school year, so your child can always come to you if they are having any issues with their new school, teachers, classmates, or the change in general. Remember how you felt when you were a kid and try to sympathize as much as possible. But still make the change fun, since it’s a new opportunity to make new friends in a new place.

Article Source: Realty Executives International 

Realty Executives Midwest
1310 Plainfield Rd. Ste 2 | Darien, IL 60561
Office: 630-969-8880
E-Mail: experts@realtyexecutives.com

Don't miss out on learning more about Medicare's benefits, shortfalls, and the solutions available to help fill Medicare gaps. K&B Financial, Inc. are holding two informational sessions on August 13th, 2 & 6 pm. Please click here for more information on the event! 

Realty Executives Midwest
1310 Plainfield Rd. Ste 2 | Darien, IL 60561
Office: 630-969-8880
E-Mail: experts@realtyexecutives.com

If you're buying or a selling a home, it's important to know how the market is currently doing to make better decisions. Here's a video from our local Real Estate Board Mainstreet Market breaking down the current Market and future trends.
For more information contact one of our expert agents.

Realty Executives Midwest
1310 Plainfield Rd. Ste 2 | Darien, IL 60561
Office: 630-969-8880
E-Mail: experts@realtyexecutives.com

Buying a home is a huge step and there’s a lot to learn along the way. Before you get too far into the process, it is important to know what’s involved and what it will mean for you. Realty Executives is here to help you get prepared by offering this exclusive Homebuyer’s Guide that will walk you through the home-buying process from start to finish.

Realty Executives Midwest
1310 Plainfield Rd. Ste 2 | Darien, IL 60561
Office: 630-969-8880
E-Mail: experts@realtyexecutives.com