When it’s time to sell, you need professionals with experience working in your best interest! When it comes to setting a competitive listing price, offering advice on the best way to prepare the home, scheduling the listing photos, setting up the showing request system, negotiating offers, maintaining contact with multiple parties throughout the process, & seeing the transaction through closing… having a team on your side will assist in making the process as smooth as possible!
A one-on-one personal Market Analysis appointment will allow us to discuss the estimated value of your home based on current market conditions. We will also discuss what home improvements could add value as well as what services I provide to assist with getting your home sold! This is completely FREE, NO pressure, and NO obligation!
A Real Estate Broker (commonly referred to as a Real Estate Agent) acts as an advocate for you. As Real Estate Professionals we are legally obligated to put your best interest as our first priority! You can rest assured knowing you have our team on your side!
Real Estate Brokers have access to the Multiple Listing Services (MLS). They are required to enter all their listings into the system. It creates a public market for active home listings and maximizes your home exposure. Any buyer who is working with a Real Estate Broker will be using the MLS to search for their home as they will receive the notification as soon as it is available.
Your Real Estate Agent will be your advocate in negotiations and decision making when it comes to sales price, earnest money, closing date, contingencies, inspections, and any other issues that may arise. We are essentially a tool to help ease the process and make sure you understand what is happening to prevent any miscommunications or problems with the Buyer. It is extremely helpful to have a professional advocate for you if any stressful and/or emotional situations should arise during the process.
The REALTOR® designation identifies real estate professionals who are active members of the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR). As such, they are held to a higher standard of ethics. Members must have a valid license, be active, clean record (no official sanctions for unprofessional conduct), and no recent/pending bankruptcy.Cindy is a member of NAR & does carry the REALTOR designation.
If you need to sell your current home to qualify to purchase your new home, you will need to make sure any offer you make is “Contingent” upon the successful sale. We would then aim for a “simultaneous closing”, which would make the funds for your purchase available at the closing of the sale. If your current home were to close before your purchase, you may have to find somewhere temporary to stay until you are able to move into your new home.
A timeline to get a home on the market depends on each situation. After the initial Market Analysis meeting, we will decide a timeframe. If you have no work to be done, and the home is “show-ready”, we can schedule your photos to be done and usually get the home listed within 48 hours. Usually there is some de-cluttering, staging, and/or cleaning that will need to be completed, but that is what we can discuss at the Market Analysis meeting.
The only thing you would have to pay for “up-front” are any of the upgrades and repairs to prepare your home for the market. Once in contract, upon completion of the Buyer’s Inspection we may need to negotiate Buyer requested repairs and/or credits. Any agreed to repairs typically just need to be completed prior to closing.
If there are major repairs needed, we can discuss options. Some loans require certain repairs (i.e. new roof, electrical issues, exterior paint chipping, safety issues, etc.) These items can be called out by the appraiser and would need to be completed before the Lender can issue the final loan approval for the Buyer. Options are discussed on a case-by-case basis.
Home inspections are for the Buyer to get a report of the condition of the home from a professional’s standpoint. After an inspection, you and the Buyer would negotiate which repairs will be completed, if any. The Buyer can back out if they are not comfortable with the condition of the home or if an agreement cannot be met regarding repairs.
An Appraisal is used to find the actual current market value of the home to prove to the Lender that the home is worth what the Buyer is paying. In some cases, the appraisal can come back lower than the sales price. If this happens there are a few options which will be negotiated at that time. This could include the Seller agreeing to lowering the purchase price, Buyer covering all/some of the difference, or in some rare cases there may be another appraisal ordered to get a second opinion. If the appraisal comes in at or above the agreed sale price, there is nothing that needs to be done, and everything can then move forward.
This is something that will be discussed at the Market Analysis meeting. It could be as simple as a little de-cluttering/cleaning or there may be some major changes that would be a good idea to complete in order to get the highest value from your home sale. If the home will be Vacant, we will suggest some light staging. A few of the perks of working with our team is that we offer professional photos, home cleaning (up to 4 hours), & light staging at no cost to you (aka FREE)!
If it needs cleaning, we will pay for cleaning (up to 4 hrs). The home will also be lightly staged prior to the professional photos that we provide at no cost to you (aka FREE)!
Staging a home (especially when it’s FREE 
) is the best thing you can do to get Buyers to picture themselves living in your home. It has been shown across the board that staging can help bring in more value, attract more Buyers, and help to sell faster. Usually the cost of staging is what turns Sellers away, however, we offer light staging at no cost to you (aka FREE), so you don’t have to worry!
Professional photos give your listing the best possible chance to be noticed. If the home looks attractive in the photos, it will attract more buyers to want to come and view the home. The more showings your home gets, the more likely you are to get offers. When a home has photos that are not appealing, it can easily give people a negative feeling towards the home or they can ignore it altogether. Since we know it is so important, we offer professional photos at no cost to you (aka FREE)!
No, it is best to leave your home for all showings. When the buyer can talk openly with their agent and truly get comfortable walking around your home, they are more likely to be able to picture living in it. If you are home, they may not want to look for as long, will not be willing to ask certain questions to their agent and will not want to offend you. They may also not want to show excitement and love for the home in front of you before an offer is made. If you are concerned about certain valuables, remove them or lock them up before you list your home. An agent is required to stay with the Buyer during the tour, so the Buyer will not be left unattended in your home.
We are here to help with your real estate needs. Send a message and we will get back to you right away.
Your Puget Sound Real Estate Professionals
CINDY HARRIS & ASSOCIATES
