FOR HOMEOWNERS

Selling your home.

DECIDING TO Sell

If you’re thinking of selling, you probably have myriad questions.

  • What’s my home worth?

  • Who should I use as my agent?

  • How do I make my home attractive to buyers?

    And, of course, the big one: How do I get the most for my home?
    This guide will help. I have laid it out, step-by-step, because selling your home is a journey, and the more informed you are about what to do and expect, the more successful your home sale will be.

    Ideally, you want the journey to end with your property selling quickly and for the best price possible.

    This step-by-step process will get you there. And please think of me as your expert guide along the way. If you have any questions, just ask. Ready to make your home sale painless and profitable?

    Let the journey begin!

3 ways to make home selling easy

  • The earlier you begin the process of selling your home, the more time you will have... and the less stressful the journey will be.

  • The more you know about what to expect, the less intimidating the process will be. You will make better decisions too.

  • They can answer your questions, determine what your home will likely sell for, and help you every step of the way.

The Right Agent and The Right Price

I can ensure your home sells quickly and for the best price, while making the entire process easier for you. Consider this:

  • The biggest factor in determining how quickly your home sells is the price and determining the right price is trickier than it might seem. It takes experience and even 1% more for your home can mean adding thousands to your bottom line.

  • If you want someone to negotiate fearlessly on your behalf, you need an agent with a lot of experience and a proven track record.

  • To get the most for your home, you need qualified buyers to see it. That requires an agent who knows how to create a marketing plan to get as many qualified buyers as possible to find out about, and view, your property.

  • Navigating the paperwork for a real estate transaction, takes experience and expertise to make sure everything is done correctly.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN AN AGENT

The best agents are highly-skilled real estate experts. I am on the pulse of all local market activity and have intricate knowledge of active and past inventory. I will keep you informed and will stay by your side, every step of the way.

  • I know exactly how to set the ideal price for your property, so that it sells quickly and for top dollar. I also know how to promote your listing effectively, to attract the most qualified buyers.

  • Negotiating requires expertise and skill, period. I have mastered this art and bring confidence and calm at offer time. I will guide you through the negotiation process so you understand what to include, what to give up and most importantly, when to walk away if reasonable terms cannot be reached.

  • I dot the i’s, cross the t’s
    and handle all the details, big and small. I will recommend reputable movers, contractors, and other professionals you need. I will give you tips and ideas. When choosing a REALTOR®, make sure they meet this profile. It makes all the difference.

Price smart

Setting the list price of your home is an art. Too low and you leave money on the table — perhaps thousands. Too high and you scare away buyers — perhaps forever.

To complicate this, your home is an emotional asset. It’s hard to see it objectively as a “product” for sale. Finding the optimal price requires a combination of expertise, analysis, and old fashioned street smarts. Great agents are incredibly savvy at setting a price that maximizes the price and minimizes the time it takes to sell.

In fact, pricing is something agents spend their careers mastering. I combine my intimate local and national market knowledge, an exhaustive study of similar properties for sale, and analysis of past sales to arrive at the optimal list price.

Then I combine that with your unique needs so we can land on a price that fits you.
It’s no easy task, but it’s a critical one. Pricing your home right the first time results in more showings, more offers and ultimately the highest price for your home.

If you want to get as much for your home as possible within a reasonable time frame, you need to get the price right.

  • The most important thing to understand is the market rules. Buyers want to purchase your property at or near its actual market value — which may differ from the sentimental value you place on your home.

Preparing to sell

This is more important than you might think. REALTORS® repeatedly find people can’t visualize the potential of a home. They have to actually see it. That means that how your home shows — today — is how people see themselves in it. They can’t see past the chips, leaks, clutter and stains. In fact, they tend to focus even more on those things.

THE THREE R’S OF PREPARING YOUR HOME FOR SALE:

  • Get rid of as much clutter as possible. Give it away, donate it to a local charity, sell it at a garage sale, put it in storage, or throw it out. Just get it out of the house. You want your home to look spacious and tidy.

  • Chipped paint, cracked tiles, squeaky hinges, leaky faucets. Fix everything you can. If you need a contractor, I will recommend local professionals and coordinate the repairs.

  • Clean, clean and clean again. (It’s that important!) You want your home to look guest-ready. Organize each room so it looks like a showcase. A fresh coat of paint can go a long way to dramatically improve the look. If this sounds daunting, don’t worry. We can achieve this with the help of local cleaning teams and stagers I have successfully worked with in the past.

This may sound overwhelming but know that you don’t need to do everything overnight. I will point you in the right direction, or if you prefer, take everything off of your hands by scheduling and coordinating the work with the appropriate trades. And here’s good news: Everything you remove, clean or repair helps to sell your home faster and for a better price. It’s like getting paid to do it!

  • You never get a second chance to make a great first impression. This is the truth, and the reason why staging is crucial. You may think buyers are able to see your home’s full potential or easily envision themselves living in your space, but 99% of the time, they can’t. We need to make it easy for them, and that involves staging.

    According to the National Association of REALTORS®, staged homes sell 49% faster and for 7-11% more money. In fact, you can expect nearly half (49%) of the buyers to be positively impacted if your home is staged.

  • 1. THE INSPECTION – They will go through your house and make

    recommendations on what needs to be done.

    2. THE WORK – They sit down with us and we make a plan together. They divide the work up and help us make a plan to get it all done
    in time for the listing launch date. Yes, they can help you pack, or delegate to a professional organizer if necessary.

    3. THE SHOWCASING – This is when the home stagers really earn their value. They will work their magic to showcase the property’s best features.

Advertising & Marketing

Now that you have made your property look its best, you want as many qualified buyers as possible to see it. In other words, you want to get the word out. TO EVERYONE.

These days, marketing requires more than an MLS® listing and a sign. You need a strategic action plan to promote your listing so all the right buyers find out about it, get excited about it, and - most importantly - come to see it.

Properties that sell fast for a top price tend to use a combination of the following:

ONLINE MARKETING

  • A detailed listing on the largest database of available real estate.

  • The Whistler Listing System is a privately owned and operated listing system specifically designed to serve the needs of Whistler and Pemberton. As the most current and comprehensive database of properties listed for sale in Whistler, Pemberton and
    the Sea to Sky region, the WLS and WhistlerListings.com website provides a convenient and easy-to-use online tool
    to search the area’s unique real estate offerings. For sellers, a listing on the WLS is an opportunity for exposure to a worldwide audience.

  • A picture really is worth a thousand words. Professional photos that complement each room and feature are extremely important.

  • A behind the scenes, online look at your home. More than one in five buyers will watch such videos when searching for a home.

  • For acreages, estate properties, and unique homes that need a fly-over point of view to capture it all.

  • Over 90% of buyers start their home search online. I ensure your home is showcased on as many websites as possible.

  • Facebook and Instagram have the largest user base.

OFFLINE MARKETING

  • I tap into my network of eager buyers and proactively work to discover potential new buyers.

  • Great photos, inspiring descriptions in professional take-away form are a great reminder for viewers who are still deciding.

  • A good way to showcase your home to agents and potential buyers.

  • Print ads in local newspapers. This is a good resource for local buyers.

And that’s just a partial list!

It’s unfortunate when a home doesn’t sell because a qualified buyer never finds
out about it and ends up purchasing a competing listing. But, it happens every day. Don’t let it happen to you. I create the right plan to sell so we can attract the right buyer.

Accepting an offer

When you get an offer — or ideally multiple offers — you are “this close” to selling your home. But, as they say, close only counts in horseshoes! Skilled negotiation is required to ensure the deal is made for the highest price possible, with ideal terms and conditions.

Negotiating is a skillset difficult to master. You need an experienced agent like me, who will work in your best interest.

Chances are, an offer will be higher or lower than your asking price. Don’t be concerned or offended. It’s normal. In fact, the best way to think about an offer is as a starting point to a conversation. The buyer is interested. They have proposed a price. The conversation has begun!

SOME THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND:

  • Expect some back and forth. They offer. You counteroffer. You eventually come to an agreement when the price is right for both of you.

  • Things happen fast at this stage.

  • You can negotiate on conditions, closing dates, assets included with the property. Don’t get stuck on one thing.

Once you agree on a price and the conditions are met, the buyer provides a deposit cheque to be held in trust until the title has transferred. The conditions usually have a set time for removal, and they usually include things like a home inspection and financing.

Congratulations. You have a firm sale of your home!

Wrapping Up the Details

Once the deal is made, your journey isn’t over. There is still paperwork to be done and calculations to be made.

I will handle all those details for you, and ensure everything is done properly, including coordinating with your real estate lawyer or notary.

  • Once the sale is made, you will want to know how much you get to keep. There are a number of closing costs to consider.

  • Lawyers’ fees vary. On average, you can expect to pay $1,500 – $2,500 for a lawyer to look after the legal details necessary to close your home.

  • Check with your lender to determine if any costs will occur when transferring or releasing your mortgage. There could be penalties for discharging your mortgage earlier than its term and there may be a discharge fee to remove a mortgage from title.

  • These fees cover additional legal expenses such as travel, copies, couriers, registration fees and preparing document transfers.

  • It is difficult for a homeowner to calculate exactly how much money is owed to which utilities on closing day. Your lawyer will ensure over payments or deficiencies on rents, mortgage interest, property tax and utility charges will be corrected, and the buyer and seller will be credited or charged accordingly.

  • These vary depending on location, distance, and number of possessions to be moved. If you are moving yourself, you should factor gas, rental vehicles and moving supplies.

AN EXPERT BY YOUR SIDE

As you have discovered, selling your home can be an exciting and rewarding journey — if you do the right things with the right people by your side.

That’s where I can help. If you would like to discuss selling your home, please give me a call I will provide you with a complimentary market evaluation (so you know what your home will sell for in today’s market), and answer any other questions you have.

By the way, by having this initial conversation you are under no obligation to hire me as your REALTOR®.

So let’s talk. Find out how you can sell your home quickly and for the best price possible.

Contact us