Selling a Home

Hire a REALTOR®
Studies show that homesellers who use a REALTOR® to represent them generally get a better price than those who sell the home themselves. REALTORS® are up-to-date on critical processes and can help keep you out of trouble. They can also help you get your home sold at the best price in the right timeframe. REALTORS® add objectivity to an inherently emotional transaction: the sale of your home.

To locate a Real Estate Center, visit the Find A Real Estate Center Office box on the Home page.

Before Your Home Is Listed
Having your home in good showing condition before buyers start going through it is very important. Consider some of these steps:
• Touch up interior and exterior paint as needed.
• Clean the carpets and floor coverings well and install new if needed.
• Make sure the front is clean and spruced up – curb appeal will create a favorable first impression.
• Trim bushes and plants as needed, and make sure the lawn is kept mowed and trimmed. In autumn, rake the leaves; in winter, keep the snow shoveled.
• Keep the interior clean, decluttered and odor-free. Eliminate evidence of pets.
• Minimize personal items such as family photos. You want buyers to see themselves living in the home.
• Consider putting excess furniture and belongings in storage. Now's the time to clean out the garage and basement and sell, give away or throw away items you don't need anymore.
• Consider having a pre-listing inspection performed. Buyers will be hiring professional inspectors; here's your chance to address problems in advance.
• Consider engaging a professional stager to give your home the right emotional appeal.

While Listed
• When potential buyers visit your home, either be absent or make yourselves as inconspicuous as possible.
• If offers are made that don't match your hoped-for price, don't reject them out of hand. Pay attention to your agent's advice.
• Consider dropping the price if several months go by with few or no offers. But if you and your agent have priced your home properly from the start, this shouldn't be necessary.
• Don't get discouraged. In buyer's markets, homes take longer to sell than during boom times. Your home will eventually sell; it's a matter of your Real Estate Center agent finding the right buyer for you.

Help Your Agent
You have the best chance of selling your home by working closely with your Real Estate Center agent. Make sure all showings are coordinated through him or her. If you have a brochure box, be sure to keep it filled. If prospective buyers want to discuss your property or negotiate price or other terms, defer to your Real Estate Center agent. He or she is the expert and can best handle all these details without emotion.