Step 1: Find a Realtor. Find Your Advocate.
Many homeowners start the selling process by looking at sites such as Realtor.com, Zillow, Redfin or Trulia to see what similar properties have recently sold for in their neighborhood to determine the current value of their home.
That’s fine and understandable, but keep in mind:
- The sites aren’t 100% accurate because listings that were never in the BLC (Broker Listing Cooperative), such as pocket listings or For Sale by Owner properties, will be missing.
- The information on the online sites is often out of date or not accurate, as most Realtors are not good at updating this information regularly. A property might show as still ‘Active’ on Zillow, even though it sold nine months ago.
- When professional appraisers conduct an appraisal, they only consider homes that have sold in a particular neighborhood within the last 90 days. It’s not possible to sort the data by date on the online sites, so it’s difficult to only look for properties that have sold within the last 90 days.
- Square footage isn’t always listed, so it’s hard to know if you’re comparing similarly sized homes, which makes a big difference when determining value.
Does it really matter who you list your home with?
YES! — And it may put more money in your pocket!
HOW? — The average agent tenure in the business is less than 5 years and the average agent sells less than 4 houses per year.
I have been a full-time agent since 2013 and am aligned with the largest brokerage in Indiana. My performance ranks in the top 5% in central Indiana with an average list-to-sale price of 103%. You will benefit from my extensive experience:
- accurate pricing
- negotiation skills
- contract-to-close success ratios
- exceeding client expectations
Initial Phone Screening
During our first phone conversation, be prepared to share information about your home and future goals. This includes details such as how much you owe on your mortgage, your desired timeline for selling, and how much you believe you need to list your home for.
Having this information upfront will allow us to better understand your situation and provide you with the most accurate guidance and support. Thank you in advance for your cooperation in sharing these important details.
I look forward to speaking with you and working together to achieve your real estate goals. Let's make sure we are on the same page from the start to ensure a smooth and successful home selling process.
Meet in Person
During our first meeting, my main focus will be to identify maintenance issues, offer staging and prepacking tips, and provide other valuable suggestions to increase the marketability of your home. After the tour, we will discuss timelines, marketing strategies, and determine the Market Value of your house.
The market value of your home is NOT determined by:
-
- Your furnishings
- What you need/want in profit
- What it appraised for
- What it's assessed for
- What your neighbor sold for
- How much you paid for it
- What artificial intelligence says it's worth
The true market value of your home is what a buyer is willing to pay for it based on:
-
- Today's market
- Today's competition
- Today's financial market
- Today's economic conditions
- The buyer's perception of the property's condition
- Location
- Time
Sign the paperwork
Once you’ve picked a Realtor, expect to sign a Listing Agreement authorizing that Realtor to represent you. That starts the ball rolling to get your home on the market.
