6 Step Guide to Selling Success

Selling your home is definitely exciting but it can quickly become overwhelming. Like anything, you need a detailed plan or a system to ensure you don't burn out. Like the old saying says, "If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there." With this in mind, I'll guide you through each of the 6 steps below in the spirit of making the sale of your home as enjoyable and successful as possible.

1. Consultation Meeting

Our first responsibility is to meet in person to discuss your situation, including your ambitions and goals. It is also the time to discuss the selling process and all the variables within it, including my role, helping you shape your thinking and strategy for the experience. This is very important first step and will easily take 45 - 90 minutes to manage it properly. 

We will most definitely discuss matters like the condition of your home, current market dynamics plus pricing and selling strategies. 

This first meeting is also really critical to establish our communication behaviours and what is best for each of you. 

The goal is for you to have a really good understanding about me, the critical role I will play for you as well as a clear understanding of the immediate next steps to get us started.

2. Pricing Your House - Correctly

One of my first job's as your REALTOR is to discuss the varying strategies of pricing your home. This is so critical. Arguably the most critical step.

Setting the price for your home is challenging. Too low, and you leave money on the table. Too high, and you scare away buyers to other properties. Making this even more complex is the fact your home is an emotional asset – it’s hard but it's vital to be able to look at it objectively. 

Pricing your home right the first time results in more exposure, more showings, more offers, and ultimately, the highest price for your home. Here are 5 core market factors that help determine your pricing decisions. 

Recent sales of comparable homes in your neighbourhood

• Recent sales of similar properties in yours and nearby neighbourhoods
• Properties currently on the market that will be competing with you
• Current market conditions that provide buyers leverage (or not)
• The size, finishes, condition and location of your home and property

3. Prepare to Impress

Buyers are searching for their dream home. They have spent plenty of time daydreaming what it would be like to show off their new home to their family and friends. You cannot leave it to chance when buyers come in to view your home they will be able to see past the clutter or flaws that exist. I repeatedly find they do not. Plus, it's not worth the financial impact. You can dramatically improve how well your home shows and how quickly it sells. How?  Clean, inside and out. It matters, a lot. De-clutter. Store it, give it away, throw it away. Either way, get it out of your house. Complete minor repairs on everything that's visible and important. Address the chipped paint, cracked tiles, squeaky hinges, leaky faucets and overgrown gardens. Fix everything you can. Make sure everything sparkles!  I assure you it's worth it. According to the National Association of REALTORS®, staged homes sell nearly 50% faster and for 7-11% more money. 

Sound overwhelming? You don’t need to do it overnight. Your agent can point you to someone who can help, or you can break it down into just one small task a day.

4. Great Marketing Sells Homes

Every home and homeowner are unique, which is why I invest and partner with the industry's leading experts that are solely focussed on providing us the best tools and resources we need to market your home to the highest level. The sole purpose of this is to demonstrate that your home is of the highest quality and is more desirable (valuable) than the competitive homes. Macdonald Realty has strategically positioned itself to ensure that your property will receive maximum exposure. I take that one step further by implementing the best photograph's and virtual tours the market offers as well as a stunning feature webpage and robust on-line promotional strategy (Home Boosters).  The power of these collective tools are the driving force that will successfully sell your home. Together, we will determine the best and most suitable marketing mix to achieve your goals, providing you market leading options on how to best market your property.

5. Go Live and Sell, Sell, Sell

Once your home is live on the market, you have to be prepared to embrace every opportunity that comes your way. The biggest factor you need to understand is you only get once chance to be new and to make a first impression, so it’s absolutely critical we manage this portion of the sales plan flawlessly. The greater commitment you have to your role in selling your home, the greater the likelihood we will be successful sooner.

6. Offers & Firm Sale

I will take you through what to expect once we receive an Offer and start a Negotiation. The most significant responsibility during this stage is to ensure we are communicating in a timely manner, are very clearly and are 100% on the same page. Offers can come at unexpected times and can include unexpected conditions. My job is to ensure you fully understand what is in play so you can make the most informed, best decision. Generally speaking, negotiating and agreeing to an offer only takes a day, maybe two, so the experience, while exhilarating, needs to be managed with strict attention to detail.