How to be a GREAT Seller

So much of what goes on in a real estate transaction has the potential to be either really easy or really hard depending on how each step is handled by the agents and the parties involved. After handling some fairly challenging transactions, including my own recent home purchase, I want to share some ideas for how to be a great Buyer and a great Seller.

Sellers, it can be very emotional to let go of a place you have called home for your family. But once there is a for sale sign in your yard, it’s no longer your family home, it is an asset that you are selling and nothing more. Buyers are going to be making one of the largest purchases in their lives, and there are several steps you can take to ease their minds and make the transaction a smooth one.

Get the house ready for sale.

Cleaning, staging and de-cluttering are all a very important part of the process, to present the house in the best possible light. This means removing a lot of the really personal touches that make it feel like home to you so that you can let it go, and then this helps make Buyers feel comfortable, and to see a blank slate, so they can picture themselves in the space. This might mean making some minor updates like adding fresh paint or new carpet - these are small investments that you will definitely re-coup in the sale.

Have a pre-listing inspection

We provide these on every single listing. Studies have shown that the lowest emotional point of a real estate transaction is the Inspection period, for both Buyers and Sellers. Buyers are disappointed to find out that the house they are purchasing has problems, and Sellers feel defensive that there are problems with their house that they weren’t aware of. The pre-listing inspection helps ease a lot of the stress because we know about any major issues before we put the house on the market. That means that we are able to provide the inspection ahead of time to the Buyer so that they know what the big issues are, and if there’s anything that needs to be repaired immediately, you can handle it ahead of time and price the home correctly. No one wants to negotiate and settle on a price and then find out they have a $25,000 roof replacement in store before closing.

Disclose, Disclose, Disclose

You might ask, “If I get a home inspection, don’t I have to disclose everything?” The answer is yes? It is imperative that Sellers understand that they need to disclose every single thing that they can about a property. This creates trust from the beginning and Buyers know what they’re getting into before they even make an offer. It eases their minds to know that there won’t be any major surprises, and leaves a lot of that extra negotiating off the table because they were already aware of it when they wrote the offer. (Additionally, disclosure is one of the most-litigated issues when deals go awry. When in doubt, always disclose.)

Make the home accessible to buyers during the showing and contract.

In the market we are in, it is often the case that Buyers will only have a 15 - 30 minute window to look at the house one time before making an offer. This means that the under contract period is even more important for Buyers to really do their due diligence on the property. When Sellers are difficult about letting Buyers in, it makes buyers feel suspicious and is extremely frustrating. At a minimum, Buyers should be allowed several hours on the day of inspection, as well as another appointment or two for bids or measurements, plus a final walk-through prior to closing.

Provide all the information you can about the house.

I recently closed a transaction with some Buyers who had the most incredible Sellers. The Sellers kept track of every single document on the property and had them nicely organized and presented in three-ring binders, which they left on the counter for us to see when we came to the house for the inspection. They went so far as documenting any construction projects with before, during, and after photos. It made my clients feel so great about the condition of the home and that it was lovingly cared for by the Sellers, and made the entire traction transaction go so smoothly.  Even if you have no plans to sell anytime in the near future, having a box or a file where you keep copies of all of your house paperwork, receipts, manuals, warranties and anything else that is helpful is such a nice thing to be able to hand over to Buyers when you do decide to sell. The more information the better.

Be willing to communicate and answer questions from the Buyers.

During the inspection and due diligence period, questions will often arise from buyers. When Sellers are willing to share information and answer questions, it makes for a smooth transaction. We also love it when Sellers are willing to walk through the property with Buyers prior to closing to show the Buyers all the little little idiosyncrasies about the property that only a seller would know. One seller recently walked our Buyer through every plant in the backyard and explained how they needed to care for it.

Be nice.

This probably should be the first rule, as it’s the most important no matter who you are in the transaction. This is an extremely stressful time for all the parties involved, so before being reactive or confrontational, try to take a deep breath and be kind. Understand that as long as you want to sell and they want to buy, you should be on the same page. Everything else is just details. Negotiations can become tense and it is your agent’s job to shield you from some of that stress. At the end of the day, everyone feels better when the transaction has gone smoothly and they can move on.

Be available after the sale

This one is optional, but encouraged. If you have had a positive transaction, providing an email address or contact information to the Buyers so they can reach you in case something comes up, is a very kind thing to do. Consider offering to do this if you are willing and comfortable.

Buying and selling a home is a wonderful time full of excitement and anticipation, and often stress. Making the transaction smoother for all parties by taking the steps to work together and get the deal done makes it much nicer for everyone involved. If you are thinking you might want to sell your home, we would love to help guide you through the process. Reach out to our team today or request a copy of our sellers guide or a free market evaluation of your home. We are here to help you every step of the way and to make sure that you love where you live!