0 Seller's Guide: What to Expect

You've selected your Realtor, set a price and prepared your home for buyers. Now what?

Knowing what to expect when your house goes up for sale can be half the battle of getting through the transaction. Here’s a look at what you can expect once you sign a listing agreement:

Out of the gate. The first thing your agent will likely do is place your home in the local Multiple Listing Service (MLS). This notifies all other agents in the area that your home is for sale.

Soon, a for-sale sign will appear in the yard and a lockbox will be attached to your house, most likely the front door. The lockbox allows local agents access to the house when you aren’t home. It is important to be as accommodating as possible when other agents are wanting to show your home to buyers. A more convenient time for you may not fit into the buyers’ schedule. Plus, unless you’re in a hot sellers’ market, there will be plenty of other houses to see.

Open house. Your agent will want to have an open house to showcase your home to the public. It is recommended that you are not present during open house, since buyers want the freedom to look in closets and make comments which can be uncomfortable to do if the homeowner is present.

Neat freak. Keeping your house in tip-top shape, especially if you have kids and pets, is one of the more difficult parts of selling your home, but one of the most important. Remember, buyers will walk into your house and try to picture living there. Most people don’t have the vision to look past toys scattered throughout the house, dishes in the sink or pet food spilled on the floor. It doesn’t matter that they probably live the same way.

Changing course. Markets can change quickly, so there may be a time when you need to consider price and any physical changes or improvements that could enhance the home. This doesn’t mean you have to remodel the kitchen, but maybe realizing the garage should be cleaned out or the pink bedroom walls should be repainted can make the difference.

-Eric