Seller's Guide

Everything you need to know about putting your home on the market, accepting an offer, and closing on your home.

A Step-by-Step Seller's Guide

Putting your home on the market can be a stressful process, especially when you don’t know what to expect. Fortunately, with the help of an experienced agent and this easy to follow guide, you can smoothly complete the process. Following these steps will help you prepare so you can get organized and sell your home for the best price possible.​​​​​​​

main

Step 1: Understand Why You're Selling

What do you want to accomplish with the sale of your home? Do you want to make a certain amount of money that you can put toward a larger or nicer home? Do you need to sell it as soon as possible to facilitate a move to a new city or area? Once you understand your needs, you can better craft your offer. For example, if you need to sell quickly, you might want to price your home lower than if your goal is to make a certain profit margin. Make sure you convey these needs to your real estate agent once you choose one so he or she can adjust your selling price accordingly.

main

Step 2: Determine Selling Price

Knowing how to price your home is one of the most important parts of the selling process. When you set a fair price in the beginning, you’ll get the most interest from other real estate agents and prospective buyers. Overpricing your home could lead to reduced interest, and underpricing leads to receiving less than what your home is worth. Working with a real estate agent is the best way to determine the right selling price for your home. An agent with experience can determine what other comparable homes are selling for, evaluate the current market, and may even suggest a home appraisal.

main

Step 3: Start Preparations

If you’ve kept your home in showroom condition since you’ve lived in it, you’re in the minority of homeowners. Once you price your home, it’s time to start getting it ready to be shown to potential buyers. This includes getting rid of clutter, depersonalizing the space so that buyers can envision themselves in the space, making any small repairs, and doing a deep clean to make sure your home is in pristine condition.

main

Step 4: Develop a Marketing Strategy

I will develop a marketing strategy that is perfect for advertising your home. This involves listing the home and then driving the right people to that listing through social media campaigns, agent-to-agent referrals, traditional media, or SEO advertising. My team creates a marketing campaign that aims to get the most possible traffic to your listing in the first three weeks after becoming a client.

main

Step 5: Evaluate Offers

Receiving an offer is an exciting part of the process, but it doesn’t mean the journey is over. I will evaluate each offer and make sure the party making the offer is prequalified or pre-approved by a mortgage lender and that their offer is acceptable to you. If the offer is too low, you can make a counter-offer or offer other ways to bridge the gap, such as covering some or all of the closing costs, making repairs, adjusting the move-in date, or leaving some appliances or fixtures for the new buyer.

main

Step 6: Accept an Offer

Once I deem the offer is acceptable, I will review the proposed contract to make sure it’s all in order and includes the necessary components such as deposit amount, down payment, financing, inspection rights and repair allowances, contingencies, settlement date, and a list of fees and who will pay them. When both parties have agreed to the term, a final contract will be prepared by your agent.

main

Step 7: Get Ready to Close

You have accepted an offer and are now very close to the end of your selling journey. But first, you and the buyer must make a list of what needs to be done before closing. In some cases, your home may need to be formally inspected, surveyed, and appraised. In other cases, major or minor repairs will need to be made before the house can close. I will head up efforts to develop and execute this list, get each action item paid for by the correct party, and make sure everything is in order by the closing date. A few days before the closing date, I will call the company closing the transaction to make sure everything is ready to go. If you haven’t done so already, you also need to make arrangements to move out of the home so the new buyer can take possession.

main

Step 8: Close

You’ve reached the last step in the seller’s process. When you close on a home you are selling, you are legally transferring ownership of the property to the new buyer. I will meet with the company closing the transaction to sign the final paperwork and go over any issues that have not yet been taken care of. During this time, you can also make plans with your real estate agent to handle final details such as canceling utilities, cable, and lawn or trash services, changing the name on accounts that the new owner is retaining and ensuring the new owner has instructions for all appliances that will remain in the home.

Congratulations!

Once you have sold your home, you’re free to take the next step on your journey. Whether this is relocating to a new city, moving into a larger home, or downsizing and enjoying your life as empty-nesters, knowing all your selling responsibilities have been taken care of will help you achieve peace of mind for your new path.

Testimonials

Chris L.

Chris L.

The best Realtor you can have. Jesse takes the time to get to know you and find homes that fit you, your personality, and your needs. I couldn't have found my house without him.
Read More
Kristi B.

Kristi B.

Jesse was great to work with. He helped us get through the daunting process of selling and buying a home at the same time. Jesse came highly recommended by our mortgage company Mr. Cooper, who had an incentive program. Jesse go...
Read More
Sophia S.

Sophia S.

Jesse was hard at work finding us properties to look at after our first phone call. He was very organized with our showings, as we flew in and only had a few days to look at homes. He answered phone calls and texts at late hour...
Read More
Anthony D.

Anthony D.

Jesse helped me and my wife pull off a very tasking situation. We were selling and buying a home at the same time. With his help, everything worked out perfectly and we didn't have to move twice.
Read More
Roberto B.

Roberto B.

Jesse was extremely professional, always early or on time for all appointments. He has a keen knowledge of the area. He listened to what our needs/wants were and only presented properties that met those requirements. When it ca...
Read More
Gordie .

Gordie .

I do want to take this opportunity to tell my short story about Jesse who was recommended by my son who works with condos in So. Florida. I signed a listing agreement with Jesse Iacobone on Jun 29. My tenant had til Jul 1 to ge...
Read More
Charles S.

Charles S.

Jesse was very straightforward and knowledgeable throughout the whole process of helping us find our home in South Florida. I would absolutely recommend his services 10 out of 10 times. If you are looking to buy in South Florid...
Read More
Evan H.

Evan H.

Absolutely blown away by Jesse! He did an outstanding job from start to finish. I had talked to a number of realtors before deciding to work with Jesse and can honestly say that the level of service he provides is virtually unm...
Read More
Kristi G.

Kristi G.

My husband and I had a wonderful experience as first-time homebuyers with Jesse as our realtor! Jesse was extremely knowledgeable and helpful throughout the process, responding promptly to answer the many questions we asked wit...
Read More
Kat C.

Kat C.

Working with Jesse was a very easy experience. He was knowledgeable and professional. He returned our emails and phone calls promptly. He worked with us to get the highest price for the sale of our condo. We highly recommend us...
Read More

How Much Is Your Fort Lauderdale Home Worth?

  • Instant property valuation
  • Expert advice
  • Sell for more

Work With Jesse

Understanding the market and listening to your needs as a client are two key factors in real estate success. With over 10 years of sales experience, that led to roles such as VP of Sales, Jess Iacobone understands this better than most.

Follow Me on Instagram