If you’ve ever heard the phrase, “you only get one chance to make a great first impression,” this phrase should definitely be applied to the home selling process. Selling your home is a process which should be taken on as a major project with many component parts.
- First you have the strategic pricing of your home based on the market, location, and current recent home sales.
- Next you have the punchlist that needs to be created in order to prepare to put your home on the market. This
part of the sales process can also incorporate home staging. - The third step is for a real estate agent to create the proper marketing plan, where to advertise your home, how much and how often it should be featured. For my clients, this step also includes a full photography shoot.
- The fourth step is to make sure that every single showing is individually planned for and carefully prepared for to “wow” your buyers every time. If necessary, onsite open house events will also be scheduled by your agent to get maximum exposure for your home.
- The final step is the home sale contract negotiation which will ensure that you get the maximum profit from your home sale, while making your home buyers happy with their home purchase.
If you choose to use a real estate agent to sell your home, your agent should be made aware of the time period in which you are expecting to sell your home. If you are in a hurry, this matters because it can affect the way the home is priced to sell. If you are expecting to get a certain price for your home, and you are willing to wait (and the price 
matches market expectations), you should let your agent know that as well. Timing is everything, both to you and to your agent, so clear expectations should be set before you being the sales process.
Each buyer who enters your home is not only going to be seeing it for the first time but possibly the only time. If your have a good deal of clutter and personal items in every nook and cranny, chances are your home won’t show that well. If you have paint peeling and chipped paneling or trim or other items in disrepair, your home may not end up on the buyer’s list of top 3 homes. You need to ensure that your home is as close to perfect as you can make it each time someone enters it for a showing.
Your agent is in charge of making your home selling process a resounding success. Choosing an agent with the experience and expertise, with an “eye” for staging your home for sale can be the difference in a quick sale for your asking price, or a long tough negotiation just to get a buyer.
