10 Steps to Selling a Home 🏡

Step 1 - Learn the Selling Process & Get Your Questions Answered

We usaully start this step with a home sale consultation which can be in person or often via a Zoom video call.  At the home sale consultation we discuss:

  •  answer any questions you have
  • explain he home selling process
  • ask you some questions about why you are selling and what your moving plans are so we can learn how to best serve you

Step 2 - Prepare Your Home For Selling

If you decide to move forward with selling, then its time to prepare your home for selling.  We will walk with you through your house and provide suggestions for preparing your home.  


Our home preparation plan is different for each home.  Some homes are already ready to hit the market as they are, some homes we recommend home repairs and/or touch ups that would make the home sell for more money or to help make the home more marketable, and some homes needing much work or updates make the most sense to sell as-is.  We tailor a plan for each home, as each home is different.

While we are at your home we will also collect measurements of your home so we complete a Comparable Market Analysis (CMA) to determine a recommended listing price.  Of course, you determine the listing price, but we provide you a detailed analysis showing how an appraiser would determine your home value, and suggest a pricing plan.

Step 3 - Complete Listing Paperwork

Each state has standardized forms for selling a home.  The different paperwork includes:

 

  1. Listing Agreement
  2.  Property Disclosure
  3. Lead Based Paint Disclosure (if home was built before 1978)
  4. Radon Disclosure (Illinois)
  5. Brokerage forms (Affiliated Business Form, Agency Policies Form, Wiring Fraud Form)

Step 4 - Photo & Video Collection

We are partnered with a photo editor and a video editor that takes the photos and videos and makes them into something pretty amazing.  Our photos are “bracketed” photos, meaning each photo is actually 7 photos of the same picture with different white balance so that the editor can combine them into one super photo (which is how you can see through windows in the listing photos.). The editors have a long checklist of other tuchups and edits they complete.

Step 5 - Pre-listing Marketing

This is when our 87 point marketing plan kicks into high gear!  Some highlights of our marketing plan include:

  • Putting your home in the private listing network before going live in the public listing network
  • Completing a “reverse propespecting” campaign where we research buyers that have a saved home search alert that your home meet the criteria of, and we reach out to those buyers

Step 6 - Listing Goes Live in the Multiple Listing Service (M.L.S.)

We are partnered with a photo editor and a video editor that takes the photos and videos and makes them into something pretty amazing.  Our photos are “bracketed” photos, meaning each photo is actually 7 photos of the same picture with different white balance so that the editor can combine them into one super photo (which is how you can see through windows in the listing photos.). The editors have a long checklist of other tuchups and edits they complete.

Step 7 - Showings

We are partnered with a photo editor and a video editor that takes the photos and videos and makes them into something pretty amazing.  Our photos are “bracketed” photos, meaning each photo is actually 7 photos of the same picture with different white balance so that the editor can combine them into one super photo (which is how you can see through windows in the listing photos.). The editors have a long checklist of other tuchups and edits they complete.

Step 8 - Receive, Negotiate and Accept an Offer

We are partnered with a photo editor and a video editor that takes the photos and videos and makes them into something pretty amazing.  Our photos are “bracketed” photos, meaning each photo is actually 7 photos of the same picture with different white balance so that the editor can combine them into one super photo (which is how you can see through windows in the listing photos.). The editors have a long checklist of other tuchups and edits they complete.

Step 9 - Escrow Process

The time from accepting an offer to the closing is called “escrow.” We are partnered with a photo editor and a video editor that takes the photos and videos and makes them into something pretty amazing.  Our photos are “bracketed” photos, meaning each photo is actually 7 photos of the same picture with different white balance so that the editor can combine them into one super photo (which is how you can see through windows in the listing photos.). The editors have a long checklist of other tuchups and edits they complete.

Step 9 – Escrow Process (The time for accepting an offer to closing)

Once an offer is accepted, the period of time until closing is most often called “in escrow” or “under contract.”  Many things happen in this period of time, including:

  • The buyer will have the inspection completed
  •  If the buyer is getting a home loan to buy your home, after the offer is accepted, the buyer will then complete the full loan application, and the lender will begin the “underwriting” process, which is when the lender reviews the full loan application (latest bank statements, proof of employment, latest credit, etc) to approve the loan
  • The title company prepares the closing documents (title insurance, warranty deed)
  • In Illinois the buyer and seller onboard their own attorney to represent them.  In Indiana attorneys are generally not involved.
  • The title company and the lender will coordinate to finalize the “settlement statement” – which is the the document that lists all the fees and credits.  The settlement statement will be provided by the title company within 48 hours of closing (and its usaully down to the last minute when the title company sends this information.)
  • The buyer will wire their closing funds to the title company to hold the funds in their escrow account so that the funds are on hand and available for closing.  In Illinois, funds up to $50,000 can be in the form of a cashier’s check, and above $50,000 has to be wired.  In Indiana, funds up to $10,000 can be in the form of a cashier’s check, and above $10,000 has to be wired.

Step 10 – Closing

The title company