The Home Sellers Guide

Selling a home in the Bay Area can be complicated, stressful and time consuming but is made much easier by engaging a highly talented and fully committed team of real estate professionals. With years of experience throughout the Bay Area, our team understands how to target and attract buyers as well as generate strong offers in a timely manner

Step 1

Selling your home is so much more than putting a sign in the yard. To position your home at the top of a buyer’s list, it will likely need some updating, decluttering and depersonalizing. During our first meeting we will discuss your timeline, desired outcome, current market trends and then develop a clear plan of action.

Our First Meeting

Step 2

Presenting your home in the best light possible may require some updating:

• We have access to many preferred vendors and have also partnered with California Home Concierge (https://www.californiaconcierge.com/home-concierge/project/) for quick and professional updating with available financing
• We are also able to manage any projects with your preselected vendors which unburdens you
• We will also arrange for inspections, order necessary reports, and begin to complete a full disclosure package that will ultimately be shared with potential buyers

Staging your home for sale is one of the most important and impactful ways to increase value. Having worked with many staging companies in the past, we can arrange to secure competitive bids from several stagers and help you determine who can provide the best service at the best price to achieve the desired results. 

Preparing Your Home For Market

Step 3

Now that your home is “picture perfect” it’s time for professional photography to capture all that it has to offer. Our trusted team not only takes high quality photos but can also create a video, 3-D renderings, a dedicated website and a floor plan to be used for marketing purposes and to create custom flyers. 

Your home will be marketed on various websites to include Zillow, Realtor.com, MLSlistigs.com, Top Agent Network, and many more. Our strong social media presence adds an additional layer of exposure and reach to potential buyers.

Marketing Plan

Step 4

Making it easy for potential buyers to visit your home is key for navigating to a successful sale. We like to begin with an exclusive neighborhood twilight tour prior to the first open house. This provides us with an opportunity to let your neighbors know that there may be additional traffic and some parking challenges during open house hours and Brokers’ tour. Open house hours are typically scheduled for both Saturday and Sunday afternoon the first weekend the home is listed in the MLS. In addition, the following Tuesday morning we will host a Brokers’ tour which is the easiest way to guarantee that as many agents as possible have ready access and can inform their potential buyers about your home. 

Showing Your Property

Step 5

It is typical in our market to set an offer date at which time we will together review, discuss, and compare the contracts presented. Highly qualified buyers will:

• Have a preapproval letter from a reputable lender
• Show proof of funds adequate to cover the down payment and closing costs
• Have reviewed and signed all of the provided disclosures
• Will be able and willing to close escrow within approximately 30 days after acceptance

When there are multiple offers to consider, we will prepare summaries which highlight all aspects of each contract that may impact the strength of the offers. Occasionally there is one offer that stands out and you may choose to accept it without any negotiation.  Otherwise, you have the choice to negotiate with one, some or all of the offers with the goal of securing the best possible outcome.

Negotiating Offers

Step 6

Once you have accepted an offer, the escrow process will begin when the buyer wires their initial 3% deposit to the escrow/title company. There are a series of deadlines that the buyer must meet, as well as additional “behind the scenes” steps such as arranging for an appraisal, achieving final loan approval, and obtaining a homeowner insurance policy. We will ensure that all terms of the contract are met, making the process seamless for you. Approximately one week prior to closing you will receive an estimated settlement statement which shows all costs associated with the sale, including: mortgage balance, transfer taxes, commissions, vendor bills and escrow and title fees. Shortly thereafter you will meet with a notary to sign closing papers.

When the loan is funded and the buyer has wired the balance of the down payment and closing costs, escrow closes, and the deed transfer is recorded at the county recorder’s office.

Escrow & Closing