2023

8 Steps Involved in Selling Your Home

Take time to think about why you want to sell your home. It can be from a need to move to another place or you need to find a bigger home for your growing family. Ask yourself what you want to accomplish from this sale. As you think about this, you need to also define the time frame and profit margin that you have in mind. Discuss these goals with your real estate agent.
Set your price. In setting the selling price, you need to be fair. You need to research on the selling price of comparable homes in your area as well as the real estate climate in your area. Most homeowners set a price based on the personal value of their home. Don’t make this same mistake. Take into consideration the condition of your house – the age, wear and tear, damage. It’s usually hard for sellers to set a realistic, unbiased price so you’ll need to consult your real estate agent. This is why it’s important that you find an agent you can trust. Your agent should be able to provide you with information about the selling price of comparable houses in your neighborhood and the average time they waited to be sold. You could also ask someone to do an appraisal on your house so you could have a second opinion and a more objective one. Setting a fair market value price on your house is important. Studies show that houses priced higher than 3 percent of their market value, took a longer time to sell. When a property takes a long time to sell, buyers start to think there’s something wrong with it. This leads sellers to become desperate and sell the property for far less than it’s actual market value.
All sellers want to sell their homes quickly. But only some are willing to make their houses look salable. Take away eyesores to make your house attractive to buyers. Check every area of the house especially the garage and make sure to remove clutter or stored boxes. Fix what needs to be fixed – broken light, hard-to-open windows and doors. The appearance and condition of your house will influence it’s price and salability. Cleaning up doesn’t only mean wiping away the dust or scrubbing the floors. It also means putting away most of your personal stuff. It will be hard to sell a house that has so many family photos and mementos. When there’s too much of the seller’s personal stuff, the buyers will have a hard time thinking about making it theirs. Ask your real estate agent for some suggestions on how you could make your home attractive to buyers.
Market your home. Get as much people to know that you have a house for sale. The internet is the best way to do this. It allows you to reach potential buyers from anywhere in the world who are probably planning to move in your city. But yard signs and local paper advertisements are still effective ways of reaching buyers. Your agent will know how to bring in qualified buyers. The first three to six weeks are the busiest.
Receive offers. When you receive an offer, your real estate agent will first check if the potential buyer is prequalified or preapproved. The next step would be to review the contract. The contract should include the following: Legal description of the property, Offer price, Down payment, Financing arrangements, List of fees and who will pay them, Deposit amount, Inspection rights and possible repair allowances, Method of conveying the title and who will handle the closing, Appliances and furnishings that will stay with the home, Settlement date and Contingencies. As the seller you have three options: to accept the contract as it is; accept it with revisions; or reject it. You need to be careful in dealing with contracts. It is legally binding. If there is anything at all that is unclear, ask your agent or lawyer before signing it.
Negotiate. Most offers have to undergo negotiating so both parties can get what they want. Real estate agents are experienced when it comes to this and they should be able to look after your interest and lead you throughout the bargaining process. These are the negotiable items: Price, Financing, Closing costs, Repairs, Appliances and fixtures, Landscaping, Painting, Move-in date. As soon as both parties have agreed to the terms of the sale, your agent will prepare the contract.
Preparing to close. When you accept an offer, the next thing to do is to think about all the things that you and your buyer needs to do before you could close the sale. The house may need repairs; or the property needs to be surveyed and appraised. Your agent can act as your spokesperson and deal with the buyer’s agent and service providers. It depends on your negotiation if you as seller need to pay for the cost of the services or a portion of it or even none of it. If the terms on the contract are fulfilled, then you can proceed with the sale. If however, there are problems in fulfilling the terms, you or the buyer can opt to revise or walk out. If you both decide to push through with the sale, make sure to prepare the papers. A few days before the signing, check to be sure that the necessary documents are there.
Closing the deal. This is when the whole process of selling your house will end. After the signing of contracts, you are no longer the owner of the property. Your agent should be there to guide you through the process. You may also invite a lawyer to be present. There are some states that require this. After the closing, there are still a few things you will need to take care of. You will need to cancel services like electricity, gas, lawn care, cable and other routine services. If the new owner decides to keep the services, change the name on the account.

What my clients are saying

Phoenix, AZ. This company is very professional. I spoke with the owner first who put me in touch with Josh. Both really wanted to understand what I was looking for in a living situation in Phoenix. After viewing many condos in the downtown and surrounding area, I really felt that Josh was not giving me the hard sell. Each place we visited he was very knowledgeable of the pros and cons and was not afraid to share both outlooks with me to find the best possible fit. After getting to know Josh, I look at him as a true friend and would definitely recommend my friends and family to him. Thanks Josh for everything. I love my new place.

~ Jason J.

Phoenix, AZ. I went on a bus tour with Will and the team at We Know Urban several years ago. When it came time to look for a property I called and got a hold of Josh. We went and looked at some condos but ultimately I decided I needed a house. Josh was on top of things from the get go. All of my questions and concerns were addressed in a timely manner and to my satisfaction. Josh is a stickler and it showed in his negotiating on on my behalf. I would recommend the We Know Urban group to anyone looking for an urban condo OR a house!

~ Spencer D.

Glendale, AZ. I have worked with Will Daly, from We Know Urban Realty, for many years and I find that he applies a very high standard of work ethic, integrity and professionalism in each transaction. It has been a privilege to work with the whole team at WKU Realty, as they are realtors who do a great job and care about their clients.

~ Brenda S.

Phoenix, AZ. I worked with Will at We Know Urban. It was my first stab at home buying so I appreciated the extra care, insight, and attention that he provided. Coming from the tech world I also thought their site was very easy to navigate. Kudos on that and thanks again!

~ Terrence P.

*****Phoenix, AZ. Will Daly is an awesome agent! He has almost sold out my difficult little condo project in Downton Phoenix, Metro 12 Townhomes metro12.com I normally don't like working with realtors, but Will has been exceptional. He's even taking on some of the work that , we, the developers should be doing. Thanks Will, and good work!

~ Les L.

*****Tempe, AZ. Will is the best. We have taken many of his tours in the past. We finally got a chance to purchase something through him and he was extremely helpful and did a wonderful job.

~ Lew F.

*****Surprise, AZ. We had the great pleasure of working with the principal of WeKnowUrban Realty, Mr. Will Daly, the broker and founder of the firm. We had a most difficult situation with our downtown Phoenix condo, and he proved to be a continuous source of positive energy and creative business acumen. He even attended a couple of our HOA meetings to help our owners address some of the issues in our building. He brings over 20 years' experience specializing in downtown Phoenix condo units, and there is no problem he hasn't encountered. Great website, lots of free research offered there. Will returns calls promptly and always maintains a high degree of professionalism, especially when his clients are feeling the pressure, and he even has a great sense of humor. We would use Will again in a New York minute! Check out WeKnowUrban. Maybe you'll get lucky and get Will himself!

~ Leo M.

*****Gilbert, AZ. I've known Will Daly and We Know Urban for years. I have never met anyone who knows more about urban living in Arizona that him. We have done business quite a few times over the years and it has been a pleasure to see him help his clients find the place of their dreams. I recommend We Know Urban for anyone looking to rent or buy and urban condo.

~ Kelsey B.

Jasper, TN. Will Daly with We Know Urban Realty is handling two short sales for me in Tempe and Phoenix. He has been truly remarkable to work with and I really can't say enough to express my appreciation and respect. Will is fair, hard working and honest and has gone above and beyond the call of duty to help me work through the sale of my property. He was able to get offers for me in the first few weeks of listing and his follow through is impeccable. He is a straight shooter that tells you like it is, is very aware of what is going on in the market and knows how to handle short sales. I would highly recommend him and will use him exclusively when buying or selling property in Arizona.

~ Tess W.

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