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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 First Time 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 team of real estate agents 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.​​​​​​​

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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 team of real estate agents once you choose one so they can adjust your selling price accordingly.

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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 team of real estate agents is the best way to determine the right selling price for your home. A team of real estate agents with experience can determine what other comparable homes are selling for, evaluate the current market, and may even suggest a home appraisal.

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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.

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Step 4: Develop a Marketing Strategy

We 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. Our 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.

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Step 5: Evaluate Offers

Receiving an offer is an exciting part of the process, but it doesn’t mean the journey is over. We 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.

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Step 6: Accept an Offer

Once we deem the offer is acceptable, we 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 team of real estate agents.

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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. We 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, we 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.

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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. We 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 team of real estate agents 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.

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Testimonials

Read what our clients have to say about working with us.

"After many offers and many reasons they fell through, Tawnie was patient and kind and always encouraging that our property would sell! And sell it did! At a great price! We are so thankful that she never gave up and was always there for us!"
"After many offers and many reasons they fell through, Tawnie was patient and kind and always encouraging that our property would sell! And sell it did! At a great price! We are so thankful that she never gave up and was always there for us!"
Marilyn F.
"Tawnie was helpful throughout the entire sale of our home. She responded to late night and weekend texts to make sure I felt secure in the process."
"Tawnie was helpful throughout the entire sale of our home. She responded to late night and weekend texts to make sure I felt secure in the process."
Regiena I.
"First time home buyer that needed the expertise of someone that knows the area and makes sure you have what is needed to make the best decision. I couldn’t have asked for a better partner in this journey. Tawnie is the best at this, and we will never use anyone else. Thank you for making one of life’s most stressful moments feel so special for our family. We are so grateful for all that you did for us during this journey."
"First time home buyer that needed the expertise of someone that knows the area and makes sure you have what is needed to make the best decision. I couldn’t have asked for a better partner in this journey. Tawnie is the best at this, and we will never use anyone else. Thank you for making one of life’s most stressful moments feel so special for our family. We are so grateful for all that you did for us during this journey."
Alan S.
"Tawnie was on task from start to finish. She assisted us with the sale of our home of 28 years and the purchase of our new home. I couldn’t have asked for a more communicative and responsive realtor. Tawnie’s dedication and professionalism made the entire process smooth and stress-free. I’m so grateful to have known Tawnie for years, and my sons grew up with her. Her personal touch and deep understanding of our needs truly set her apart. I highly recommend Tawnie to anyone looking to buy or sell a home. She is a true professional and a pleasure to work with. Thank you, Tawnie, for making our home-selling and buying experience so positive!"
"Tawnie was on task from start to finish. She assisted us with the sale of our home of 28 years and the purchase of our new home. I couldn’t have asked for a more communicative and responsive realtor. Tawnie’s dedication and professionalism made the entire process smooth and stress-free. I’m so grateful to have known Tawnie for years, and my sons grew up with her. Her personal touch and deep understanding of our needs truly set her apart. I highly recommend Tawnie to anyone looking to buy or sell a home. She is a true professional and a pleasure to work with. Thank you, Tawnie, for making our home-selling and buying experience so positive!"
Holly P.
"Tawnie did a fantastic job for us. She was very knowledgeable of the market and looked out for our interests. I wouldn’t hesitate to call on her again."
"Tawnie did a fantastic job for us. She was very knowledgeable of the market and looked out for our interests. I wouldn’t hesitate to call on her again."
Janice P.
"Every aspect of selling our home far exceeded our expectations. Tawnie handled everything professionally and made the sale effortless on our part!"
"Every aspect of selling our home far exceeded our expectations. Tawnie handled everything professionally and made the sale effortless on our part!"
Nancy C.
"Tawnie was such a pleasure to work with! She was professional, knowledgeable and very attentive to all our needs through the process! I would highly recommend her to all my friends and family."
"Tawnie was such a pleasure to work with! She was professional, knowledgeable and very attentive to all our needs through the process! I would highly recommend her to all my friends and family."
Brittany R.
"Tawnie did an excellent job selling my home! She was professional and made the process seamless. My house was under contract in 3 days!"
"Tawnie did an excellent job selling my home! She was professional and made the process seamless. My house was under contract in 3 days!"
Kimberlee M.
"I am not sure words can express how grateful we were to have Tawnie and her team during this process. Many factors outside of our control made some of the critical moments very uncertain, but Tawnie’s confidence, and ultimately her ability to resolve every issue we encountered, is how we got to the finish line. We have worked with Tawnie now over 7 years, and I think that was our 5th home transaction over the years, buying and or selling a home around St. Cloud, with Tawnie. We have always felt Tawnie represented us exactly as we asked, and provided all the details we asked. We will call Tawnie again one day if we move, and we will continue to recommend her without hesitation, thank you again Tawnie. We appreciate it."
"I am not sure words can express how grateful we were to have Tawnie and her team during this process. Many factors outside of our control made some of the critical moments very uncertain, but Tawnie’s confidence, and ultimately her ability to resolve every issue we encountered, is how we got to the finish line. We have worked with Tawnie now over 7 years, and I think that was our 5th home transaction over the years, buying and or selling a home around St. Cloud, with Tawnie. We have always felt Tawnie represented us exactly as we asked, and provided all the details we asked. We will call Tawnie again one day if we move, and we will continue to recommend her without hesitation, thank you again Tawnie. We appreciate it."
Ralph D.
"Excellent Realtor Chris communicates well; provides an honest opinion; listens to clients' needs; ensures items are followed through."
"Excellent Realtor Chris communicates well; provides an honest opinion; listens to clients' needs; ensures items are followed through."
Diana L.
"Very helpful Very knowledgeable, always quick to respond, and a very good communicator. Has a great ability to help and talk you through the questions and concerns that come with selling a home."
"Very helpful Very knowledgeable, always quick to respond, and a very good communicator. Has a great ability to help and talk you through the questions and concerns that come with selling a home."
Middleton Family Trust
"5 Star Service! Chris always is very professional and gives great market and negotiation advice. I would highly recommend him!"
"5 Star Service! Chris always is very professional and gives great market and negotiation advice. I would highly recommend him!"
Nathan P.
"The very best experience! Chris made the process of selling this home a breeze! He was very knowledgeable & dedicated throughout the entire sale. His communication was prompt, and his answers were always very helpful. We could not have asked for a better experience & we recommend everyone to use Chris as their realtor!"
"The very best experience! Chris made the process of selling this home a breeze! He was very knowledgeable & dedicated throughout the entire sale. His communication was prompt, and his answers were always very helpful. We could not have asked for a better experience & we recommend everyone to use Chris as their realtor!"
Jason O.
"Chris was extremely patient with us in a 4-year search for a home. He earned a high degree of trust. Chris is quite aware of market trends, and was able to advise us relative to offers and contracts we made on multiple properties. Each time we walked away from a property due to inspection findings, he simply generated the proper documents with no debate or pressure to lower our expectations. He always arranged consultations with professionals for us in a very timely manner after offering us multiple choices. When the National Assn. if Realtors changed rules for the payment of buyers' agent commission, Chris was flexible in his negotiation, and helpful in negotiations with the seller's agent. His frank manner of communicating his advice and demonstrating he heard our inputs made us very comfortable with him. He went the extra mile to dig out information available (apparently) only to realtors. He even executed a "cold call" to an owner of a home not on the market at our request."
"Chris was extremely patient with us in a 4-year search for a home. He earned a high degree of trust. Chris is quite aware of market trends, and was able to advise us relative to offers and contracts we made on multiple properties. Each time we walked away from a property due to inspection findings, he simply generated the proper documents with no debate or pressure to lower our expectations. He always arranged consultations with professionals for us in a very timely manner after offering us multiple choices. When the National Assn. if Realtors changed rules for the payment of buyers' agent commission, Chris was flexible in his negotiation, and helpful in negotiations with the seller's agent. His frank manner of communicating his advice and demonstrating he heard our inputs made us very comfortable with him. He went the extra mile to dig out information available (apparently) only to realtors. He even executed a "cold call" to an owner of a home not on the market at our request."
Larry and Glenna D.
"Chris is hands down the best realtor! Chris has been my agent for 4 years now! He always has my best interest and makes sure everything is done in a timely manner. Making it effortless for his buyers and sellers! I highly recommend Chris to anyone who is looking for a realtor."
"Chris is hands down the best realtor! Chris has been my agent for 4 years now! He always has my best interest and makes sure everything is done in a timely manner. Making it effortless for his buyers and sellers! I highly recommend Chris to anyone who is looking for a realtor."
Buyer
"I can't say enough about how amazing Stephanie Peterson is. She made our entire home selling experience smooth and stress-free. Stephanie is very knowledgeable in every aspect of both selling and buying a home. She has an amazing network of businesses that she works with such as, photographers, lenders, closers and service companies. She was available to us anytime, and responded to messages very promptly. I highly recommend Stephanie Peterson for your home selling/buying!"
"I can't say enough about how amazing Stephanie Peterson is. She made our entire home selling experience smooth and stress-free. Stephanie is very knowledgeable in every aspect of both selling and buying a home. She has an amazing network of businesses that she works with such as, photographers, lenders, closers and service companies. She was available to us anytime, and responded to messages very promptly. I highly recommend Stephanie Peterson for your home selling/buying!"
Lisa H.
"Great experience, as we all know sells a home can be stressful. Stephanie, well all we say from the introduction, to the closing, she was on top of her game, she kept us updated on every step of the way; no matter how minor or so called big, which there were no major issues. I’ve sold a few homes in the course of my life, this was the smoothest sale I’ve ever done and NO THIS IS NOT A PAID ADVERTISEMENT. "
"Great experience, as we all know sells a home can be stressful. Stephanie, well all we say from the introduction, to the closing, she was on top of her game, she kept us updated on every step of the way; no matter how minor or so called big, which there were no major issues. I’ve sold a few homes in the course of my life, this was the smoothest sale I’ve ever done and NO THIS IS NOT A PAID ADVERTISEMENT. "
Lenny M.
"Stephanie was amazing! From start to finish, Stephanie was great. She is a person that is trustworthy and will tell you the best way to handle things. Simply put I would recommend her to anyone. Thank you Stephanie for being you! "
"Stephanie was amazing! From start to finish, Stephanie was great. She is a person that is trustworthy and will tell you the best way to handle things. Simply put I would recommend her to anyone. Thank you Stephanie for being you! "
Sharise S.
"While we thoroughly enjoyed our 11 years in St. Cloud/North Shore Subdivision (what a great place to have raised our kids), we had felt the pull towards Brevard County for some time. Lydia and Tie Team Realty made that happen for us as evident in the record time we received an offer (11 days) and closed (31 days). Eric and I wholeheartedly recommend Lydia Morrison to anyone thinking of buying or selling in the future. She was 100% professional and made the process so easy for us. Because we chose to move out of our house before we listed it, having Lydia right there in the neighborhood gave us peace of mind. She drove by our house daily on her golf cart rides with her girls to check on the house. She stopped by before and after every showing to make sure that lights were on/off and the AC was set accordingly. She made the negotiations easy for us. She was able to help us navigate all of the ins and outs of the transaction including a last minute title search/permit issue that was resolved within a day. Being away from our home and in a different county could have been a nightmare, but Lydia made it easy for us. We couldn't have asked for a better realtor. Thanks, Lydia!"
"While we thoroughly enjoyed our 11 years in St. Cloud/North Shore Subdivision (what a great place to have raised our kids), we had felt the pull towards Brevard County for some time. Lydia and Tie Team Realty made that happen for us as evident in the record time we received an offer (11 days) and closed (31 days). Eric and I wholeheartedly recommend Lydia Morrison to anyone thinking of buying or selling in the future. She was 100% professional and made the process so easy for us. Because we chose to move out of our house before we listed it, having Lydia right there in the neighborhood gave us peace of mind. She drove by our house daily on her golf cart rides with her girls to check on the house. She stopped by before and after every showing to make sure that lights were on/off and the AC was set accordingly. She made the negotiations easy for us. She was able to help us navigate all of the ins and outs of the transaction including a last minute title search/permit issue that was resolved within a day. Being away from our home and in a different county could have been a nightmare, but Lydia made it easy for us. We couldn't have asked for a better realtor. Thanks, Lydia!"
Eric and Melissa C. (Seller)

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