Where do people turn when they want to buy a house? According to statistics, 50% of people find their homes online. If you’re considering selling your house, keep this fact in mind as you begin preparing.
The home selling process requires multiple steps, and it typically begins by hiring a real estate agent.
If you want to sell your house but don’t know what to expect, read this guide to learn what to expect throughout the home selling process.
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The Home Selling Process Begins With Meeting a Real Estate Agent
Selling a house is a process, and it typically begins with meeting a real estate agent. You can choose the agent you want to hire, and you can contact them to come to your home to see it.
Meeting with an agent serves several purposes, including the following:
- The agent can see what your home looks like and what it offers
- You can ask questions
- The agent can explain the home selling process to you
- They can make suggestions to you for preparing your house
- You can learn your home’s value
You can prepare for this meeting beforehand by doing several things. First, you should clean your home and make any minor repairs that your house needs.
Secondly, you can write a list of questions to discuss with the agent. When they arrive for the meeting, you can find out all the answers to these questions.
Staging the Home When Needed
Your real estate agent might give you a home selling checklist. This checklist will contain a lot of information about selling, and you can add items to the list.
The things you should add include the staging activities you need to finish before listing your home. Staging a house makes a home look more appealing to those that request viewings.
When you stage a home, you make changes to it to increase its appeal. With the proper techniques, people will view your house more favorably. As a result, you might receive an offer faster.
If you’re unsure about what work to do, talk to your agent about it. Real estate agents provide excellent advice to homeowners, and following the advice can yield positive results.
The Listing Agreement
When you complete the work your house needs, the agent can return with the listing agreement. The listing agreement is a contract that your agent requires before helping you sell the house.
The agreement contains basic facts about the house, including its location, address, and the year it was built. It also includes the asking price and features the home offers.
You will also fill out a full-disclosure form when listing your house. This document contains information about the home’s components and systems. You must also list any known defects about your home.
Once you fill this out, your agent will need to do a few more things before listing it online.
The agent will hire a photographer to take professional photos of your house. They will use these in the advertisements they place about your home listing.
Your agent will also place a lockbox on your door to provide a way for agents to show your property. Your agent might also place a “for sale” sign in your front yard to advertise to people who drive by your home.
Home Showings
Selling a home also requires showing your home. You won’t have to show it, though. Your real estate agent or other agents will handle this part. The only things you’ll have to do are clean your home and leave beforehand.
If you want to sell your house fast with tenants, it’s an entirely different story. In this case, you might want to consider selling the house for cash instead of using a real estate agent.
Selling rental properties is different than selling a house you occupy. Therefore, you might want to ask an agent about your options before listing.
Negotiating an Offer
At some point, someone who views your home might want to buy it. You might wonder, though, “how long does it take to sell a house.” When will the offer come?
It might take a day or a year to receive an offer for your house. After you get one, you might spend the next few days negotiating it. Negotiating is necessary to reach a deal that you both agree to for the home sale.
Fortunately, your real estate agent will assist with this part of the deal. Your agent can help you determine if you should accept the offer without changing anything or counter the offer.
You cannot proceed with the remaining steps until you reach a deal.
The Closing Process
The closing process is the final stage of the home selling process, yet it often takes six weeks to complete. The closing process begins when you reach a deal for your home.
Once you reach a deal, the buyer must notify their lender and provide the details about the home. The buyer will also have a list of other tasks to complete, including the following:
- Ordering an appraisal of the home
- Hiring a home inspector
- Following through with paperwork that the lender needs
- Working on moving plans
You, the seller, will also have work to do. The main thing is to pack your stuff in time for the closing appointment. If you agreed to perform repairs, you would also have to complete those steps.
When all the parties complete their duties, the lender will schedule a closing appointment. This is the date when you will transfer ownership rights to the buyer, and you will no longer own the home.
Sell Your Home Fast by Following These Steps
The home selling process is not complicated, but it requires some work and time. It might also require investing some money in your home. Once you list it, you might find a buyer quickly, though!
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