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Seller's Guide

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 agent 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 real estate agent once you choose one so he or she 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 real estate agent is the best way to determine the right selling price for your home. An agent 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

I 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. My 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. I 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 I deem the offer is acceptable, I 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 agent.

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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. I 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, I 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. I 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 real estate agent 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.

Testimonials

"I would highly recommend using Mary to buy and sell your property. She goes above and beyond any expectations you could possibly have. Her strategies work fantastically! Very professional, and a very kind person as well. She gets the job done!"
"I would highly recommend using Mary to buy and sell your property. She goes above and beyond any expectations you could possibly have. Her strategies work fantastically! Very professional, and a very kind person as well. She gets the job done!"
Katie S.
"I met Mary when she sold me my home 18 years ago. She was the first agent to ask the question, "What are you looking for in a home?". Blew me away! I was a newbie, Mary handled every detail professionally and, most importantly, calmly and timely manner. During the 18 years, Mary has stayed in touch at least twice a year. She has a plethora of resources for everything from plumbing to electrical to painting. I've used them over the years and never been disappointed. I knew a few years in advance that I was going to relocate. I reached out to Mary at that time for guidance. When it was time to select a Realtor, I never even considered anyone else, not for a moment. It was always going to be Mary. Once again, she brought her expertise, experience, listening skills, and calm and centered demeanor. Always in touch at the appropriate time during the process. One feature I truly loved was her Google spreadsheets! Once shared with me, I could see in real-time the prospective buyer feedback, Mary's follow-up with buyers, and a log of my showings - and there were a lot! I also didn't want a 'for sale' sign in my front yard. No problem, says Mary - I sell through Marketing. I had several offers, and Mary's feedback and guidance with each one were invaluable. I was always comfortable in our conversations. Mary is a great listener and she never prompted responses, allowed me to come to my decision, and then she provided the professional reply. My home sold fast, the process was way too easy, lol. Most of it was done online, extremely efficient. I am now renting from the new owner for 2 months before I make my way out East. Bittersweet. If you are looking for an extremely professional, poised, experienced, motivated, calm-centered, punctual (and funny!) real estate agent, you need look no further. Thank you, Mary."
"I met Mary when she sold me my home 18 years ago. She was the first agent to ask the question, "What are you looking for in a home?". Blew me away! I was a newbie, Mary handled every detail professionally and, most importantly, calmly and timely manner. During the 18 years, Mary has stayed in touch at least twice a year. She has a plethora of resources for everything from plumbing to electrical to painting. I've used them over the years and never been disappointed. I knew a few years in advance that I was going to relocate. I reached out to Mary at that time for guidance. When it was time to select a Realtor, I never even considered anyone else, not for a moment. It was always going to be Mary. Once again, she brought her expertise, experience, listening skills, and calm and centered demeanor. Always in touch at the appropriate time during the process. One feature I truly loved was her Google spreadsheets! Once shared with me, I could see in real-time the prospective buyer feedback, Mary's follow-up with buyers, and a log of my showings - and there were a lot! I also didn't want a 'for sale' sign in my front yard. No problem, says Mary - I sell through Marketing. I had several offers, and Mary's feedback and guidance with each one were invaluable. I was always comfortable in our conversations. Mary is a great listener and she never prompted responses, allowed me to come to my decision, and then she provided the professional reply. My home sold fast, the process was way too easy, lol. Most of it was done online, extremely efficient. I am now renting from the new owner for 2 months before I make my way out East. Bittersweet. If you are looking for an extremely professional, poised, experienced, motivated, calm-centered, punctual (and funny!) real estate agent, you need look no further. Thank you, Mary."
Michelle S.
"I have known Mary Peterson since she sold me my first place in Wisconsin 13 years ago. At that time, my budget was very small, under 100,000. Mary treated me like I was purchasing a million-dollar home. Always a smile on her face. Very thorough, conscientious, never pressures you or rushes you. Mary goes above and beyond! Mary is # 1."
"I have known Mary Peterson since she sold me my first place in Wisconsin 13 years ago. At that time, my budget was very small, under 100,000. Mary treated me like I was purchasing a million-dollar home. Always a smile on her face. Very thorough, conscientious, never pressures you or rushes you. Mary goes above and beyond! Mary is # 1."
Doreen C.
"I recently had the pleasure of working with Mary as my realtor, and I must say, she exceeded my expectations. Mary was incredibly professional, timely, and organized throughout the entire process. From the moment we met her, she made us feel at ease and confident that we were in good hands. One of the things that stood out to me about Mary was her willingness to advocate on our behalf. She was always looking out for our best interests and negotiating on our behalf to ensure that we got the best deal possible. Her hard work and diligence were evident in the amount of time and effort she put into finding us the perfect home. Throughout the process, Mary was always available to answer any questions we had and provided us with regular updates on the status of our search. She went above and beyond to make sure that we felt comfortable and informed every step of the way. Overall, I would highly recommend Mary as a realtor. Her professionalism, work ethic, and dedication to her clients are truly second to none. If you're looking for a realtor who will work tirelessly on your behalf, Mary is the one to choose."
"I recently had the pleasure of working with Mary as my realtor, and I must say, she exceeded my expectations. Mary was incredibly professional, timely, and organized throughout the entire process. From the moment we met her, she made us feel at ease and confident that we were in good hands. One of the things that stood out to me about Mary was her willingness to advocate on our behalf. She was always looking out for our best interests and negotiating on our behalf to ensure that we got the best deal possible. Her hard work and diligence were evident in the amount of time and effort she put into finding us the perfect home. Throughout the process, Mary was always available to answer any questions we had and provided us with regular updates on the status of our search. She went above and beyond to make sure that we felt comfortable and informed every step of the way. Overall, I would highly recommend Mary as a realtor. Her professionalism, work ethic, and dedication to her clients are truly second to none. If you're looking for a realtor who will work tirelessly on your behalf, Mary is the one to choose."
Jordan S.
"Mary did an outstanding job for us in selling our property. We worked with other realtors in the past, but none compared to Mary and her marketing skills. Her efforts resulted in a sale! We selected her because of the quality of the materials Mary sent out to us, explaining why we should select her to sell our property. We are happy we did. She did an excellent job developing a plan of action. We appreciated how she kept us informed on a regular basis, patiently answered our questions, and explained the process all the way through to closing. I wish we had found her sooner! We will certainly recommend her to anyone looking for a realtor."
"Mary did an outstanding job for us in selling our property. We worked with other realtors in the past, but none compared to Mary and her marketing skills. Her efforts resulted in a sale! We selected her because of the quality of the materials Mary sent out to us, explaining why we should select her to sell our property. We are happy we did. She did an excellent job developing a plan of action. We appreciated how she kept us informed on a regular basis, patiently answered our questions, and explained the process all the way through to closing. I wish we had found her sooner! We will certainly recommend her to anyone looking for a realtor."
Pat & Terry L.
"Mary has been my Realtor® for the past 8 years. In that time, she sold my condo and helped me purchase my first home. She was with me every step of the way, always advocating and protecting my interests. We just outgrew our first home and hopefully purchased our forever home. Not only did she patiently help us find our “dream” home, but she also sold our first home. She truly cares about your experience! I highly recommend Mary."
"Mary has been my Realtor® for the past 8 years. In that time, she sold my condo and helped me purchase my first home. She was with me every step of the way, always advocating and protecting my interests. We just outgrew our first home and hopefully purchased our forever home. Not only did she patiently help us find our “dream” home, but she also sold our first home. She truly cares about your experience! I highly recommend Mary."
Donna
"We chose Mary on the recommendation of a friend who had recently purchased a vacation home with Mary's assistance. We were extremely happy working with Mary. She is easy to talk to, listens to our likes and dislikes, and concerns herself in a professional manner. She was also patient with us when we were still trying to determine if we wanted a house or a condo. She was flexible and readily available when we wanted to see a property. We would recommend Mary as a Realtor® and would not hesitate to use her services in the future! Thanks, Mary, for getting us into a property that fits our lifestyle. We love it!"
"We chose Mary on the recommendation of a friend who had recently purchased a vacation home with Mary's assistance. We were extremely happy working with Mary. She is easy to talk to, listens to our likes and dislikes, and concerns herself in a professional manner. She was also patient with us when we were still trying to determine if we wanted a house or a condo. She was flexible and readily available when we wanted to see a property. We would recommend Mary as a Realtor® and would not hesitate to use her services in the future! Thanks, Mary, for getting us into a property that fits our lifestyle. We love it!"
Christopher
"I live in the Chicago area and own property in Lake Geneva, WI. I located Mary through internet searches, paying close attention to comments and reviews by people who previously had experience with her. As Mary had very positive reviews, I contacted her and eventually hired her to market my property. Best decision I could have made! Mary's online presentation of my property listing (including inviting pictures and narrative) was outstanding, and drew a lot of traffic. From initial listing through successful closing, Mary constantly kept me updated on activities, including suggestions and multiple offers. She was able to handle everything remotely (utilizing DocuSign), which eliminated the need to travel on my part. Mary is a consummate professional and a true pleasure to deal with. I highly recommend Mary to anyone interested in buying or selling real estate, within Mary's region and beyond. She's the best!"
"I live in the Chicago area and own property in Lake Geneva, WI. I located Mary through internet searches, paying close attention to comments and reviews by people who previously had experience with her. As Mary had very positive reviews, I contacted her and eventually hired her to market my property. Best decision I could have made! Mary's online presentation of my property listing (including inviting pictures and narrative) was outstanding, and drew a lot of traffic. From initial listing through successful closing, Mary constantly kept me updated on activities, including suggestions and multiple offers. She was able to handle everything remotely (utilizing DocuSign), which eliminated the need to travel on my part. Mary is a consummate professional and a true pleasure to deal with. I highly recommend Mary to anyone interested in buying or selling real estate, within Mary's region and beyond. She's the best!"
Seller
"Mary made the process of buying our first home an extremely positive experience. We really felt like we had an advocate on our side the whole time. She was always available to answer questions, and she made sure that we understood everything, that we got everything we needed, and that our new home would be in the best condition possible for us. My husband and I are so grateful for her expertise during such a new experience, and we will definitely work with her again in the future and recommend her to family and friends who could use her services!"
"Mary made the process of buying our first home an extremely positive experience. We really felt like we had an advocate on our side the whole time. She was always available to answer questions, and she made sure that we understood everything, that we got everything we needed, and that our new home would be in the best condition possible for us. My husband and I are so grateful for her expertise during such a new experience, and we will definitely work with her again in the future and recommend her to family and friends who could use her services!"
Shaleigh
"Mary is absolutely incredible. She’s great at getting stuff done. My husband and I needed someone to take the ball and run when we were selling our home. She’s been amazing in the home-buying experience as well. Extremely experienced and knowledgeable! If you’re buying or selling your home, I highly recommend her."
"Mary is absolutely incredible. She’s great at getting stuff done. My husband and I needed someone to take the ball and run when we were selling our home. She’s been amazing in the home-buying experience as well. Extremely experienced and knowledgeable! If you’re buying or selling your home, I highly recommend her."
Abigail

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