Preparing For Your First Visit With Your Listing Agent
If this is the first time you are selling a home you may have a few questions about what to do before your first meeting with an agent. Knowing what to bring with you to that first appointment and what to expect can save you time upfront and get the process going much faster.
Your To-Do List
Do You Have a Clear Title?
Your listing consultation will include questions about the status of your property. Your agent will need to know if there are any liens or loans out against the home outside of your mortgage. You may think you know the answers, however, unless you bought the home brand new there could be something hidden that you are unaware of which could affect the outcome of the sale. You can check with the Clerk of Court to get information about any claims from previous contractors or creditors. Downloading needed documents is easy with a fee of one dollar per page.
Understanding your mortgage and credit numbers
Finding out your credit score, how much you owe on your mortgage, and your interest rate before you meet with your agent will get things moving quickly. Once your agent knows what you have left to pay, your interest vs. principal amount, and if you are current on your payment, they can then help you determine what you can expect from your property sale. The more information you can provide, the better.
Get an inspection
Realty Times tells sellers to have a home appraiser do the check before you meet with your selling agent. If you find that there are repairs needed and know the repair costs this will allow you and your agent to decide who should cover the fixes and how to set the price accordingly.
Get Your House Ready For Sale
Your listing may go quicker when you have all the information you need up-front. To stay ahead of the game, make sure your home is spotless from top to bottom. Removing accessories that are bold or custom will be a huge factor when you have an open house.
Buyers want to envision their family in this space, not yours. Colors make a huge impact and using neutral tones is a good idea and take out pet and children’s items to appeal to a larger group. Doing this before you meet with your agent will speed up the process.
- -Paperwork To Take To Your First Appointment
- -Contingency reports concerning removals
- -Inspection report
- -Comparisons you found
- -Mortgage paperwork
- -Loan information
- -Bank statements for at least three months
- -Credit report
- -Photos of the property, before and after repairs or upgrades
- -Mandatory disclosure statements
- -Title report
- -Ideas for marketing the home
Meeting With Your Agent and Questions You Should Ask
How Much Is It Worth?
Knowing what other homes in your community sell for is an excellent way to help you decide what price you should set on your property. Your Agent will find other homes with similar floor plans, the same square footage, and in the general area to help figure out approximately what your home will be worth when you place it up for sale. It is commonplace that your agent should talk about a comparative market analysis during your first appointment.
Best time to list my home?
CNBC says that March and April are the best times to sell a home. Buyers are not waiting for kids to get out of school to shop for a home. Many individuals are wary of missing out on the perfect home since inventories are low in several markets.
Do I have to hire a staging expert?
At least thinking about hiring someone to stage your home is a good idea says experts at Realtor.com. People who have homes with modern furnishings and a consistent design sell properties faster. While you do not have to hire the design expert, you can use the consultation to get ideas about how to make your home more appealing to buyers.
Should I worry about curb appeal?
Improving the way your entrance looks is one of the best ways to invite people into your home when you are selling it. Consider planting fresh flower beds, replacing mulch, fixing cracks in the sidewalk, painting the front door, making symmetrical additions, adding new couch pillows, replacing door hardware, painting your mailbox, and adding large house numbers to the home. A pergola or arbor provides a shady area to relax. Bright, green lawns always entice open house guests to spend time touring your home.
Being prepared for your listing appointment can help you speed up the process of getting your home on the market. Selling something you have an emotional attachment to is hard enough without delaying the transaction.
Although there is generally not too many closing costs for the seller — be sure to get an estimate. In addition, you will want to ask your agent about any additional costs that you may not be aware of. Once you get through the first appointment, your real estate agent will guide you through the rest of the home sale. Making a list of any additional questions and concerns you may have to get answers during your initial visit will keep you and your agent from playing phone tag later.