The Real Estate Veterans can help you with all your questions about selling your home. We have many years of experience in the real estate industry.

Below is an outline of the home selling process.

Prepare Your Home to Sell

The first question you might want to ask yourself is, "why do I want to sell my home?" Do you need more space? Are you an empty nester looking for a smaller space? Have you accepted a job in a different part of the country? All of these questions affect the potential sale of your home and the negotiating process of that sale.

Contacting Jim Phillips or Jim Anderson will point you in the right direction, too. Our agents have the knowledge and understanding of the industry. They can provide reliable information and get you moving in the right direction towards the sale of your home.

Also take note of the following items:

• Keep your home in good repair. Before putting your house on the market, walk through and note what needs repairing. Then fix as much as you can before putting it on the market.
• Clean it up. From decluttering to increasing the light in your home, your agent can help you find ways to make your house look more attractive to potential buyers.
• Before you list your home, it is important to do your homework on the real estate companies in the area.

Finding your Real Estate Company

The old brick and mortar real estate office with 100 or more agents waiting for the phone to ring is going the way of the dinosaurs. As the operational, printing and corporate costs for these bureaucratic mammoths have escalated the slumping economy, housing market and Internet have driven the average home prices down. But when markets turn tough, consumers want a knowledgeable agent with experience, education and a track record.

• Talk to people. 9 times out of 10, someone you know has sold their home and can point you in the right direction and provide a credible recommendation.
• Contact two to three companies to see what type of services and marketing campaigns they offer. Ask what their yearly sales statistics are, and what they will do to get your home sold.
• When choosing a real estate agent, do not be afraid to meet with many different agents. After all, they are competing for your business and this is what makes the real estate industry successful.

Feel free to ask them the following questions:

• How many years of experience do you have in this industry?
• What is your selling experience?
• What professional certifications do you hold (ex. Certified Residential Specialist-CRS)?
• What services will you provide for me as my agent?
• How will you represent my property?
• Can you provide a market analysis for my property?
• How will you determine the price of my home?
• Explain the paperwork that I need to sign.
• What is the timeframe for listing my property with you?

Note their approach to you, is it professional and polished? Is their plan documented and comprehensive? 

Determining Property Value

Pricing your home is a delicate balancing act. If you overprice it, you risk deterring potential buyers, but if you underprice it, you risk selling for less than it is worth. To determine a fair asking price, have your  Agent determine your home's market value based on its size, location and amenities.

• It is realistic to compare the homes in your area and the asking prices of those homes.
• The law of supply and demand always comes into play. Do you live in an area with increasing job opportunities or an increasing supply of homes?
• Owners needs greatly impact the selling price of a home. Do you need a quick sell or do you have time to sit on your sale?
• The selling price is not cut and dry. On many occasions, the seller will negotiate the price, split closing costs or offer different allowances to the buyer, to make the sale of the home complete.

We can provide a fair market analysis of the homes for sale in your area. A Market Analysis is free and without obligation. For more information on how to receive a free Market Analysis that will help you properly determine the value of your home, contact Counselor Realty,

Jim Phillips (507.250.0613) jim@realestate77.com

Jim Anderson (507.251.2187) andy@realestate77.com

or click on Contact Us.  

Getting Your Home Out There - Market It!

There's a basic truth to successful home selling: If you market it, they will come. That's one of the advantages of listing your home with Counselor Realty and the Real Estate Veterans. We agent will work with you to develop an in-depth marketing plan for your home. From our mall kiosk to real estate publications to the internet, we will help make sure your home gets the coverage it needs and the service you deserve.

There are a number of different ways that our agents can drive traffic to view your home:

• Real Estate websites
• Internet Sites - currrently our listing appear on over 3500 differnet websites worldwide.
• Print Advertising - A dying media market, but still very effective in the Rocehster market.
• Open Houses
• Feature Sheets & brochures
• Multiple Listing Service (MLS)

Selling Your Home

The Offer - An acceptable offer depends on many different things:

• Is the proposed offer near the asking price?
• What is your timeframe - do you have another house payment? Insurance?
• Do you have enough time to wait for the agent to bring you more potential buyers?
• What if several offers are received at the same time?

The Counter-Offer - When potential buyers are searching for a home, they can respond in three different ways to the seller(s):

•  This home is not what we were looking for. We are not interested in the property.
• We are interested in the home and we will purchase the property on the buyer's terms per the real estate agreement.
• We are interested in the home, but here is our counter-offer for the property.

Negotiating

This negotiating process can at times seem very complicated. However, the right agent will work to make this hassle-free process.

During the negotiating process of the sale of a home, as the seller you can react in one of three different ways:

• Accept the buyer's proposed offer.
•  Decline the buyer's offer.
•  Make a new counter-offer  

Closing the Deal

Once a purchase agreement has been accepted the closing company you have selected works to ensure a smooth closing for your transaction. Our primary goal is to relieve agents of handling certain details so they may focus on you, their client. Closing Services informs the agents of potential documentation that may be necessary for individual situations and they work with lenders and title companies to close the transaction smoothly.