Just as it is important to have a checklist as a home buyer the same goes for selling. Getting a property ready to show, creating an effective listing to ensure the best offers possible, coordinating with your new purchase, all the way through to completing can seem like a daunting task but it doesn’t have to be. West Haven Group is here to help guide you through the steps needed to successfully sell your home and obtain the maximum return on investment.
Below we outline a Home Sellers Checklist with the top five things to keep in mind as you get ready to sell your property.
Vancouver Home Sellers Checklist #1: Find a listing agent
The right listing agent will coordinate every detail and ensure you feel supported throughout the entire process. It is crucial to find someone you trust implicitly to have your best interests at heart.
We encourage you to meet with different agents—and don’t be afraid to ask the tough questions:
How long have you been an agent for?
What is your list-to-sale success rate?
What do you offer as part of this service? i.e. photography, videos, marketing material, paid and organic content
What are the fees associated with your services?
What neighbourhood do you typically work in?
What would your strategy be for my listing given the current market?
Vancouver Home Sellers Checklist #2: Make a post-sale plan
If you are considering selling your home then it is likely you have a new home in mind. It is important to have talked to your mortgage broker about your requirements to make this next purchase happen—do you need the proceeds of the sale for that? Are you planning to rent and then look to purchase after? What is your timeline in terms of completion and possession dates?
These are crucial details to understand prior to listing and an agent can provide guidance and create a strategy to ensure the process goes smoothly.
Vancouver Home Sellers Checklist #3: Familiarize yourself with the market
To set realistic expectations before listing your home, it is important to be familiar with the current market and trends. These environmental influences have a huge impact on pricing, length of time listed, and number of offers.
Check out West Haven Group’s latest market update here.
Vancouver Home Sellers Checklist #4: Get your home ready to show
This step cannot be emphasized enough – the state of your home greatly affects the quality and number of offers you get.
Do all necessary repairs, refresh the walls if needed (a fresh coat of paint goes a long way), and remember to de-clutter and remove your personal items. We want people to fall in love with the home and imagine their lives there.
At West Haven Group, we help to do this through staging—home staging can net your listed property more than 15% additional profit while spending 73% less time on the market.
Vancouver Home Sellers Checklist #5: Be open-minded and get ready for the ride
We understand that this is your home, likely your largest investment to date and it can be stressful. The right listing agent will walk you through every step of the process—but you have to trust that their recommendations are guided by knowledge and your best interests. They may need to adjust the strategy as they go to respond to market demands. For example, if the market is hot, don’t be surprised if they recommend a lower price than you were expecting as a way to get more people in the door and multiple offers, thereby driving up the end price.
Are you ready to sell your property?
Reach out to the West Haven Group to find out more about our client-centric service and dynamic set of tools to help realize your real estate goals. We believe that integrity, professionalism, and perseverance lead a well-marketed property to sell and this belief has led us to be recognized as the top 1% of realtors in Greater Vancouver. Get in touch with us and we’d be happy to answer all your questions.