When you're ready to sell, I'm here to help!
If you’re ready to sell your home, here are a few questions to consider:
- Where are you moving and when?
- Do you need to sell your home to make your next move?
- Does the home need any work before it can be sold?
Get ready, get set...
Once we have an idea of when you need or want to sell, we can determine the next steps: do you need to make any improvements, updates, or repairs to your home before it goes on the market?
My initial listing consultation in your home includes a walk-through with my daughter, Kayla, who is a Certified Interior Designer. With her input, I’m able to help you understand how a buyer might look at your home and what you can do to maximize its value through improvements, updates, and repairs. I will affirm what is in line with the Northern Virginia market conditions and trends, as well as what is required by Virginia and/or federal law.
We will discuss a pricing strategy based on comparables to show what your competition looks like, what others have accomplished, and what doesn’t work. I will share current market conditions and trends, what you can expect from an offer(s), and work with you to strategize responses, showings, and timing.
Once we are ready to start marketing your home, I will order a photo shoot and a signpost, if the community allows it. I’ll also collect information about the house and community from you, and from the sources with direct input/expectations (like an HOA or condo association).
Go!
When activating a listing, safety is my top priority followed by availability and accessibility. I use a variety of levels of security to keep you and your property safe and secure. Once we establish your preferred/needed security level, we want to make availability and accessibility as seamless as possible.
Showing your house to potential buyers is a critical step to selling it. We want potential buyers to see and feel for themselves what you love about your home; a picture may be worth a thousand words, but an in-person visit is worth the price of your home–more or less.
I encourage you, including pets and children, to be out of the house for showings, if possible. Buyers need to see and feel themselves living there and should not be thinking that they are invading your privacy.
We have a contract!
After a contract has been ratified, I will continue to advise you, keep you informed, and provide additional resources as needed.
Contact Kelli to schedule your consultation today!
Seller F.A.Q.
Today’s market is a mix of buyer’s markets, balanced markets, and seller’s markets. Some areas of Virginia experience a buyer’s market where inventory is high and demand is low; some experience a seller’s market where inventory is low and demand is high; and some are balanced, which means the number of homes for sale and the number of buyers buying are equal.
In a seller’s market, you will likely face competition with other buyers making multiple offers on one home. We will discuss options and strategies for writing a winning offer as part of my experience and skills as your Buyer Agent.
In a buyer’s market, we may be able to negotiate more than in a seller’s market; as your Buyer Agent, I will advise you in making a successful offer according to your goals, budget, and timeline.
It depends. The best strategy is to determine your budget and the rate of return for any work that you do. If the cost increases the sale price or is recouped from the sale of the home, it is worth doing. If you do not have the budget to make any changes, then the price of the home should reflect the condition. We have resources, experience, and connections that will help you decide and prioritize what makes the most sense. We can best advise you after an assessment during the initial listing consultation.
Ideally, you should vacate the home (with pets as applicable) during showings. Let the agent be the tour guide for the visitor. Your presence makes potential buyers feel like they are intruding and prevents them from imagining themselves living in the home. This will hinder offers and make the sale take longer.
I list your home on the MLS (Multiple Listing Service), which automatically feeds to a multitude of websites where buyers are looking for homes. I will also place a sign in your yard or on your property if your community allows them. Your listing will be featured on my website and social media channels. As appropriate, I will also utilize direct marketing advertisements.
In 2024 an NAR lawsuit settlement changed the previously assumed Seller-paid buyer agent commissions to a fully negotiable contract term between Buyers and Sellers. In our Listing Agreement, you and I will reach an agreement to what I will be compensated from you, with no mention or plan to pay a buyer’s agent. In the sales contract, Buyers and Sellers negotiate Seller concessions (Buyer closing costs and Buyer agent commission contribution). As your Listing Agent, it is my goal to have you pay as little as possible or none of their buyer agent’s commission (some reasons may apply in order to meet your goals). When we have an Exclusive Right to Sell Listing Agreement, your best interests are my obligation and priority.
Any offer received gives you three choices: reject it; accept it; or negotiate it to something more acceptable to you. If you negotiate with the potential Buyer, then they also have three choices: accept your changes, reject your changes, or counter-offer your counter-offer. If no agreement is reached, then the house remains on the market. If the offer is what you wanted but you have a reason to reject it, we will discuss it further to determine what is best for your situation.