Seller’s Guide

Selling your home is a multi-step process that calls for the expertise of a real estate broker. There are many things you’ll need to consider. To help you through it, the following is a general overview on what to expect and how to prepare.

Meet With Us

It is important to partner with a knowledgeable real estate broker. A good broker can suggest tips and cost effective improvements to your property to maximize the impression on potential buyers. They will walk through your home and gather data to do a comparable market analysis. At L. Dankers Real Estate we have an in-depth knowledge of the Seattle market and can help you arrive at an appropriate listing price.

Listing Your Home

The next step will be to sign a Listing Agreement. Then we will begin to aggressively market your home through a variety of mediums — digital and traditional — to inform other real estate brokers (representing buyers) that your property is on the market. The first week a listing hits the market is an important time. Serious buyers are aware of the current inventory and tend to focus on new listings. A competitive price, combined with maximizing “curb appeal”, will set your home apart from the others. This in turn will attract more potential buyers, give your home greater exposure and increase the odds of multiple offers.

Offers

Once an offer comes in, we will help you negotiate with the buyers. The amount of negotiating will usually depend on the number of buyers, length of time the property has been on the market and results of a buyer’s inspection. If there are multiple buyers and no home inspection, the amount of back and forth can be relatively short. However, each transaction presents different challenges so the advice of a seasoned broker is important.

Closing

Once a binding contract is signed by all parties it is time to move forward to closing. We will send the buyer’s earnest money deposit and completed contract to escrow. The escrow company is a neutral third party that handles documents and funds for both the buyer and seller. As the closing date approaches you will make an appointment with escrow to sign your closing documents. Meanwhile, your broker will make sure all transaction details have been resolved. Once everything is in order, the deed is recorded with the county and the seller’s proceeds become available. Congratulations, you just sold your house!