Selling your home is an important decision, both financially and emotionally. At times this process can be overwhelming, but selling your home doesn’t have to be a stressful process, and choosing the right agent and company will make all the difference!

FIRST! KNOW WHY YOU ARE SELLING If you know why you are selling, it is easier for you and your agent to determine a plan of action to get exactly what you want. As experienced agents in the business, we consult with our clients to help them understand the underlying reasons for wanting to sell and the implications of how selling might impact your life and finances in ways that you might not have anticipated. When appropriate, we will suggest other options for you to consider that might help you better reach your financial lifestyle and Real Estate Goals.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT AGENT TO MARKET YOUR HOME Not all Real Estate Agents do business the same way. Some important items you should look for in your listing agent are: Sells Real Estate FULL TIME! So marketing and selling your home is a FULL TIME priority and available to you and prospective buyers 24/7. Knows The Market An agent has to be knowledgeable in the market. There are many factors that come into play when selling a home. They must be able to give valuable perspective when it comes to pricing and positioning within the area that your home is in. Has a proven Marketing Plan Marketing just one or two places is not going to work anymore. You need an extensive marketing plan that targets potential buyers from every angle. Find an Agent that is Tech-Savvy Today’s transactions move at internet speed. 85% of buyers go to the World Wide Web to look for a home, First. Advice on staging your Home Provides advice on how to stage your home so that it shows well. Recommends updates to increase the value and make a great selling point to your home.

AGGRESSIVE MARKETING! You are paying a listing agent commission to ensure that your home is professionally marketed. Properties that are not marketed aggressively within the first few weeks of hitting the market, tend to stay on the market longer, become stale and garner lower price offers. Marketing is my background and one of my FAVORITE parts of the job. I develop a comprehensive marketing plan for each property, tailored to the type of buyer that will most likely purchase the property. This plan gives us a road map – so that you and I are on the same page with regard to activities and expectations.

STAGING YOUR HOME 1. Creating Curb Appeal The value of curb appeal is enticing drive-by buyers to want to come inside the home. The yard should at least be comparable to the neighborhood; the cost of a quick clean up by a landscape crew usually pays for itself through a faster sale near the asking price. Add a splash of color by planting annuals along the entryway. We will tell you if the exterior of the home needs any improvement. 2. Cleaning Up Your Property Keep your property tidy, clean, well-lit and smelling good. Your agent is able to see your home as a buyer will and can recommend how to show it in its best light. Often this requires removing memorabilia that you love but that others may see as clutter. Let buyers visualize their own belongings in the house. Turning on lights, even in the day time, makes your house appear more inviting, cheerful, and even spacious. A professional carpet cleaning can remove stains and odors that you may not notice but are immediately noticeable and often offensive to buyers who don’t smoke or own pets. 3. Staging A relatively new concept, agents may recommend staging so the home appeals to the widest audience. Do-it-yourself tips include putting out fresh flowers and baking fragrant cookies before an open house. Professional stagers may be called upon to rearrange or even refurnish the house with their own furniture inventory, particularly applicable for situations like vacant homes. 4. Disclosures & Inspections? One of your primary duties as a seller is to make a list of anything that should be disclosed to buyers. Real estate agents are familiar with the legal environment surrounding disclosures and will prompt you to develop thorough disclosure documents that will serve both you and the buyer in creating a sound and satisfactory transaction. Depending on the condition and age of your home, and the current real estate market, your agent may recommend you have a termite and pest inspection done before placing your home on the market. This can help avoid nasty surprises and broken contracts down the road. 5. Should You Make Repairs? A quick coat of paint and other relatively affordable cosmetic upgrades might take years off a home’s appearance. A light neutral paint color has the broadest appeal and may also make rooms look larger. Will undertaking significant repairs prior to putting your home on the market generate the best return, or will selling your home “As Is” in its present condition? We can help with that decision. Having a written estimate from a contractor helps alleviate buyers’ fears of the unknown. Allowing the buyer to choose their own contractor relieves you of liability compared to pre-sale repairs, plus they can choose the materials. Consult with your agent before spending any money – we will advise you on how best to allocate your budget. 6. Showing Your Home It is important to leave your home while agents are showing it to potential buyers. We recommend you leave the showing of your home to professionals for several reasons. Buyers are more comfortable discussing the home’s merits and drawbacks with their agent if you are not there; they might even feel like they are intruding if you are home. Your agent is experienced in dealing with others on your behalf and has a fiduciary duty to represent your interests in the best possible way; let them do the talking. This way, you don’t accidentally volunteer information that their agent could use more strategically during negotiations.

IMPORTANT LESSONS LEARNED These are few important lessons to remember as you prepare to sell your home:

Buyers want to see and agents want to show houses that are good buys

1. A buyer is more likely to make a full-priced offer on a home that is priced
	right, as opposed to making a low offer on a home that is priced too high.
2. Houses that remain on the market a long time tend to not be shown.

Your cost or profit desire is irrelevant. The current market conditions determine the price

1. It is very difficult for a seller to evaluate their home objectively. In a balanced
	market it is important to determine the fair market price of your home given it’s location and condition relative to other properties currently active. We can price your home properly and correctly to maximize your exposure and bring you the best market price.
2. Assume the buyer is educated, savvy, and has done their research.

Houses that are marketed well move the fastest and garner the most money

1. Open houses rarely sell houses – they generate interest/buzz when first listed,
	however, 95% of homes are sold as the result of an agent or buyer inquiry through an internet lead. It is better to have a few qualified buyers touring your home than large numbers of random people, most of whom are not actively house hunting.
2. Networking with agents, advertising via the internet and targeted print
	publications has been proven to yield the most results.

Be willing to make smart investments in important aesthetic elements of your home

1. A good first impression can influence whether a buyer writes an offer or not.
	For example: invest in landscaping – curb appeal matters.
2. Fix things that could be considered “red flags”
3. Invest in important aesthetic updates (i.e. painting, floors, minor kitchen and
	bath updates, etc.).

WHY LEGACY REALTY GROUP, INC.? When Legacy Realty Group, Inc lists your home for sale, we immediately set in motion a complex and tech-savvy marketing plan to broadcast the availability of your home.