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Seller's Guide

A Step-by-Step First Time Seller's Guide

Putting your home on the market can be a stressful process, especially when you don’t know what to expect. Fortunately, with the help of an experienced agent and this easy to follow guide, you can smoothly complete the process. Following these steps will help you prepare so you can get organized and sell your home for the best price possible.​​​​​​​

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Step 1: Understand Why You're Selling

What do you want to accomplish with the sale of your home? Do you want to make a certain amount of money that you can put toward a larger or nicer home? Do you need to sell it as soon as possible to facilitate a move to a new city or area? Once you understand your needs, you can better craft your offer. For example, if you need to sell quickly, you might want to price your home lower than if your goal is to make a certain profit margin. Make sure you convey these needs to your real estate agent once you choose one so he or she can adjust your selling price accordingly.

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Step 2: Determine Selling Price

Knowing how to price your home is one of the most important parts of the selling process. When you set a fair price in the beginning, you’ll get the most interest from other real estate agents and prospective buyers. Overpricing your home could lead to reduced interest, and underpricing leads to receiving less than what your home is worth. Working with a real estate agent is the best way to determine the right selling price for your home. An agent with experience can determine what other comparable homes are selling for, evaluate the current market, and may even suggest a home appraisal.

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Step 3: Start Preparations

If you’ve kept your home in showroom condition since you’ve lived in it, you’re in the minority of homeowners. Once you price your home, it’s time to start getting it ready to be shown to potential buyers. This includes getting rid of clutter, depersonalizing the space so that buyers can envision themselves in the space, making any small repairs, and doing a deep clean to make sure your home is in pristine condition.

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Step 4: Develop a Marketing Strategy

I will develop a marketing strategy that is perfect for advertising your home. This involves listing the home and then driving the right people to that listing through social media campaigns, agent-to-agent referrals, traditional media, or SEO advertising. My team creates a marketing campaign that aims to get the most possible traffic to your listing in the first three weeks after becoming a client.

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Step 5: Evaluate Offers

Receiving an offer is an exciting part of the process, but it doesn’t mean the journey is over. I will evaluate each offer and make sure the party making the offer is prequalified or pre-approved by a mortgage lender and that their offer is acceptable to you. If the offer is too low, you can make a counter-offer or offer other ways to bridge the gap, such as covering some or all of the closing costs, making repairs, adjusting the move-in date, or leaving some appliances or fixtures for the new buyer.

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Step 6: Accept an Offer

Once I deem the offer is acceptable, I will review the proposed contract to make sure it’s all in order and includes the necessary components such as deposit amount, down payment, financing, inspection rights and repair allowances, contingencies, settlement date, and a list of fees and who will pay them. When both parties have agreed to the term, a final contract will be prepared by your agent.

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Step 7: Get Ready to Close

You have accepted an offer and are now very close to the end of your selling journey. But first, you and the buyer must make a list of what needs to be done before closing. In some cases, your home may need to be formally inspected, surveyed, and appraised. In other cases, major or minor repairs will need to be made before the house can close. I will head up efforts to develop and execute this list, get each action item paid for by the correct party, and make sure everything is in order by the closing date. A few days before the closing date, I will call the company closing the transaction to make sure everything is ready to go. If you haven’t done so already, you also need to make arrangements to move out of the home so the new buyer can take possession.

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Step 8: Close

You’ve reached the last step in the seller’s process. When you close on a home you are selling, you are legally transferring ownership of the property to the new buyer. I will meet with the company closing the transaction to sign the final paperwork and go over any issues that have not yet been taken care of. During this time, you can also make plans with your real estate agent to handle final details such as canceling utilities, cable, and lawn or trash services, changing the name on accounts that the new owner is retaining and ensuring the new owner has instructions for all appliances that will remain in the home.

Congratulations!

Once you have sold your home, you’re free to take the next step on your journey. Whether this is relocating to a new city, moving into a larger home, or downsizing and enjoying your life as empty-nesters, knowing all your selling responsibilities have been taken care of will help you achieve peace of mind for your new path.

What Our Clients Are Saying

Success Stories

"Mike when amazing and went above and beyond being a great realtor. I live out of the area, and I would highly recommend him."
"Mike when amazing and went above and beyond being a great realtor. I live out of the area, and I would highly recommend him."
Debbie B.
"I recently worked with Mike to help my mom buy a home in North County, and we couldn't be happier. He went above and beyond to accommodate our unique needs, especially with my mom living out of the area. Mike made the entire process smooth, handling everything from showings to inspections and post-closing appointments. We'd absolutely work with him again!"
"I recently worked with Mike to help my mom buy a home in North County, and we couldn't be happier. He went above and beyond to accommodate our unique needs, especially with my mom living out of the area. Mike made the entire process smooth, handling everything from showings to inspections and post-closing appointments. We'd absolutely work with him again!"
Blaine B.
"Mike has helped me several times over the years, but this most recent task was very important, challenging and successful. I wanted to sell my Vista home quickly, while not having to return to the US to do it (I’m working in Europe). Mike handled beautifully all of the many things that had to happen, and adjusted easily to my weird situation and timezone. His team is stellar as well. All of them are knowledgeable, quick, accurate, and so helpful. I could not be any more thrilled with the process and the excellent result!"
"Mike has helped me several times over the years, but this most recent task was very important, challenging and successful. I wanted to sell my Vista home quickly, while not having to return to the US to do it (I’m working in Europe). Mike handled beautifully all of the many things that had to happen, and adjusted easily to my weird situation and timezone. His team is stellar as well. All of them are knowledgeable, quick, accurate, and so helpful. I could not be any more thrilled with the process and the excellent result!"
Jodi P.
"Mike did a fantastic job from start to finish in helping us navigate the buying process of a home. He had done a great job in helping our daughter and her husband buy their first home, and he really made the difference with our purchase of a ranch in Garner Valley. If you're looking for a professional, compassionate, highly knowledgeable, and detailed realtor who can hold your hand through the home-buying process with great negotiating skills, Mike is your man."
"Mike did a fantastic job from start to finish in helping us navigate the buying process of a home. He had done a great job in helping our daughter and her husband buy their first home, and he really made the difference with our purchase of a ranch in Garner Valley. If you're looking for a professional, compassionate, highly knowledgeable, and detailed realtor who can hold your hand through the home-buying process with great negotiating skills, Mike is your man."
Muellnerb
"Outstanding Agent - we 100% recommend Mike! Mike was a lifesaver when listing my home. The process started over a year prior to the sale. Mike's recommendations were spot-on. He was our quarterback and really helped us through the process and included my family in the planning. He was an invaluable resource when it came to pricing, staging, and work to be done (or not necessary). We could not have completed this sale without his expertise. We would give him our highest recommendation-use Mike to sell your home!"
"Outstanding Agent - we 100% recommend Mike! Mike was a lifesaver when listing my home. The process started over a year prior to the sale. Mike's recommendations were spot-on. He was our quarterback and really helped us through the process and included my family in the planning. He was an invaluable resource when it came to pricing, staging, and work to be done (or not necessary). We could not have completed this sale without his expertise. We would give him our highest recommendation-use Mike to sell your home!"
Debi B.
"Outstanding Agent. Mike has represented me and my family in buying and selling for many years. He is extremely professional, detailed, and his top priority is his clients. I can’t say enough good things about Mike and highly recommend him to anyone."
"Outstanding Agent. Mike has represented me and my family in buying and selling for many years. He is extremely professional, detailed, and his top priority is his clients. I can’t say enough good things about Mike and highly recommend him to anyone."
Steve H.
"Professional and enthusiastic agent. Mike did a great job selling the house and was very helpful in guiding and assisting us. We really enjoyed working with him and credit him with the successful sale."
"Professional and enthusiastic agent. Mike did a great job selling the house and was very helpful in guiding and assisting us. We really enjoyed working with him and credit him with the successful sale."
Noel H.
"Our͏ experience with our realtor, Mike Williams From the time we made that initial phone call to Mike asking him to represent us as our real estate agent to sell our house at 1738 Star Crest Place, San Marcos, until we were settled in our rental while we were waiting for our new house to be built, Mike was with us 100%. His professional advice and his explanation of his advice was well delivered and always appreciated. He went above and beyond to market the sale of our house with quality and enthusiasm. He understood how this process is sometimes personal and delicate, and he was very sensitive to our requests. Mike was always available when we had questions or if we just needed to discuss the process no matter what time or day of the week. His help while we were going through the escrow process was top-notch. This is the second property Mike has sold for, and he is our go-to guy if we ever need to sell or buy again. He is also the first person we suggest as a realtor if we are asked. Mike is a kindhearted man with quality real estate knowledge, and we highly recommend him to be your realtor."
"Our͏ experience with our realtor, Mike Williams From the time we made that initial phone call to Mike asking him to represent us as our real estate agent to sell our house at 1738 Star Crest Place, San Marcos, until we were settled in our rental while we were waiting for our new house to be built, Mike was with us 100%. His professional advice and his explanation of his advice was well delivered and always appreciated. He went above and beyond to market the sale of our house with quality and enthusiasm. He understood how this process is sometimes personal and delicate, and he was very sensitive to our requests. Mike was always available when we had questions or if we just needed to discuss the process no matter what time or day of the week. His help while we were going through the escrow process was top-notch. This is the second property Mike has sold for, and he is our go-to guy if we ever need to sell or buy again. He is also the first person we suggest as a realtor if we are asked. Mike is a kindhearted man with quality real estate knowledge, and we highly recommend him to be your realtor."
Michael M.
"Mike Williams is a true professional! I am a real estate agent who represented myself in the purchase of my family's forever home with Mike as the listing agent. He was so amazing to work with. He was responsive, patient, and a true pleasure to work with. I would gladly work with him again in any capacity. Thank you to you and your amazing clients for the beautiful home for my family."
"Mike Williams is a true professional! I am a real estate agent who represented myself in the purchase of my family's forever home with Mike as the listing agent. He was so amazing to work with. He was responsive, patient, and a true pleasure to work with. I would gladly work with him again in any capacity. Thank you to you and your amazing clients for the beautiful home for my family."
Randall P.
"Mike͏ is a very hard-working individual with extensive knowledge and professionalism. We met Mike when he was working to sell the house next door to our home in Carlsbad. In fact, we first noticed his tremendous work ethic when we observed how hard he worked to sell that house. After several friendly discussions with Mike, we decided to list our one-bedroom condominium in San Diego with him. We did not know where to start or how to go about selling this property. Mike was the perfect fit to represent us. We were impressed that he was willing to sell our one-bedroom condo at a value quite a bit lower in price than most homes he sells in Carlsbad, which demonstrated that no job is too small for him. He always made us feel like we were his only clients and was very responsive to our every need. Mike made it clear that we were always in full control of our decisions, although he gave wonderful advice when we needed it. Never pushy, Mike was very patient with us and answered all of our questions, no matter how big or small. He was incredibly patient with us as first-time sellers, and he did an incredible job helping us navigate the language and procedures required by sellers. Mike is a very hard-working individual who utilizes his extensive knowledge and professionalism to do whatever is necessary to ensure we have the best buying experience. He sold our property as quickly as possible and got the best price."
"Mike͏ is a very hard-working individual with extensive knowledge and professionalism. We met Mike when he was working to sell the house next door to our home in Carlsbad. In fact, we first noticed his tremendous work ethic when we observed how hard he worked to sell that house. After several friendly discussions with Mike, we decided to list our one-bedroom condominium in San Diego with him. We did not know where to start or how to go about selling this property. Mike was the perfect fit to represent us. We were impressed that he was willing to sell our one-bedroom condo at a value quite a bit lower in price than most homes he sells in Carlsbad, which demonstrated that no job is too small for him. He always made us feel like we were his only clients and was very responsive to our every need. Mike made it clear that we were always in full control of our decisions, although he gave wonderful advice when we needed it. Never pushy, Mike was very patient with us and answered all of our questions, no matter how big or small. He was incredibly patient with us as first-time sellers, and he did an incredible job helping us navigate the language and procedures required by sellers. Mike is a very hard-working individual who utilizes his extensive knowledge and professionalism to do whatever is necessary to ensure we have the best buying experience. He sold our property as quickly as possible and got the best price."
Robb Z.

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