Selling your home can take some work and time. Here are some tips to help with the process.

1. The listing agreement

The listing agreement is a contract that provides an outlines forms and negotiations related to the sale of your property. The contract is between you and the brokerage company, in this case, Royal Lepage. It is important that you carefully read the agreement as it clearly outlines the rights and obligations of you and Ty Collyer Real Estate and that it is an accurate representation of your property details.

The listing agreement will outline:

• The compensation for listing your home;
• The duration of the contract;
• The listing price of the property;
• Mortgage details of the property, including the mortgage balance, mortgage monthly payments, and mortgage due date;
• An accurate description of the property;
• The amount of annual property taxes; and
• Any easements, rights of way, liens or charges against the property.

I will also be asking you to complete a Property Disclosure Statement. The Disclosure is the seller’s obligation to disclose any relevant facts about property for sale. Relevant facts include material details about the property such as anything that could materially affect the sale price or influence a buyer’s decision to buy it. Post-sale disputes and lawsuits often relate to defects and disclosure; however, many of these disputes can be avoided if accurate and appropriate disclosures are made. When selling a property, purposefully withholding information can have significant legal consequences.

2. Determining the listing price

You may have an idea of how much your house is worth but it’s important to have a professional value your home. I will provide intelligent council based on sound research of market history, dedicated to comparable properties and thus help you determine an appropriate listing price. This is called a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) report. You should be cautious about not pricing your property too high or too low. If it’s too high, it will be difficult or impossible to sell and if it is too low then you will sacrifice a portion of your investment.

3. Marketing your property

MLS Listing

Your home is likely your largest investment. I’ll develop a customized marketing strategy to sell your home for the highest possible price. You can find more info about my marking strategies on the marketing tab.

4. Waiting for the right buyer

Sometimes a home takes time to sell, remember to be patient and persistent. There are three common reasons that a home may not sell quickly: location, condition, and asking price.
You cannot change the location of your property but you can improve the condition of your home and you can adjust your price. While your property is listed, you should be continuously comparing your asking price to similar properties in your neighbourhood. On a regular basis, we will review the marketing strategy and provide you with updates on the following items while your property is listed.

• The number of showings.
• Feedback from showings.
• Updates on the marketplace.
• Your property compared to the competition.

5. Accepting an offer

When you receive an offer it will detail the buyer’s price, any conditions that may apply, the desired date of possession and the date the offer expires.

The buyer will give a deposit with the offer as an act of good faith. You are able to make a counteroffer if you are not happy with the offer from the buyer. We may go back and forth with the buyer and buyers agent to negotiate the final terms and conditions of the sale.

Once the offer is agreed upon and signed off by all parties then it is a binding contract. Therefore, ensure that you understand and agree to all of the terms in the offer. In addition, you may want your lawyer to review the offer before you sign it. Your lawyer should also make sure that compensation is received for property taxes. Once these expenses are paid, then you will receive the money from the sale.

6. Possible requests from the buyer

Before closing, the buyer may ask you to provide a number of things such as but not limited to ; Utility bills, to see average monthly costs. Tenancy agreements. Receipts of renovations or work completed. A current survey that shows that the house sits on the property that you own. A certificate for a well or septic system, stating that the system meets standards. Entering the home to do their due diligence on inspections etc.