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Tips of Selling a Home

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 team of real estate agents 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 team of real estate agents once you choose one so they 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 team of real estate agents is the best way to determine the right selling price for your home. A team of real estate agents 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

We 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. Our 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. We 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 we deem the offer is acceptable, we 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 team of real estate agents.

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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. We 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, we 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. We 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 team of real estate agents 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.

COMPREHENSIVE LISTING STRATEGY

1
Intelligent Pricing
Our team recognizes the significance of maximizing the sale price of your property while also respecting your preferred timeline. Pricing your home correctly is paramount when selling a property. It sets the stage for a successful sale by attracting potential buyers and reducing the risk of your home sitting on the market. Accurate pricing not only maximizes your profit but also ensures a smoother transaction process. In essence, getting the price right from the start is a key factor in achieving a successful home sale.
2
Detailed Property Analysis
Our team ensures to thoroughly examine your home, offering a comprehensive market analysis, expert recommendations for essential updates, effective staging strategies, and access to local contractors or service providers. Our objective is to enhance your home's presentation, making it truly captivating to potential buyers.
3
Professional Photography
Professional photography is imperative when selling a home as it serves as the first impression potential buyers have of the property. Professional photographers possess the expertise to capture the property's best angles, showcase its unique features, and utilize lighting techniques that bring out the home's true essence. High-quality images can make a substantial difference in attracting prospective buyers and setting a positive tone for their viewing experience.
4
Digital Marketing Plan
An effective digital marketing plan is essential in today's real estate market, serving as a potent platform for reaching a wide and targeted audience of potential buyers. Our team, equipped with marketing experts, utilizes online channels like social media, real estate websites, and email marketing to adeptly highlight the property's attributes, craft engaging content, and connect with potential buyers in the spaces they frequent. This approach empowers our team to employ diverse tools such as virtual tours, high-quality imagery, and informative videos, enhancing the property's allure and facilitating successful sales.
5
Traditional Marketing Plan
While digital marketing remains a central aspect of our team's marketing strategy, we acknowledge the importance and advantages of traditional methods. Activities such as placing a sign in the front yard, designing flyers, mailing postcards, and hosting open houses can prove to be an effective means of attracting local buyers.
Success Stories

Testimonials

"Ted and Shawna did an outstanding job with our home purchase. They were very much involved in all aspects of the closing. They made us feel very important by including us in all aspects of the process, open communication, answering all our questions, and making us feel very comfortable. Ted and Shawna were very professional, friendly and responsive they always gave great advice. They both went above and beyond the norm of a real estate agent, they became family. I highly recommend you go with the BEST Ford Team."
"Ted and Shawna did an outstanding job with our home purchase. They were very much involved in all aspects of the closing. They made us feel very important by including us in all aspects of the process, open communication, answering all our questions, and making us feel very comfortable. Ted and Shawna were very professional, friendly and responsive they always gave great advice. They both went above and beyond the norm of a real estate agent, they became family. I highly recommend you go with the BEST Ford Team."
Tagisia B.
"Shawna and Ted and their team are fabulous to work with and I highly recommend them! We have bought and sold with them because of their high level of expertise as realtors and in the Southern California market, as well as taking the best care of their clients and their financial interests. You won’t find a better team to buy or sell your property!"
"Shawna and Ted and their team are fabulous to work with and I highly recommend them! We have bought and sold with them because of their high level of expertise as realtors and in the Southern California market, as well as taking the best care of their clients and their financial interests. You won’t find a better team to buy or sell your property!"
Amy L.
"My wife and I are very grateful for Ted and Shawna. I met Ted at an open house in 2017. He was so likeable that I asked him to help my wife and I get into a home. They helped us purchase a beautiful home in Carlsbad at an incredibly affordable price. Four years later they helped us to sell our home for a large profit. Ted and Shawna did a great job representing our interests as our agents, but they also did so much more. For example, when our washing machine broke down and the Home Warranty Company wasn't fixing it, I called Shawna and she contacted them. The next day they sent a repairman to our home and he fixed the washing machine. When we sold our home and weren't able to get moved out by the closing date, Shawna called the buyer and negotiated an extra week for us to get moved out at no charge. Ted and Shawna even came over and helped us move out. We've grown to trust Ted and Shawna over two real estate transactions. They are extremely honest, competent, and sincere. We are looking forward to working with them for our next real estate purchase or sale."
"My wife and I are very grateful for Ted and Shawna. I met Ted at an open house in 2017. He was so likeable that I asked him to help my wife and I get into a home. They helped us purchase a beautiful home in Carlsbad at an incredibly affordable price. Four years later they helped us to sell our home for a large profit. Ted and Shawna did a great job representing our interests as our agents, but they also did so much more. For example, when our washing machine broke down and the Home Warranty Company wasn't fixing it, I called Shawna and she contacted them. The next day they sent a repairman to our home and he fixed the washing machine. When we sold our home and weren't able to get moved out by the closing date, Shawna called the buyer and negotiated an extra week for us to get moved out at no charge. Ted and Shawna even came over and helped us move out. We've grown to trust Ted and Shawna over two real estate transactions. They are extremely honest, competent, and sincere. We are looking forward to working with them for our next real estate purchase or sale."
Gary J.
"Ted and Shawna make a great team together. While Shawna is super knowledgable about the contracts and paperwork in general, Ted is extremely helpful in understanding our needs (they represented us as buyers) and he made himself available whenever we needed him especially for touring homes. Despite both of our busy schedules, Ted and Shawna were always there for us and they didn't mind hopping on a quick call to answer any questions. After putting a few very strong offers, we were able to win on one of the homes we wanted! I would definitely recommend Ted and Shawna to my friends and family."
"Ted and Shawna make a great team together. While Shawna is super knowledgable about the contracts and paperwork in general, Ted is extremely helpful in understanding our needs (they represented us as buyers) and he made himself available whenever we needed him especially for touring homes. Despite both of our busy schedules, Ted and Shawna were always there for us and they didn't mind hopping on a quick call to answer any questions. After putting a few very strong offers, we were able to win on one of the homes we wanted! I would definitely recommend Ted and Shawna to my friends and family."
Ender B.
"Team Shawna went above and beyond selling my elderly aunts home . They cleaned her home and put her things in storage for me. Important papers and her computer they sent by UPS. They even went to skilled nursing home to bring her clothes! Since I am on the east coast and a pandemic was looming I wasn't traveling. They handled everything for me like if I was doing it myself! I highly recommend Shawna Ford Real Estate!"
"Team Shawna went above and beyond selling my elderly aunts home . They cleaned her home and put her things in storage for me. Important papers and her computer they sent by UPS. They even went to skilled nursing home to bring her clothes! Since I am on the east coast and a pandemic was looming I wasn't traveling. They handled everything for me like if I was doing it myself! I highly recommend Shawna Ford Real Estate!"
Janet H.
"Ted did everything possible to assist us in finding just the right house for our family. We were working on a tight timeframe in a very competitive market here in San Diego County. He showed us homes that met our exact search criteria which saved valuable time and stress. He represented us all the way to closing, even in times of near total frustration due to last minute developments. He never gave up on us and continued our search without reserve. We could not have done it without Ted's commitment and support. Thanks Ted, we love our new home!"
"Ted did everything possible to assist us in finding just the right house for our family. We were working on a tight timeframe in a very competitive market here in San Diego County. He showed us homes that met our exact search criteria which saved valuable time and stress. He represented us all the way to closing, even in times of near total frustration due to last minute developments. He never gave up on us and continued our search without reserve. We could not have done it without Ted's commitment and support. Thanks Ted, we love our new home!"
Buyer | Seller
"Very pleased with Ted's patience and persistance. Very calm and professional. He helped me through several offers until one was accepted. Quite friendly and I would highly recommend him."
"Very pleased with Ted's patience and persistance. Very calm and professional. He helped me through several offers until one was accepted. Quite friendly and I would highly recommend him."
Ken M.
"Ted was a pleasure to work with while purchasing our first townhome. He was flexible, professional, and very attentive to our needs and questions. We ended up getting what we wanted in the end and was a pleasure to work with."
"Ted was a pleasure to work with while purchasing our first townhome. He was flexible, professional, and very attentive to our needs and questions. We ended up getting what we wanted in the end and was a pleasure to work with."
Colleen M.
"I had an exceptionally positive home purchasing experience with Ted. He is very professional, and having grown up in Southern California, has an in-depth knowledge of the local real estate market. I found Ted to be proactive in his approach and responsive to my real estate questions and needs. The home buying and selling process is seldom effortless and without challenges, but Ted really impressed me with his ability to overcome and resolve whatever obstacles we encountered. I would work with Ted again, and have no hesitation in recommending him as an agent."
"I had an exceptionally positive home purchasing experience with Ted. He is very professional, and having grown up in Southern California, has an in-depth knowledge of the local real estate market. I found Ted to be proactive in his approach and responsive to my real estate questions and needs. The home buying and selling process is seldom effortless and without challenges, but Ted really impressed me with his ability to overcome and resolve whatever obstacles we encountered. I would work with Ted again, and have no hesitation in recommending him as an agent."
Alex N.
"These people are great. selling a house from 1400 miles away can be a big hassle. But all of the headaches that came up they took care of right away and made it easy."
"These people are great. selling a house from 1400 miles away can be a big hassle. But all of the headaches that came up they took care of right away and made it easy."
Micheal S.

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