Selling your home

How selling with me works, step by step

1. 1

   We talk first

   Before any paperwork, I want to hear your timing, what you need from the sale and where you are headed next. Then we walk through the house together.

2. 2

   A price the market supports

   I bring recent sales of comparable homes nearby and what buyers are paying right now, so your price starts from evidence, not from hope.

3. 3

   Getting the house ready

   Some homes need a good cleaning and a few repairs, others need more. I will tell you which projects tend to matter to buyers and which usually do not, and I can suggest local inspectors, contractors and stagers.

4. 4

   Disclosures and reports

   Most California home sellers must give buyers written disclosures, including the Real Estate Transfer Disclosure Statement and the Natural Hazard Disclosure Statement, which is usually prepared from a third-party report. Many sellers also order inspections before listing so there are fewer surprises later. I help you complete the disclosures carefully.

5. 5

   Marketing and showings

   Your home goes into the Multiple Listing Service (MLS), where local agents see it and where most home search websites get their listings, with good photographs and a clear description. I handle showings and open houses and pass along what buyers say.

6. 6

   Offers and negotiation

   When offers come in we compare far more than price: the financing, the contingencies, the timing and how likely each buyer is to close. Then I negotiate for the terms that matter most to you.

7. 7

   Escrow to closing

   Once you accept an offer, escrow opens. I track the inspections, the appraisal, the loan and every deadline until the deed is recorded and the keys change hands.