Selling a Home with A2D
This informative resource covers some common questions people consider when selling their home. If you want information helpful while Active on Market, Under Contract, and during Closing, read on for a quick and empowering resource.
When people choose Attention to Detail to help them sell their homes, we share these tips to help sellers prepare for the process, covering a range of topics related to: How Showings are Scheduled, How to Prepare for Open Houses, Details about Reviewing Offers and Accepting Contracts, and Navigating Appraisals, Settlements, and Closing!
Frequently Asked Questions
Active on Market
Q) How are showings scheduled?
A) Agents will call us to schedule a showing, and we will confirm the date and time with you. If it doesn’t work for you, we will let the Agent know and ask them to reschedule.
Q) Do you (my Agent) show the home each time?
A) No, however a licensed Agent will always be present in the home. If an unrepresented Buyer tries to see your home, I will walk them through. Otherwise, the prospective buyer’s Agent will show them the home. And thanks to the Supra box that we’ll put on the home, only Agents who are licensed with the Board will be able to access your home. When Agents access the Supra box we will get an email with their contact info so we know who showed the home and when.
Q) What do I do when a showing is scheduled and confirmed?
A) Typical showings are scheduled in 1-hour windows. You will need to leave the home (taking any indoor pets with you or putting them in kennels so they can’t roam around the home) for the entire 1-hour window. We typically ask Agents to let us know when they’ve left so you can go home quicker if possible. However, that doesn’t always happen. So, plan on leaving for the entire window.
Make sure the home is tidy. Keep your dishes out of the sink, the carpets vacuumed, the laundry room clear and the bathrooms tidy. The less sign that people live in the home, the better.
Q) How will we know what people think of our home after they see it?
A) We ask Agents who show your home for feedback after every showing. However, it’s not uncommon for Agents to never give feedback. We ask for it 3 times over the course of 3 days. If we haven’t received it by then, chances are we won’t get any feedback from them.
Q) How are Open Houses handled?
A) Either someone from my team or I will run the Open House. We will give you a day and time a few days in advance so you know when it will be held. You will need to have the home tidied up and show ready for the Open House and will need to vacate the property during the entire time window. We will set up the sign-in sheet and goodies in the home as well as set up signs throughout your neighborhood directing traffic to your home. When people come to the home, we personally walk them through the home for security purposes as well as to point out great features of the home that may be missed to encourage buyers to present offers. Once we’re finished, we will clean up and let you know how it went.
Q) When offers are submitted, what happens?
A) We will call you to go over any offers and let you know what needs to happen if you choose to accept said offer.
Under Contract
Q) We’ve accepted the contract, now what?
A) Now you wait for the Buyer to perform their Due Diligence. They will schedule an inspection that will last 2 – 4 hours, for which the home will need to be vacant.
Q) The inspection is done and repairs are agreed upon. Now what?
A) Now it’s time to get the repairs done. If you agreed to do any repairs (or have a professional do them), you need to get started on completing them or you need to hire someone to complete them. All the repairs need to be done prior to Closing.
Q) What happens if the Buyers back out?
A) If the buyer backs out, we put the home back as Active on the market and start to take showings again.
Q) Do we need to be home for the appraisal?
A) You don’t need to be home for the appraisal. However, you don’t have to leave either. The appraisal is a really fast process that will take 30 minutes or less. So, you can choose to leave or to stay.
Q) The appraisal has been completed and we’re moving forward, now what happens?
A) Now you just sit back and wait for the Buyer and their lender to get their loan ready for closing.
Q) How is Settlement scheduled and how long will it take?
A) Someone from our office or the Title Company will call you a few days prior to the deadline and schedule a date, time and location with you. It typically takes about 30 minutes to sign everything.
Q) When do we need to be out of the home?
A) You need to be out of the home the day of possession, which varies based on what’s in the contract. Once we accept a contract, we will know when you’ll need to be out of the house, and we will specify this to you as the process gets closer to closing.
Closing
Q) How do I handle switching utilities?
A) We will give you a contact sheet of who to call to cancel your services. We usually tell our Sellers to cancel a day or two after Settlement to give the Buyer a chance to get them changed over. If Settlement is on a Friday, we tell our Sellers not to change them until the following Monday just to be courteous.
Q) How is Key exchange handled?
A) We will arrange Key exchange with the other Agent. The only thing you need to worry about is leaving all the extra keys and garage door openers in the home. Preferably in a kitchen drawer or on the counter.
Q) What condition do I need to leave my home in?
A) It needs to be in the same condition as when they first saw it, minus any repairs made, and in broom clean condition. Which means free of any debris. We recommend our clients make sure the floors and carpets are cleaned up and don’t have any garbage or anything on them, make sure the counters are clear and nothing that wasn’t included in the sale is left in the home.
