SELLING YOUR HOME

Vancouver is a sophisticated and changing market, so you need a good Realtor® on your side to ensure your home is sold for the best price and terms; in the shortest time, and stress-free. From the initial home evaluation and market analysis to preparing and staging, photos & marketing and; most importantly, the negotiations and sale – we’ll ensure you and your property are represented professionally.

We are always happy to chat in person with you about the entire process.

So you’ve decided to sell your home…now what?

This is always a big deal and will undoubtedly affect your life in a significant way.

It’s important to know that for a few weeks while your property is being prepared to sell, you’ll need to possibly arrange for minor repairs of anything that needs it and to do a bit of editing and staging. We want to see your home thru the eyes of a potential buyer. You’ll also need to keep the home clean while the property is on the market so that when we show the home; given some notice, it will always look its best and we’ll be doing weekend Open Houses (with your approval) to get buyers through. Regardless, we’ll be guiding you through the process to make it as stress-free as possible.

A Proven Marketing Strategy

To get maximum exposure and get top dollar, you need a proven & strong marketing plan. At our initial meeting to discuss the selling process, you can expect the following:

• Prepare a detailed comparative market analysis to outline market trends and comparable sales in your building or neighbourhood. This helps us set an optimized pricing strategy together.
• Conduct a home staging consultation to accentuate your home’s potential and maximize its appeal to potential buyers.
• Create professional photographs, detailed floor plans and video tours to ensure that your home looks its very best online, where buyers are looking first.
• Develop an online and social media campaign through web partnerships to direct traffic of both local and international Buyers to your listing, which is crucial as over 90% of Buyers are starting their search online: including www.garyserra.com, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, RE/MAX Sites, LinkedIn Craigslist and more.
• Display a highly prominent FOR SALE sign in front of your home (if allowed) to take advantage of the strong RE/MAX brand presence and ensure we get noticed in the neighbourhood.
• Schedule regular Open Houses for the first 2 to 3 weeks your home is on the market. Open houses will also be scheduled after any price reductions or change of strategy.
• Write weekly neighbourhood blogs to directly promote your property to a highly targeted demographic
• Customize a modern Buyers’ Brochure Package that ensures your property stands out above other comparable properties listed for sale.

Once you have hired us to sell your home, all you need to do is keep your home clean and ready for showings. We do all the rest and all expenses are included. So sit back and let us get to work.

Selling your Home or Condo

There are lots of steps and conversations to be had when discussing the sales process. Here’s a quick breakdown of the important points:

Selecting the right price for your home that reflects current market values will help get serious Buyer interest and sell your home quickly. The first 3-4 weeks on the market is the most critical time for your home, as this is when the full swing of the marketing campaign takes place and the property is fresh on the market and will be noticed the most by serious Buyers.

Start with our Home Evaluation – we’ll give you an idea of its current market value.

The current market conditions will always influence a property’s true value over and above the state of a home but both will come into play. Pricing strategies are different for Seller’s markets, Buyer’s markets and balanced markets, but we’ll help you make sure it’s properly priced and marketed to attract serious Buyers. Based on a variety of market conditions, recent sales and your needs, I will discuss the various pricing options available to you, discuss the pros and cons of each, and help you decide which will be the right fit for you.

Typical Costs in Selling Your Home

During the process of selling your home there are several costs that you should be aware of, both before and after the sale:

Maintenance and Repairs:

Before putting your home on the market, there might be some minor repairs, maintenance issues or updates that you want to do to help your home show it’s best and sell for the most money. Things like editing or personal items, extra cleaning, painting can go a long way.

Staging Costs: $2000-5000

Staging is great for homes that are vacant, or homes that don’t show as well as they could. Because staging makes your home look so much better, it’ll often increase the final sale price of the home. If you decide to stage your home, costs are billed monthly. The first month will include the initial consultation and move-in, while subsequent months will be for the furniture rentals.

Legal Fees:

You’ll need a lawyer or notary to act on your behalf to handle the sale of your property fees: approximately $700-$1000.

Mortgage Pre-Payment Penalties:

If you’re paying off your mortgage after selling your home, you may be subject to pre-payment penalties if your mortgage term has not expired. Please talk to your bank or mortgage broker to clarify what these costs may be, as they can be significant.

Real Estate Fees:

Using an experienced licensed Realtor® can make the difference of thousands of dollars in your pocket, a significant amount of your time saved and a huge amount of stress removed from your life. It’s well worth the cost as we’ll ensure your best interests are represented and we’ll do what we can to get you a high sale price. To give you a quick example, use this commission calculator to get an idea of what the cost of selling your home will approximately be.

Home Selling Tips

As the old saying goes…“You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” Buyers are searching for a home in which they will feel comfortable, secure, and happy. When homes create this immediate type of emotional appeal, they tend to sell quickly and for more money. Here are a few tips to get your home to a ready for a successful sale!

De-clutter:

You want potential Buyers to feel like the space is open and ready for their design ideas. Remove extra furniture, edit your closets, clear your counters, tables and shelves. Rent a storage locker if you need to – whatever it takes to make your place look its best.

Think neutral and minimalist. Mass appeal is the name of the game.

De-personalize:

You want Buyers to be able to visualize their own personal belongings in your space and imagine that this could soon be their home.

Clean:

The cleaner the home, the less work it feels like the buyer will have to do to move in. Again, when it comes to first impressions, you don’t want any negative thoughts to stick in the Buyers mind.

Repair:

Buyers mostly look for move in ready homes. Leaky faucets, loose knobs, cracked tiles, etc. can raise means work for prospective Buyers in their minds and may raise alarm bells. They may wonder what else is wrong.

Modernize:

Replace old light fixtures. Change door knobs and cabinet handles. Repaint in the updated neutral colours.

Set the stage like the Developers in Presentation Centres do in new development projects with their “Show” homes…fresh flowers, crisp bed linens and towels, a set dining room table. The goal is to create a warm emotional reaction for potential buyers.