Seller Services Near Washington, D.C.

The right real estate agent helps prepare your home for viewing before it's listed. They then help you sift through offers from qualified buyers to find the best match for the right price. Professional listing agents manage listing agreements and handle several other facets of the home-selling process, including:

• Staging the home if needed
• Listing the property on the local Multiple Listing Service
• Coordinating hosting and viewing open houses
• Overseeing necessary documentation and paperwork
• Negotiating the terms of the sale with prospective buyers

Therefore, choosing a real estate agent with a deep network in the Washington, D.C., area who can connect you to trusted professionals to complete the closing is essential. The agent should be able to recommend professional photographers, staging companies, contractors and repair services, and marketing firms.

Homes by Artifact has dedicated agents with the right tools and knowledge to ensure you get what your home is worth, including right-to-sell agreements.

What to Expect When Selling

Before interviewing prospective agents, you need a clear sense of what you hope to get from the selling process. Know your goals so you can find a dedicated agent who understands and acts on your needs.

The home-selling process can take anywhere between a few days to several years. It may not be a quick sale, but selling a home becomes more manageable with the right agent, especially when the right buyer comes along.

The right listing agent performs several functions while inspiring your confidence that you'll get the best price for the home. You should be confident that your agent will show your home in its best light and to the right prospective buyers.

Prepare Your Home

Preparing a home for listing is an art that needs attention if you want to maximize the sale price. The real estate agent should help with the staging process so that your home makes the best first impression on potential buyers, from when they first see the listing photos to the moment they step through the front door.

The first step in preparing a home for sale is removing any excess clutter and furniture to make every room feel larger. Consider taking all steps that help prospective buyers visualize the space. We recommend leaving some furniture in the room to help buyers picture their own furniture in the setting, but don't leave so many pieces that the rooms feel small.

Hiring a professional staging company for the best results is always advisable. These professionals bring furniture and décor that make the home more attractive to buyers.

Your Agent Will List Your Home

Showing the home to prospective buyers begins after the real estate agent lists it on the MLS. This is a critical step in the real estate sales process because it allows you and the agent to know the demand for the property. Be flexible at this stage to make it easy for buyers to tour the property.

Some critical factors when listing a home include:

• Photography: Most real estate agents have professional real estate photographers to take professional photos of your home. Buyers often start their home searches online, making photography the most effective tool to create the best impression of the property.

• Virtual tour: We recommend allowing qualified buyers to take a virtual tour of the property. Let them experience the flow of your home from room to room by setting up a virtual tour or 3D walk-through on the listing website.
• Verbal description: You can record a verbal description of your property to showcase it and point out its unique characteristics.
• Location: Brag about the key selling points of the property's location. Talk about nearby schools, shopping areas, local parks, and other attractions to win potential buyers' hearts and pockets.
• Social media: This is one of the most effective tools to help sellers reach a wide target demographic. Marketing drives traffic to the listing, and social media is a major contributor to this cause.

Reviewing Offers

When offers start coming, the real estate agent negotiates the sale price and contingencies attached to each contract with prospective buyers. As with any negotiation, expect some stressful, fraught moments with potential buyers. That's why having an experienced agent to handle the complex proceedings and paperwork is important.

The house becomes collateral for the buyer's loan, so lenders require homebuyers to get appraisals to ensure the property is worth the price. The buyer's loan agent orders an appraisal and keeps your agent informed once it's scheduled.

During the appraisal, the loan officer may request certain repairs or negotiate the price if they take over the repairs themselves. We recommend that you have a home inspection before listing your home so that you can address any potential issues.

It's also vital to have a game plan for negotiating contingencies and potential roadblocks to stay on track for closing. A dedicated real estate agent handles the negotiations and paperwork to ensure a smooth and seamless closing process.

Accepting an Offer and Closing on the Sale

Depending on the buyer's possession rights, you may be required to move on the date the property closes or even earlier. This requirement is specified in advance. Your real estate agent notifies you about this and other critical details so that the sale proceeds smoothly.

Once all paperwork is in order, the closing takes place, and the sale proceeds are wired to your bank account, minus the agent's commissions, repair credits, and other fees detailed in the closing documents.

Talk to our dedicated home sellers for better insight into the selling process. Contact our team for more information today.