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Buying a Home | Selling a Home
Seller’s checklist | Pricing your home | Listing your home | Preparing your home for showing | Showing your home
Seller’s Checklist
When listing your home with a RE/MAX Royal (Jordan) Inc. agent, the agent will request the following items:
- Documentation
- Deed(s) of Sale
- Property survey, or Certificate of Location
- Most recent municipal & school tax bills
- Deed(s) of Loan
- Lender's name, address, phone, contact person, mortgage account number, rate and term plus amortization period
- If there are other loans or mortgages against the property, supply same information as above.
- Invoices for renovations and/or repairs done
- House keys
- Contact Information
- Your work number
- Spouse work number
- Neighbors phone number
- Utility bills (electric, gas, and water)
- Attractive, exterior photos of home in other seasons (if available)
- Your thoughts on special features of your home or community
- Personal property which may be included in the sale-whatever you feel might have special marketing value to the average buyer
- For a condominium or townhouse
- Association Declaration and Bylaws
- Association Certificate of Insurance
- Association current budget
- Minutes of Association’s meetings
- Assessment (if any) and telephone number of the Association’s contact person
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Pricing Your Home
RRJ agents take the guess work out of pricing your home prior to listing. Their goal is to sell your home for the best price in the shortest time with the most favorable terms and conditions.
Each agent is trained in the use of the RRJ Comparable Market Analysis Program©. This service accurately and efficiently generates a fair market value for the home you want to sell and is available exclusively to RRJ clients.
Here are the major factors affecting the value of your home:
- Supply and demand (the “listing to buyer” ratio)
- Seasonal market changes
- Mortgage rates
- Overall economic trends and conditions
- Political actions
- Location, location, location
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Listing Your Home
PROMOTING YOUR HOME
RE/MAX clients enjoy a wide spectrum of advertising opportunities. In addition to corporate options, each listing agent has his/her own marketing and advertising programs.
Your will enjoy the full impact of professional advertising coverage, including:
- The RRJ Alert
- Multiple Listing Service
- Lawn Signs
- RRJ Caravan
- Internet Marketing
- Display Advertising
- Institutional Advertising (TV, Radio, Billboards)
- Classified Advertising
- International Relocation Transferee
- Neighborhood Card Mailings (if applicable)
- Open Houses
THE RRJ ALERT
Within two hours of a new listing, the RE/MAX Royal Jordan listing agent uses our paging system to relay the pertinent details of your listing to the other agents.
MULTIPLE LISTING SERVICE
In addition to notifying the RE/MAX agents, your listing agent enters the details and availability of your home into the MLS system. S/he also encourages cooperating brokers to show your home.
LAWN SIGNS
Your listing agent promptly places a RE/MAX sign on your property. Though marketing your home will happen in a number of ways, the strong RE/MAX sign is a proven winner in attracting prospective buyers.
LISTING SHEET
For marketing purposes, your RRJ agent then prepares a listing sheet containing the pertinent information about your home (room sizes, price, personal property, special features, taxes, mortgage info, lot size, etc..).
PHOTOGRAPHER
A photographer will take an exterior photo of your home within the first few days of listing. This photo will be used with the listing sheet and advertising. For the most appealing photo, keep the garage door closed, the yard neat, and the cars out of the driveway.
CARAVAN
An inspection tour for local RRJ and other agents will be scheduled. This is an outstanding opportunity to provide early, excellent exposure to agents who are working with today’s buyers.
SHOWINGS
Sales agents from RRJ, as well as our cooperating brokers, will want to show your home. An approximate arrival time will be scheduled with you in advance. You will be given the name of the buyers’ agent in every instance.
It is not advisable to allow “drop-in” or unscheduled visits by anyone, including agents. The Agents Code of Ethics dictates that agents should book an appointment in advance.
FOLLOWUP ON SHOWINGS
Your listing agent will follow up on showings to establish interest and elicit meaningful feedback from the showing agent.
I’LL BE THERE
Your listing agent will be your partner until the day you settle at the notary. You can be confident that when you need assistance or advice, or simply need to discuss your home, your RRJ listing agent will be there.
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Preparing Your Home for Showing
INSIDE
Clean everything…shampoo the carpets, wax the floors, wash the walls, the windows, blinds, drapes, and window fixtures. Consider hiring a cleaning service, recognizing that it is a justified moving expense.
KITCHEN AND BATHROOMS
Clear off the countertops. Leave your canisters and little else. Maximize the available counter space. Clean the stove, microwave, and refrigerator. If unsightly, have the tub re-caulked and remove mineral deposits and grime from the shower walls. These rooms should be gleaming.
PRIMARY STORAGE AREA
Like the garage, it's time has come to be liberated. Keep in mind that you have to do it sometime. You can do it now and benefit with a more attractive home on the market, or you can do it several months from now in the process of moving when there is no advantage. Do it now.
REPAIRS
Identify and repair dripping faucets, sticking or creaking doors, etc... When people see areas in need of repair they begin to wonder whether there may be other unseen problems.
CLOSETS
Remove out of season clothing. Organize your clothing and shoes. Remove all clutter from cabinets and closets.
FURNITURE
The less furniture you have in a room, the larger the room appears to be.
A LIGHT APPEARANCE
As a rule, do everything to lighten the appearance of the home. Raise the blinds, open the drapes, and use light colors. Paint any room beginning to look shabby.
OUTSIDE
Walk the property with a pad and pencil. List anything you think is less than satisfactory without regard to cost or time. You can review the list afterwards to determine what you can and cannot repair.
THE HOUSE
Take a close look as you walk the property. Clean anything that looks unkempt or dirty, repair or replace anything that looks loose, dingy, rusted, or broken. Make sure the door bell works. Replace a tired looking mailbox, clean the exterior light fixtures, and wash the windows. Try to spot hanging or rusty gutters, crooked antennas, and any loose shingles or shutters.
THE YARD
Turn and weed the beds and trim the trees and shrubs. Lay new ground cover. Mend the fence and fix the gate latch. Pick up litter. Consider hiring a landscaping or lawn service.
OUTDOOR FURNITURE
Examine and spot-paint your outdoor furniture. If it is rusty or irreparable, consider disposing of the pieces.
FRONT ENTRY
It is the first thing your buyers see when waiting for the door to open. It is worth the extra effort to spruce it up.
THE GARAGE
The time has come. Discard virtually everything in the garage that has not been used for a year. Wash it down. Think in terms of a home that is clean, uncluttered, and spacious.
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Showing Your Home
RELAX
The agent called in advance and you made your last minute preparations. There is nothing more to do. Pick up a magazine while you are waiting. Try to be understanding. The showing agent may have several home showings scheduled, so s/he may be a bit early or late. It can be difficult to time showings perfectly.
THE DOG
Keep Fido away. Your fun pet will distract pet lovers. For those who do not have pets, it may be bothersome.
THE CHILDREN
Children should be seen and not heard during a showing. This is a new experience for the kids. Naturally, they are excited, but they will disturb the professional flow of the showing. Find an activity for your children that will keep them away from the agent and buyers.
THE DOORBELL
Answer the door as you would for any welcomed guest. The agent will take care of the introductions. If there is a situation that needs mentioning, perhaps a sick child in the second bedroom, do so now. You may invite the agent to begin showing the home and then you can excuse yourself.
KEEP A LOW PROFILE
Remain discretely away from the buyers. As helpful as you wish to be, your presence will be intimidating. The potential buyers need to discuss the home freely with one another, and the agent needs to learn how they are responding to your home. Your presence can limit that free communication.
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO
Read a magazine. Watch TV. Take a walk. Continue a chore. Pick a room and settle down. When they stop to view the room, you can leave, but it is not necessary.
Try to avoid being in the kitchen. Buyers generally spend more time there because they evaluate appliances, counter space, cabinets, etc…
CONVERSING WITH THE BUYERS
If you are asked a question about the neighborhood schools, churches, etc... by all means answer pleasantly. However, avoid becoming engaged in a conversation.
Questions regarding terms of sale should be referred to the agent. If the showing agent does not have the answers, have your RRJ agent contact him/her.
INCLUSIONS
The Listing Sheet should clearly identify items included and excluded in the offered property. Do not initiate conversations about other personal property that you may be interested in negotiating. It rarely is a deal clincher and may be distracting.
LET THE "PRO" WORK
As much as you love your home, do not be tempted into doing the agent's job. S/he has been working with the buyers and should know what is important to them. Whether the agent mentions your new refrigerator now or after they leave is up to the agent.
You have done all you can. Now relax as we do the job. Soon, your RRJ listing agent will be calling you to say, “Congratulations, we have an offer to present to you.”
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