STEP 1 - DEFINE NEEDS
It is important to set out in writing the reasons that are motivating you to sell your current home. You might ask yourself, "Why am I selling my home and what do I expect to accomplish?" If you have a growing family and you need more space you may be under less pressure to get your house ready to sell than if you were, let's say, moving to a new city due to career opportunity.   > > > MORE

STEP 2 - PRICING STRATEGY
Your next objective is to consult with your real estate agent to determine the best possible selling price of your home. You will need to take into account the state of the local market, the condition of your home, and sales of comparable homes in your neighborhood.   > > > MORE

STEP 3 - PREPARE YOUR PROPERTY
It's time to get your home in "showing and selling" condition. Most of us don't keep our homes in the condition it would need to be in to sell. Over the years those boxes in the corner of the garage just seem to multiply on their own. Things have broken that we just never get around to fixing and some things have just worn out.   > > > MORE

STEP 4 - MARKETING STRATEGY
Now that your home is ready, it's time to put it up for sale and market it. Establishing a marketing strategy with your real estate agent is a must. Your agent will expose your home to the most potential buyers possible using a marketing plan that will have the highest possibility of bringing not only the most buyers, but also the most qualified buyers, to your doorstep.   > > > MORE

STEP 5 - RECEIVE AN OFFER
When a buyer decides to buy your home, an offer will be presented. Your real estate agent will advise you as to whether or not the prospective buyer is qualified to purchase your home. After all, there is no reason to review an offer if the person(s) making it will not be able to actually buy your home.  > > > MORE

STEP 6 - NEGOTIATING TO SELL
Most offers to purchase your home will require some level of negotiation to come to a win-win agreement. Your real estate agent is well versed on the legalities of the real estate contract used in your area and will handle the responsibility of protecting your best interest throughout these negotiations. In addition, your agent has a thorough understanding of the contract itself, including what each contract clause means to you and your buyer, what you will net from the sale of your home, and what areas in the contract lend themselves easiest to negotiation.   > > > MORE

STEP 7 - SELLING VENDORS
Once you have accepted an offer to sell your home, your real estate agent will inform you of all the procedures involved in order to proceed successfully to closing, as well as the parties responsible for completing those procedures and estimates of completion. For instance, the property may need to be formally appraised, surveyed, inspected or repaired. Depending on the specifics reached during the negotiations, you may pay for all, some, or none of these items.   > > > MORE

STEP 8 - PRE-CLOSE PREPARATION
A few days before the closing, your real estate agent will contact the entity closing the transaction. He or she will make sure that all of the necessary forms and documents have been prepared and are going to be available for you to sign on the appropriate date. Your agent will also contact each party to the transaction to be certain that they have taken all actions necessary for closing, so the entire closing can proceed on the date and time planned.   > > > MORE

STEP 9 - CLOSING ON A HOME
"Closing" refers to the meeting where ownership of the property is legally transferred to the buyer. Your real estate agent will be present during the closing to help explain the process and forms to you and make sure everything goes as planned. By being present during the closing, he or she can mediate any last minute issues that may arise.   > > > MORE

STEP 10 - POST-CLOSE ACTIVITY
Congratulations on the successful sale of your home! Hopefully, everything went smoothly and you will be vacating your house in the time frame that you had anticipated. Your real estate agent will help you create a checklist of all the things you will need to do to turn the property over to the new owners.   > > > MORE