Know why you’re selling your home
The first place to start for any seller is to ask yourself why you are selling your home? Are you moving? Is your family growing and you need the money to purchase a larger home? Do you want to take advantage of a Hot market?
While the question of why you’re selling your home seems relatively simple, answering it thoughtfully is important because you will find yourself returning to this answer throughout the selling process. Take some time and think about your reasons for selling and let those reasons guide you through the process.
The listing agreement
Once you’ve chosen an agent, you will be presented with a listing agreement. The agreement, which you and the agent will sign, will determine things like commission structure, how long your property will be exclusive for, and details about how the property will be marketed. Many agreements have standard language and can be adjusted to fit your specific needs.
Property review & Goals
We begin the process by visiting your property to gain an understanding of all the things that make it special. Things like the views, location, access to water, condition of the home, appliances, and any other unique features. We will go through your goals and determine the best strategy for going forward.
Market Analysis
We will conduct a market analysis to assist in pricing your home. We research current data on Martha’s Vineyard real estate for comparable sales and provide you with a document outlining each detail.
Prepare your home for listing
Getting your home ready to list can be the most demanding step in the selling process. We will work with you to provide expertise and guidance through de-cluttering, cleaning, and staging which can help increase the value of your home and bring in larger offers. Or, you can simply sell your home “as-is”.
Marketing your home
At Grace Hagerty Real Estate, we understand the importance of utilizing all forms of media to reach our target audience. GHRE creates engaging content to distribute through the many marketing platforms that we use: from social media and digital advertising to traditional print advertising, you can rest assured your home will be properly represented. We partner with talented professional photographers on island to share breathtaking images of your home as well as lifestyle images to give buyers a well-rounded picture of island life!
Many Martha’s Vineyard homes have unique stories or historical value attached to them. If your home has a story, make sure to make this known to us early as this can be tied into the overall marketing and branding efforts and make your property stand out even more!
Offers
Now that your home is being marketed, showings are being done, and people are seeing your home, offers will begin to come in. We will work closely with you as we receive offers, and set an offer deadline date. Once an offer is accepted, the process of sending out a contract and negotiating the finer points of the sale begins.
Contract, closing, and celebration
Everything from the move-in date and ownership of specific appliances and furniture pieces, to who pays for certain taxes and closing fees get ironed out until both parties are fully satisfied. Real estate attorneys are necessary for this step in the process, and if you don’t have one, we would be happy to introduce you to some of the great Island real estate attorneys.
Appraisal
A crucial step during the contract and closing process is when a licensed appraiser assesses your home on behalf of the buyer/lender. An appraiser will inspect your home and determine its value. An appraisal can change the negotiating dynamics and even lead to a buyer backing out of an offer.
Closing
Once contracts are signed and everything is in order, closing is the final step in the selling process. It is when legal ownership of your home is transferred to the buyer and you will receive your funds from escrow. We will walk you through the specifics and help prepare you for signing the closing documents and paying the closing costs.
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