Listing your house can be an intimidating process. Your home likely contains the majority of your wealth and you need a real estate agent who can maximize your home sale equity. As the largest local real estate agency in Denver, each Denver Realtor at Your Castle knows the local market like the back of their hands, so you can rest assured knowing that they’ll negotiate for you, making the process seamless and profitable.
Step One: Are you ready to sell?
You are ready to sell when: you have completed your fact gathering process, you are confident that your interests will be represented to your advantage, you are comfortable with the Denver Realtor you have selected to work with and the selling plan you have developed meets your needs. Putting your home on the market is a complex process requiring market expertise.
Step Two: Select a Denver Realtor – Click here to select your agent!
The terms Agent, Broker and Denver Realtor are often used interchangeably – but have very different meanings. In Colorado a person must be licensed in order to sell Real Estate. Standards set by the state cover the minimal education, examinations and experience needed to become licensed. After receiving a real estate license, some agents join their local and national “Association of Realtors”, the world’s largest professional trade association. The Real Estate agent can only be called a Realtor only after joining the association and subscribing to a strict “Code of Ethics” (which goes well beyond state law).
You do not need to join a board to become a licensed Real Estate Broker. As a Real Estate Broker, the broker agrees to collectively share the information on all Denver homes for sale. This is done through the local MLS or Multiple Listing Service. We pledge to you the strongest marketing effort not only locally, but nationally and internationally through our website and numerous other internet marketing outlets which we network through. As your Denver Realtor, it is our job to get your house sold! We never lose sight of our mission.
Step Three: Determine the listing price
Establishing the listing price to ask for your home is one of the most important steps you will take. If your price is set too high (even with a strong sellers’ market) you will not get an offer. If you set it too low, you will effectively be giving away your money. Establishing a price balancing between these two pricing levels will be our objective. Your Denver realtor will provide you a complete CMA (comparable market analysis) prior to establishing a listing price for your home. This report will show you both actual sales of properties similar to yours, plus it will show you what homes are currently on the market in competition with your home. You will be provided with a list of homes, most comparable to your home in terms of square feet, year built, and condition of the home, proximity to your home, lot size, and date of sale or time on the market.
When appropriate, we will set showings on your homes in your neighborhood and actually visit these homes with you prior to setting your price. Your Denver realtor will also provide guidance to establish a price point which will meet the requirements of appraisers. Remember that most homes acquired will have a mortgage lender who will insist on an independent appraisal prior to financing a buyer for your home. During the process of finalizing the listing price, we will prepare a “Net Cash Available to Seller” analysis for you. This will let you know the cash you may expect to have available to you after the close of sale for your home.
Step Four: Marketing your home
Consideration of current market conditions for your home: are home prices in your area trending upwards or downwards, are homes selling quickly or languishing, will your home be on the market in the spring home buying season or the dead of winter, what are current interest rates for mortgages, will you be selling in a buyers or sellers’ market, is the local job market strong or are employees fearful of staff reductions, how motivated are you for a quick sale, is it necessary for you as the seller to provide “incentives” such as “pre-home sale” inspection, home buyers warranty, financing assistance or selling agent bonuses? Many of these factors will be weighed in the first step in marketing your home and your Denver realtor will be your number 1 resource. Setting the Stage to sell your home: Consider what you look for when looking for a home to purchase – visual appearance, odors and noise all factor into your impression. Imagine yourself walking up to the home as though for “the first time”. What do you notice? How do you feel about what you see? Is the home inviting? Is the home well-maintained? Would you be inclined to buy this home?Methods used in selling of your home by your Denver realtor: List your Home with the MLS within 24 hours of having a signed listing agreement. Prepare virtual tour of your home for use on our website and other national websites. Prepare marketing materials about your home. Distribute the marketing materials. Notify your neighborhood about your home. Hold open houses as appropriate. Notify national referral companies in the Metro Denver area. Cooperate with ALL Real Estate Agents. Provide yard signs and brochure boxes in your front yard. Advertise home: media and frequency depends on property and market. Prepare property profile report to be available to buyers as they visit Home.
Step Five: FAQ’s – Click here to see a list of frequently asked questions and answers!
Step Six: Negotiating and accepting the offer
Once you receive an offer on your home, we will review all the terms and conditions of the offer with you. If any of the terms or conditions of the offer are different the terms indicated in the MLS and are not acceptable to you, you have the right to counter the initial offer made with terms and conditions which meet your requirements. Through this process of reviewing, countering and/or accepting the purchase offer, we will work closely with you to maintain timely responses and provide market savvy answer to our questions as they come up.
Once the purchase offer is countered and accepted, the clock starts running for many items needed to meet the requirements of the agreement and your protection. We will immediately order the title opinion to be delivered to the buyer. As the buyer completes his requirements, we will be sure to review the results of the appraisal and the inspection report for your benefit. If, for example, the results of the inspection report are not reasonable, you will have the option not to perform any requested items, thereby giving the buyer the option to waive the items listed or to void the contract. We will be available to advise you on all such matters along the way to closing.
Step Seven: Closing and move out
Closing on the property is usually handled by the tile company which issued the title opinion. The seller has the choice of selecting the title company used. We will be with you to provide answers and assistance for you during this process which usually takes from 30-90 minutes. We will be sure to review all settlement statements for you as the seller for accuracy and reasonableness. Time of possession is established at the time of negotiating the original offer. In Colorado, it is customary for the buyer to take possession at closing or up to two days after closing. If the seller wishes to stay in the home beyond these dates, this is negotiated between the buyer and the seller and involves a rental fee payable to the buyer after closing.
What’s my home worth?
Complete this simple form and we will prepare a customized report showing what similar Denver homes have sold for, which homes are under contract and homes currently listed for sale in your neighborhood. We’ll send you this complimentary report within 48 hours after you submit your request!