the willis team's seller's book
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ÂTRANSCRIPT
Selling Your Home
THE PROCESS OF SELLING A HOME
SET a Price and Time Frame
DEVELOP and EXECUTE a
Marketing Strategy
DISCUSS your Housing
Needs and Wants
An OFFER is PRESENTED
NEGOTIATIONS BEGIN
The Buyer SUBMITS a Loan
Application
A HOME INSPECTION is
Scheduled
The Loan is ACCEPTED
All closing activities are
COORDINATED
Closing Documents are
REVIEWED
Even if you have bought or sold a home in the past, the process can
be confusing. This chart will help you better understand the steps
involved in your transaction.
My job is to tie them together as smoothly as possible for you and to
keep you informed every step of the way.
Decision
to Move
Make Your
Move
Transaction is FINALIZED
and CLOSED
The OFFER is ACCEPTED
CONTRACT with me,
your REALTOR® , to
represent you
THE POWER OF QUALITY SERVICE
You can expect us, your RE/MAX equity group REALTOR® to go the extra mile to deliver you extraordinary service
At RE/MAX equity group, we work with
integrity, in a spirit of cooperation, and
always with the clear vision of providing
you with a rewarding and satisfying real
estate experience that is convenient,
comfortable and exceeds your expectations.
What you can expect when you work with
me, your RE/MAX equity group REALTOR®:
Dependable, continual, timely
communication
Active listening to your needs and
concerns
Clear, understandable explanations of
each step of the process
Personal attention, making you and your
goals my priority
Confidence that you are being fully
informed and advised with integrity
Superior problem-resolving skills based
on proven experience and knowledge
A real estate professional you can trust for all your real estate needs throughout
the stages of your life.
WHY RE/MAX?
Power...
The power of the brand
The power of a global network
The power of results
The power of advertising that reaches and attracts buyers
The power of maximum internet exposure
The power of quality service
Experience, Knowledge and Trust…
RE/MAX associates average more real estate experience than other agents and lead the
real estate industry in advanced education and production.
Globally, RE/MAX associates hold a higher number of professional designations—which
denote specialized training and education—than any other real estate organization.
RE/MAX has raised more than $100 million for the Children’s Miracle Network, and is also
a National Sponsor of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.
That experience and education means RE/MAX associates like us are better qualified to help
you with all of your needs during your real estate transaction, and you will also be affiliated with
a company that chooses to consistently give back to our communities.
THE POWER OF A GLOBAL NETWORK
Tapping the global scope and Premiere Market Presence of the RE/MAX international network
is a unique and powerful advantage my colleagues and I have over any other real estate
organization.
We have access to thousands of international referral sources, which can be advantageous in
finding qualified buyers and sellers. Through a network of more than 89,000 associates in 89
countries, we have the inside track on buyers and sellers around the globe.
Already number one in many major markets across North America, including the Portland/
Vancouver Metropolitan area, RE/MAX continues to gain market share around the world.
RE/MAX associates helped more than one million families with home sales and purchases in
1997, establishing an industry record that RE/MAX has continued to build on every single year
since, prompting the proclamation:
“Nobody in the world sells more real estate than RE/MAX.”
MARKETING YOUR HOME
In addition to marketing your home on the internet through our multiple web site channels, we
will create a marketing plan that is tailored to showcase the benefits of your specific property to
the most appropriate buyers through a variety of media, which may include:
Flyers Virtual Tours Open House
Postcards E-Cards Broker Tour
Newspaper Ads Video Single Property Website
MAXIMIZING VALUE
The buyer in today’s market is seeking maximum value in a property. Their decision is based
on:
The current market for homes
Location
Size
Amenities
Condition of property
We can’t control market conditions, location, or size.
Our Focus…
We will focus our time and resources on factors we CAN control to get maximum value:
Condition
Marketing
Price
PRICING YOUR HOME
Value is NOT determined by what you need or have invested in your property, but by what a
buyer is willing to pay.
The list price of your home has been determined by:
Recently sold homes in your area
Other homes currently for sale in your area
Exclusive features of your property
All of these will help tell us how buyers in the current market value your property.
Appropriate pricing is important in selling your house because buyers tend to look at similar
homes. If yours is priced higher than comparable homes on the market, they may forgo looking
at it, thinking it’s out of their price range.
Overpricing also tends to lengthen the amount of time the property is on the market. When
properties are on the market too long, buyers may believe something is wrong and make lower
price offers. As a result, an overpriced house may eventually sell for less than could have
been obtained with an original, fair market list price.
MY HOME WARRANTY TEAM
Why A Home Warranty?
Many of a home’s systems are hidden from view and are easily taken for granted—until
something goes wrong. As a seller you can help protect yourself by avoiding unexpected bills
on covered systems and appliances during the critical period your home is on the market and
reducing after-sale liability.
An American Home Shield (AHS) Warranty provides for the repair or replacement (for one full
year) of an existing home’s covered mechanical systems and major appliances that break down
due to normal wear and tear.*
Service
Why settle for less than the best? AHS founded the home warranty industry in 1971 and has
since brought responsive, high-quality protection to more than 6 million customers nationwide.
On every key measure of service, from total dollars paid for repairs and replacements to the
number of service calls, we continue to set the standard. AHS serves customers handles more
than 2.3 millions service calls per year—an average of 6,000 per day. You have the assurance
of knowing you can call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for service requests and get reliable
service from the nation’s largest network of pre-screened, licensed contractors.
Technology
AHS offers a full service website: www.ahswarranty.com.
*Please read contract for specific coverage, exclusions and limitations.
Bill Hurlbutt
West Portland
1.800.800.8880 x6837
Ed Wood
East Portland
1.800.800.8880 x6642
STAGING YOUR HOME
To maximize the value of your home, we recommend the 3 C’s of staging”
Clean = spotless kitchens, baths, patios, and deck
Clutter-free = no personal items, model-home look
Color = warm rooms with color accents from flowers, pillows, etc.
DRESS YOUR HOUSE FOR SUCCESS
How can you help make a positive first impression?
If your home is going to get a second look from buyers, it needs to make a good first im-
pression. The correct staging of your home can go a long way toward achieving a suc-
cessful sale at the highest price. When you list with me, I will go through the home with
you to make sure we are putting our best foot forward to get your home sold quickly. In
the meantime, here are some tips for you to think about. You may even want to ask a
neighbor or friend to walk through the home as though they were in the market to hear
On the Outside:
Try to look at your house through the buyer’s eyes as though
you’ve never seen it before. And try and have the fewest obsta-
cles between prospects and the true appeal of your home:
In autumn, rake the leaves, in winter, make sure there is no
ice on the sidewalk or steps.
Enhance drive-up appeal by removing clutter and cleaning
stains off the drive way.
You may want to scrub or repaint your front door.
Touch up your exterior paint where needed.
Keep your lawn nicely trimmed and edged.
Remove dead and dying flowers and consider adding color.
Trim bushes, add fresh bark or rock flowerbeds for a fresh
look.
Pick up toys, flowerpots, charcoal bags, garbage cans or any
items that tend to leave a cluttered look.
Clean out gutters/roofs, make sure they are free of debris and
moss.
Make necessary repairs to your roof if it leaks.
Making a good impression on the inside
When it comes time to show the property, here are some suggestions that will help make the
process go more smoothly:
Review the house inside room by room. Paint and make repairs to walls in any rooms needing
it, clean carpets or drapes that need it and be sure windows are clean and sparkling.
Rearrange or remove some of the furniture if necessary to make rooms appear larger and al-
low buyers to imagine their own furniture in the room.
The two most important rooms to a buyer are the kitchen and bathroom.
Remove stains in the sinks and tubs. Make sure the floors have been scrubbed, and that all appliances have been well-cleaned and are in
good working order.
Clear all unnecessary objects from the kitchen and bathroom counter-
tops. Set out matching towels.
Tighten cabinet doors and lubricate squeaky or hard to open/shut doors.
Fix leaky faucets and make sure the drains in your tub and sinks are not
clogged.
Replace the shower curtain (if needed) and clean the tile around the tub.
Odors must be eliminated especially if you have pets, young children. If you are a smoker,
consider smoking outside during the time that your home is on the market. You may not no-
tice the smell but potential buyers do.
Maintain the home in ready-to-show condition with beds made, clutter removed, dishes put
away and so forth. Then, you're always ready for a showing as soon as you get the phone call.
Showcase your home as if you are receiving guests – Place flowers in
vases, light a fire in the fireplace if it’s cold outside, and play soft back-
ground music.
During showings open all blinds/curtains and turn on all lights.
Make sure your pets are confined to a safe and out-of-the-way place.
During a showing try to step out for awhile. The buyer will feel more re-
laxed if allowed to view your home without any distractions.
In some cases, silence is golden. If you are present for any part of the
showing, it is best to reserve comments until the buyer has left your home. The Realtor show-
ing your home knows what to point out.
You should put away your most valuable items such as jewelry and collectibles.
SHOWING YOUR HOME