Guide to Selling a Home

Residential Owner-Occupied Real Estate

Home Selling Articles & Advice

Getting Your House Ready to Sell

• Disconnect Your Emotions
• Make Your House "Anonymous"
• The First Step - Removing Clutter
• The Most Important Room in the House
• The Rest of the House
• Fixing Up the House Interior
• Cost of Repairs
• Plumbing & Fixtures
• Ceiling, Walls & Painting
• Carpets & Flooring
• Windows & Doors
• A "Sensitive" Topic
• Fixing Up Outside the House
• Landscaping
• Is Painting Required?
• The Front Entryway

Want to Start Off With a High Sales Price?

• When You Meet With Agents
• A Sales Practice Called "Buying a Listing"
• What Happens Behind the Scenes
• Dropping Your Price -- Too Late
• Realtors Talk to One Another About Your Agent

Types of Listing Contracts

• Open Listings
• One-time Show
• Exclusive Agency Listings
• Exclusive Right to Sell

Details of a Listing Contract

• Price and Terms of Sale
• Real Estate Commission
• Multiple Listing Service
• Agency and Salesperson Responsibilities
• The Lockbox
• Resolving Disputes with Your Agent

Listing Commissions and Related Issues

• About Commissions
• Some Commission-Related Questions
• How and When the Commission is Earned

The Listing Agent & Basic Marketing

• The "Real" Role of a Listing Agent
• The "For Sale" Sign
• Flyers and the Brochure Box

The Listing Agent - Marketing Your House to Other Agents

• The Multiple Listing Service
• Office Preview
• Broker Preview
• Sending Flyers to Agents
• Marketing Sessions

The Listing Agent - Marketing Your House to Homebuyers

• The Purpose of Advertising in General
• Real Estate Office Advertising
• Individual Agent Advertising
• Open Houses

Showing Your House to Home Buyers

• Convenience & Availability
• Why You Should Not be Home
• Lighting
• Fragrances
• Pet Control
• The Kitchen Trash
• Tidiness Counts

Also, check these pages:

On-Line Listings

If you're thinking of listing your home, you want to be sure your house gets listed online, too. Our Property Search Directory contains local agents that list property on their sites.

Housing Market & Appreciation

Once a month we analyze the current housing sales page, including appreciation. Then we post an update and a slew of graphs and charts.

Step-by-Step Home Selling

• Listing Commissions and Issues
• The Listing Agent & Marketing Your Home
• Listing Agent - Marketing to Other Agents
• Listing Agent - Marketing to Homebuyers

Home Selling Hints & Insights

• What the Heck Is a Short Sale?
• Should You Try to Sell by Owner?
• The Earnest Money Deposit
• Flowers Add Immediate Impact
• What is the Multiple Listing Service?
• Comparable sales and your home's value
• Preventing Lawsuits - Homeowners Warranty
• When Market Value Outpaces Appraised Value
• Negotiating Contingencies in Real Estate Contracts
• What Goes With the Property When You Sell or Buy?
• An appraisal to determine your home's market value?
• How the Lockbox Helps Buyers and Sellers
• If You Think You Need a Bridge Loan
• The Basics on Toxic Black Mold

Submitted by Professionals

• Broker Responsibility
• Number One Selling Tip
• What is Your Home Worth?
• Determining Your Listing Price
• What is Home Staging? Does it Help?
• Mistakes Sellers Make in Choosing an Agent
• The Top Five Reasons Your House Hasn't Sold!
• Getting a Home Ready to Sell
• Home Inspections for Sellers

Real Estate Glossary

Our glossary was written to avoid typical real estate jargon so it would be easy to understand.