SELLING A HOME
You Don’t Have to Do Anything
Maybe you’ve been thinking about selling for a while.
You know the house may be more than you need now.
Maybe there are stairs you don’t want forever. Rooms you rarely use. A yard you’d rather not maintain.
Maybe you’re thinking about moving closer to family, simplifying your life, or simply wondering what the next chapter might look like.
And yet…
This is home.
Maybe you raised your family here.
There are probably memories in rooms that nobody else would ever notice.
So when you tell me you’re not sure you’re ready to leave, believe me:
I get it.
And here’s the good news.
You don’t have to do anything.
Before we talk about market value, preparing the house or putting a sign in the yard, I’d rather start somewhere else.
Tell me about the home.
Tell me about some of your favorite memories here.
I bet you have some stories.
Selling a House and Leaving a Home Aren’t Quite the Same Thing
You may decide that selling makes perfect sense.
That doesn’t mean leaving will suddenly become easy.
You created a life here.
Selling the house doesn’t erase that.
Those moments belong to you, and they’ll still belong to you long after someone else’s furniture is sitting in the living room.
I’m not in a rush.
This is about you and what you feel is right for your life.
My job isn’t to convince you to leave your home.
It’s to help you understand your options so you can decide whether you’re ready for whatever comes next.
When You Are Ready
Maybe a few weeks go by.
Maybe a few months.
And eventually you call and say:
“Rod, we’re ready.”
First of all… Congratulations.
That’s a big decision.
And before I start talking about signs, photographs and listing agreements, I’m probably going to ask:
“What got you here?”
And maybe:
“Are you excited?”
Because I want to understand what changed.
Then we’ll start building a plan.
There are things every successful home sale requires—preparation, pricing, marketing, showings, negotiation, disclosures, inspections and plenty of details in between.
We’ll get to all of that.
That’s why I’m here.
We’ll step through the process together so you understand what’s happening, what’s coming next and what decisions need to be made.
And we’ll build the plan around something very important:
You.
Getting Your Home Ready — Your Way
One of the first questions sellers usually ask is:
“What do we need to do to the house?”
The answer is:
It depends.
We could do very little.
Or we could paint, repair, landscape, declutter, stage, update and spend quite a bit of time and money preparing the home.
Neither approach is automatically right.
So before I give you a list, I’ll ask:
What’s important to you at this point?
Maybe you want to maximize what you can reasonably get from the sale and you’re willing to invest some time and money to do it.
Maybe you’re exhausted and want to keep preparation to a minimum.
Maybe you have the time but don’t want to spend much money.
Maybe you’d rather get on with your next chapter.
We’ll walk through the house together and talk about the options.
I’ll tell you where I think an investment may make a meaningful difference.
I’ll also tell you when I don’t think spending the money makes sense.
We’ll consider the potential return—not just in dollars, but in time, effort and disruption to your life.
You make the decisions. I’ll make sure you’re informed.
Then we’ll prepare the home for the sale that makes sense for you.
Pricing Is a Strategy
Of course you want to get as much as you reasonably can for your home.
So do I.
But determining a list price isn’t simply about choosing the highest number we can justify.
We’ll look at:
Recent sales.
Market conditions.
What makes your home different.
Current competition.
Your home’s condition and improvements.
And what buyers appear to be responding to right now.
Then we’ll talk about strategy.
Because the price we choose sends a message to the market.
Price too aggressively and potential buyers may decide not to look at all.
Price strategically and we may create greater interest, stronger competition and better options.
There are tradeoffs.
I’ll show you what I’m seeing, explain my thinking and probably ask you some questions along the way.
I may even challenge some of your assumptions.
That’s part of what you’re hiring me to do.
You make the decision. But you’ll understand the strategy behind it.
Then We Tell Your Home’s Story
Putting your home on the market is much more than putting it in the MLS and waiting.
We’re introducing it to potential buyers.
That means presenting it in a way that helps people understand what makes it special.
We’ll talk about photography, presentation, marketing, open houses, broker exposure and the other ways we can get your home in front of potential buyers.
And once it’s on the market…
I’ll be paying attention.
Showings.
Feedback.
Buyer interest.
Competing homes.
Changes in the market.
Some weeks may be exciting.
Others may test our patience.
We won’t overreact to every little thing.
But we won’t ignore what the market is telling us either.
I’ll keep working to get your home in front of buyers.
And if I believe we should do something differently, we’ll talk.
I’ll tell you what I’m seeing, what I think it means and what options we have.
Then we’ll decide what to do next.
When the Offers Come
This is where things can get interesting.
An offer is much more than a number at the top of a page.
Of course we’ll talk about price.
But we’ll also look at financing.
Contingencies.
Timing.
Concessions.
Inspections.
The strength of the buyer.
And anything else that could affect the value—or the risk—of the offer.
Sometimes an offer that initially looks disappointing becomes more interesting when we look at the whole thing.
And sometimes an offer that looks great deserves a closer look too.
I’ll give you my perspective.
I may recommend a counteroffer.
I may point out something you haven’t considered.
And sometimes I may say:
“Would you mind if I give you another perspective?”
Because no pressure doesn’t mean no opinion.
You’re hiring me for my judgment too.
I’ll tell you what I think.
I’ll tell you why.
Then you decide.
And once you do, I’ll negotiate from there.
Once We’re Under Contract
Getting an offer accepted is an exciting milestone.
But we’re not finished.
There may still be inspections, disclosures, appraisal, financing, requests from the buyer, deadlines, paperwork and unexpected questions along the way.
I’ll help keep track of the details.
I’ll communicate with the people involved.
I’ll make sure you understand what’s happening and what needs your attention.
And if something unexpected happens?
We’ll deal with it.
Together.
I can’t promise that everything will go exactly according to plan.
I can promise you won’t be wondering whether I’ve forgotten about you.
And if I think something requires a decision or a change in strategy, we’ll talk about it.
No disappearing.
No wondering what’s happening.
No unnecessary surprises.
And Then One Day, the House Is Empty
The boxes are packed.
The movers have left.
And you may find yourself standing in a room that doesn’t feel empty at all.
Because you remember what happened there.
The birthdays.
The holidays.
The celebrations.
The difficult days too.
And all those ordinary moments nobody thought to take a picture of.
You’re leaving the house physically.
But those memories are going with you.
They’ll be yours forever.
So if you need another minute before we lock the door…
Take it.
Walk through the rooms.
Remember.
Laugh.
Cry if you need to.
There’s no rush.
I’ll wait outside.
You let me know when you’re ready.
What’s Your Next Chapter?
Maybe you already know.
Maybe you’re moving closer to children or grandchildren.
Maybe you’re downsizing.
Maybe you’re looking for something without stairs.
Maybe there’s a place you’ve always wanted to live.
Or maybe you haven’t figured any of that out yet.
That’s okay.
You don’t have to know what’s next before we start talking.
In fact, you don’t even have to know whether you want to sell.
We can start with a cup of coffee.
You can tell me what’s on your mind.
And we’ll go from there.
Let’s Start a Conversation