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Seller's Guide

Everything you need to know about putting your home on the market, accepting an offer, and closing on your home.

A Step-by-Step First Time Seller's Guide

Putting your home on the market can be a stressful process, especially when you don’t know what to expect. Fortunately, with the help of an experienced agent and this easy to follow guide, you can smoothly complete the process. Following these steps will help you prepare so you can get organized and sell your home for the best price possible.​​​​​​​

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Step 1: Understand Why You're Selling

What do you want to accomplish with the sale of your home? Do you want to make a certain amount of money that you can put toward a larger or nicer home? Do you need to sell it as soon as possible to facilitate a move to a new city or area? Once you understand your needs, you can better craft your offer. For example, if you need to sell quickly, you might want to price your home lower than if your goal is to make a certain profit margin. Make sure you convey these needs to your real estate agent once you choose one so he or she can adjust your selling price accordingly.

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Step 2: Determine Selling Price

Knowing how to price your home is one of the most important parts of the selling process. When you set a fair price in the beginning, you’ll get the most interest from other real estate agents and prospective buyers. Overpricing your home could lead to reduced interest, and underpricing leads to receiving less than what your home is worth. Working with a real estate agent is the best way to determine the right selling price for your home. An agent with experience can determine what other comparable homes are selling for, evaluate the current market, and may even suggest a home appraisal.

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Step 3: Start Preparations

If you’ve kept your home in showroom condition since you’ve lived in it, you’re in the minority of homeowners. Once you price your home, it’s time to start getting it ready to be shown to potential buyers. This includes getting rid of clutter, depersonalizing the space so that buyers can envision themselves in the space, making any small repairs, and doing a deep clean to make sure your home is in pristine condition.

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Step 4: Develop a Marketing Strategy

I will develop a marketing strategy that is perfect for advertising your home. This involves listing the home and then driving the right people to that listing through social media campaigns, agent-to-agent referrals, traditional media, or SEO advertising. My team creates a marketing campaign that aims to get the most possible traffic to your listing in the first three weeks after becoming a client.

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Step 5: Evaluate Offers

Receiving an offer is an exciting part of the process, but it doesn’t mean the journey is over. I will evaluate each offer and make sure the party making the offer is prequalified or pre-approved by a mortgage lender and that their offer is acceptable to you. If the offer is too low, you can make a counter-offer or offer other ways to bridge the gap, such as covering some or all of the closing costs, making repairs, adjusting the move-in date, or leaving some appliances or fixtures for the new buyer.

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Step 6: Accept an Offer

Once I deem the offer is acceptable, I will review the proposed contract to make sure it’s all in order and includes the necessary components such as deposit amount, down payment, financing, inspection rights and repair allowances, contingencies, settlement date, and a list of fees and who will pay them. When both parties have agreed to the term, a final contract will be prepared by your agent.

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Step 7: Get Ready to Close

You have accepted an offer and are now very close to the end of your selling journey. But first, you and the buyer must make a list of what needs to be done before closing. In some cases, your home may need to be formally inspected, surveyed, and appraised. In other cases, major or minor repairs will need to be made before the house can close. I will head up efforts to develop and execute this list, get each action item paid for by the correct party, and make sure everything is in order by the closing date. A few days before the closing date, I will call the company closing the transaction to make sure everything is ready to go. If you haven’t done so already, you also need to make arrangements to move out of the home so the new buyer can take possession.

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Step 8: Close

You’ve reached the last step in the seller’s process. When you close on a home you are selling, you are legally transferring ownership of the property to the new buyer. I will meet with the company closing the transaction to sign the final paperwork and go over any issues that have not yet been taken care of. During this time, you can also make plans with your real estate agent to handle final details such as canceling utilities, cable, and lawn or trash services, changing the name on accounts that the new owner is retaining and ensuring the new owner has instructions for all appliances that will remain in the home.

Congratulations!

Once you have sold your home, you’re free to take the next step on your journey. Whether this is relocating to a new city, moving into a larger home, or downsizing and enjoying your life as empty-nesters, knowing all your selling responsibilities have been taken care of will help you achieve peace of mind for your new path.

Client Reviews

Testimonials

Read what my clients have to say about working with Kim.

Kim was a joy to work with. We had a tight timeline, high expectations & a challenging process. Kim was encouraging, level-headed, hardworking, and an excellent negotiator. We’d work with her again and heartily recommend her to others!
Kim was a joy to work with. We had a tight timeline, high expectations & a challenging process. Kim was encouraging, level-headed, hardworking, and an excellent negotiator. We’d work with her again and heartily recommend her to others!
Kelly W.
Kim is not only brilliant at helping you navigate the search but also at negotiating and even helping you settle into your new home. I highly recommend her to help you buy a home.
Kim is not only brilliant at helping you navigate the search but also at negotiating and even helping you settle into your new home. I highly recommend her to help you buy a home.
Sharmila K.
Kim recently represented me in selling my home in central Austin. Kim is a true professional who really looks ouKim recently represented me in selling my home in central Austin. Kim is a true professional who really looks out for the clients she represents. She was able to meet with me quickly after making contact. She listened to what I wanted to achieve and did everything in her power to help me meet my goal. She found the right buyer, and she worked with the buyer’s agent to get the deal done and closed in a timely manner — all pretty normal things to do within the context of a real estate transaction. She was kind and compassionate towards me as I closed a business and sold my home of 25 years, both very emotional. While we negotiated the terms of the contract, Kim was unflappable. There were several notable situations where Kim really showed me how she takes care of clients…she organized a cleaning crew to help prep the house (and once I had moved out) and spent time helping me find other people to do prep work as well. Kim took time out of a very busy day to transport a large household item to my friend on the other side of town, who did not have a way to transport it (and it was out of her way). The most important and professional thing Kim did, which I did not find out about until 2 days before closing, is that she shielded me from dealing with the buyer’s agent, who is one of the rudest people I have met. I had a run-in with the buyer’s agent (Helen Cawley with Compass) inside my home, as she let herself in when she was not supposed to be there. Helen gave me false information, berated me, and was extremely rude. When I told Kim about my experience, she alluded to the fact that Helen had been rude throughout the process of the entire transaction, but she never told me any of the details. Kim kept a very professional and upbeat demeanor with me while we were negotiating the contract, all while Helen was being very rude and condescending to her. That’s my definition of a quintessential professional, which is what Kim is. I’m very grateful for the way Kim handled this entire transaction. Aside from the fact that Kim did a really good job guiding me through the housing market in Austin, she’s also energetic, sharp, kind, and fun. You will have a great ally in Kim if you choose to work with her.t for the clients she represents. She was able to meet with me quickly after making contact. She listened to what I wanted to achieve and did everything in her power to help me meet my goal. She found the right buyer, and she worked with the buyer’s agent to get the deal done and closed in a timely manner all pretty normal things to do within the context of a real estate transaction. She was kind and compassionate towards me as I closed a business and sold my home of 25 years, both very emotional. While we negotiated the terms of the contract, Kim was unflappable. There were several notable situations where Kim really showed me how she takes care of clients…she organized a cleaning crew to help prep the house (and once I had moved out) and spent time helping me find other people to do prep work as well. Kim took time out of a very busy day to transport a large household item to my friend on the other side of town, who did not have a way to transport it (and it was out of her way). The most important and professional thing Kim did, that I did not find out about until 2 days before closing, is that she shielded me from dealing with the buyer’s agent, who is one of the rudest people I have met. I had a run-in with the buyer’s agent (Helen Cawley with Compass) inside my home, as she let herself in when she was not supposed to be there. Helen gave me false information, berated me, and was extremely rude. When I told Kim about my experience, she alluded to the fact that Helen had been rude throughout the process of the entire transaction, but she never told me any of the details. Kim kept a very professional and upbeat demeanor with me while we were negotiating the contract, all while Helen was being very rude and condescending to her. That’s my definition of a quintessential professional, which is what Kim is. I’m very grateful for the way Kim handled this entire transaction. Aside from the fact that Kim did a really good job guiding me through the housing market in Austin, she’s also energetic, sharp, kind, and fun. You will have a great ally in Kim if you choose to work with her.
Kim recently represented me in selling my home in central Austin. Kim is a true professional who really looks ouKim recently represented me in selling my home in central Austin. Kim is a true professional who really looks out for the clients she represents. She was able to meet with me quickly after making contact. She listened to what I wanted to achieve and did everything in her power to help me meet my goal. She found the right buyer, and she worked with the buyer’s agent to get the deal done and closed in a timely manner — all pretty normal things to do within the context of a real estate transaction. She was kind and compassionate towards me as I closed a business and sold my home of 25 years, both very emotional. While we negotiated the terms of the contract, Kim was unflappable. There were several notable situations where Kim really showed me how she takes care of clients…she organized a cleaning crew to help prep the house (and once I had moved out) and spent time helping me find other people to do prep work as well. Kim took time out of a very busy day to transport a large household item to my friend on the other side of town, who did not have a way to transport it (and it was out of her way). The most important and professional thing Kim did, which I did not find out about until 2 days before closing, is that she shielded me from dealing with the buyer’s agent, who is one of the rudest people I have met. I had a run-in with the buyer’s agent (Helen Cawley with Compass) inside my home, as she let herself in when she was not supposed to be there. Helen gave me false information, berated me, and was extremely rude. When I told Kim about my experience, she alluded to the fact that Helen had been rude throughout the process of the entire transaction, but she never told me any of the details. Kim kept a very professional and upbeat demeanor with me while we were negotiating the contract, all while Helen was being very rude and condescending to her. That’s my definition of a quintessential professional, which is what Kim is. I’m very grateful for the way Kim handled this entire transaction. Aside from the fact that Kim did a really good job guiding me through the housing market in Austin, she’s also energetic, sharp, kind, and fun. You will have a great ally in Kim if you choose to work with her.t for the clients she represents. She was able to meet with me quickly after making contact. She listened to what I wanted to achieve and did everything in her power to help me meet my goal. She found the right buyer, and she worked with the buyer’s agent to get the deal done and closed in a timely manner all pretty normal things to do within the context of a real estate transaction. She was kind and compassionate towards me as I closed a business and sold my home of 25 years, both very emotional. While we negotiated the terms of the contract, Kim was unflappable. There were several notable situations where Kim really showed me how she takes care of clients…she organized a cleaning crew to help prep the house (and once I had moved out) and spent time helping me find other people to do prep work as well. Kim took time out of a very busy day to transport a large household item to my friend on the other side of town, who did not have a way to transport it (and it was out of her way). The most important and professional thing Kim did, that I did not find out about until 2 days before closing, is that she shielded me from dealing with the buyer’s agent, who is one of the rudest people I have met. I had a run-in with the buyer’s agent (Helen Cawley with Compass) inside my home, as she let herself in when she was not supposed to be there. Helen gave me false information, berated me, and was extremely rude. When I told Kim about my experience, she alluded to the fact that Helen had been rude throughout the process of the entire transaction, but she never told me any of the details. Kim kept a very professional and upbeat demeanor with me while we were negotiating the contract, all while Helen was being very rude and condescending to her. That’s my definition of a quintessential professional, which is what Kim is. I’m very grateful for the way Kim handled this entire transaction. Aside from the fact that Kim did a really good job guiding me through the housing market in Austin, she’s also energetic, sharp, kind, and fun. You will have a great ally in Kim if you choose to work with her.
Jennifer L.
Kim was fantastic—responsive, attentive to detail, and thorough. She always took time to answer our questions and help us find the perfect home.
Kim was fantastic—responsive, attentive to detail, and thorough. She always took time to answer our questions and help us find the perfect home.
Russ T.
Kim was fantastic to work with. She helped us prioritize projects and then quickly and efficiently organized vendors to make our house look great (floor recoating, painting, carpeting, staging, professional photographer!). What she accomplished in a couple of days would have taken us weeks. Kim took us to see other homes on the market so we could understand the buyer’s perspective and get a sense for pricing and how to make our home stand out. She answered all of our questions regarding the paperwork and process steps and was very responsive from beginning to end. Kim fielded inquiries from potential buyers and always kept us in the loop so we could make informed decisions. She was a consummate professional but also willing to pitch in with whatever task needed to be done (cookie run? Emergency window cleaning? Last-minute trip to Lowe’s?). Kim has a great sense of humor and helped us manage the stress of the ups and downs of selling a house and moving out of state. We were delighted with the outcome and recommend Kim enthusiastically!
Kim was fantastic to work with. She helped us prioritize projects and then quickly and efficiently organized vendors to make our house look great (floor recoating, painting, carpeting, staging, professional photographer!). What she accomplished in a couple of days would have taken us weeks. Kim took us to see other homes on the market so we could understand the buyer’s perspective and get a sense for pricing and how to make our home stand out. She answered all of our questions regarding the paperwork and process steps and was very responsive from beginning to end. Kim fielded inquiries from potential buyers and always kept us in the loop so we could make informed decisions. She was a consummate professional but also willing to pitch in with whatever task needed to be done (cookie run? Emergency window cleaning? Last-minute trip to Lowe’s?). Kim has a great sense of humor and helped us manage the stress of the ups and downs of selling a house and moving out of state. We were delighted with the outcome and recommend Kim enthusiastically!
Melissa
It's rare in this day and age to encounter people who are truly invested in what they do. I was astounded at the level of care and detail Kim demonstrated throughout the entire process. We were so happy working with Kim and will always fondly recall how Kim handled the emotional, strategic, procedural, and financial aspects of selling our one true, first home.
It's rare in this day and age to encounter people who are truly invested in what they do. I was astounded at the level of care and detail Kim demonstrated throughout the entire process. We were so happy working with Kim and will always fondly recall how Kim handled the emotional, strategic, procedural, and financial aspects of selling our one true, first home.
Max
My husband and I are from out of state, and Kim had been recommended to us by a colleague of mine who lives in the Austin area. From the very beginning, we knew she had our best interests in mind. Super trustworthy, detail-oriented, and had great knowledge of the area. She listened to what we were looking for and provided guidance on the market and the dynamics. Kim’s response time was amazing, which is key during this market for sure. We also felt she went the extra mile and, in some cases, one step ahead to ensure our questions were answered and that our interests as the buyers were protected. She was such a fun person to work with as well! I can’t recommend Kim enough! Whether you are a buyer or a seller, you will not be disappointed! We will undoubtedly call Kim again for our next TX real estate transaction!
My husband and I are from out of state, and Kim had been recommended to us by a colleague of mine who lives in the Austin area. From the very beginning, we knew she had our best interests in mind. Super trustworthy, detail-oriented, and had great knowledge of the area. She listened to what we were looking for and provided guidance on the market and the dynamics. Kim’s response time was amazing, which is key during this market for sure. We also felt she went the extra mile and, in some cases, one step ahead to ensure our questions were answered and that our interests as the buyers were protected. She was such a fun person to work with as well! I can’t recommend Kim enough! Whether you are a buyer or a seller, you will not be disappointed! We will undoubtedly call Kim again for our next TX real estate transaction!
Heather
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