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Seller's Guide

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.

Discover What My Clients Have to Say

Testimonials

"Marilyn is an experienced, excellent agent. She helped us buy, and then sell 2 years later. I cannot recommend Marilyn highly enough. She is sharp, organized, and unflappable."
"Marilyn is an experienced, excellent agent. She helped us buy, and then sell 2 years later. I cannot recommend Marilyn highly enough. She is sharp, organized, and unflappable."
Kristy G.
"Great buyer's agent experience! Marilyn has been a realtor for years and her knowledge shows this. She's been very helpful and gave me some guidance throughout the buying process. She's always available for calls and questions! Highly recommend!"
"Great buyer's agent experience! Marilyn has been a realtor for years and her knowledge shows this. She's been very helpful and gave me some guidance throughout the buying process. She's always available for calls and questions! Highly recommend!"
Darren M.
"Marilyn was on top of things, no stone unturned. It was a very nice experience working with such a professional woman. The house sold before the sign notifying the public that it was for sale was put up, in fact, there was no need! I highly encourage anyone selling a house to use Marilyn, whose reputation with me is stellar. She knows how to sell houses fast!"
"Marilyn was on top of things, no stone unturned. It was a very nice experience working with such a professional woman. The house sold before the sign notifying the public that it was for sale was put up, in fact, there was no need! I highly encourage anyone selling a house to use Marilyn, whose reputation with me is stellar. She knows how to sell houses fast!"
James D.
"Knowledgeable, caring, and has good insights on what's real and not real! We can call Marilyn anytime and she always answers very attentively, hands-on, and always knows how to handle the situation at hand and she knows the ins and outs of selling a house. I really knew she was the one when we went to a house and even though she uses a cane, she can and will get the job done. Kudos to Marilyn, she is a real go-getter, she's the woman for the job all day every day, hands down!"
"Knowledgeable, caring, and has good insights on what's real and not real! We can call Marilyn anytime and she always answers very attentively, hands-on, and always knows how to handle the situation at hand and she knows the ins and outs of selling a house. I really knew she was the one when we went to a house and even though she uses a cane, she can and will get the job done. Kudos to Marilyn, she is a real go-getter, she's the woman for the job all day every day, hands down!"
William J.
"Excellent agent. Clients will not find a harder-working agent. She is also thoroughly knowledgeable and practical. Her advice is always sound. She is patient and I believe the reason she works tireless, weekends and nights, is because she genuinely loves the business."
"Excellent agent. Clients will not find a harder-working agent. She is also thoroughly knowledgeable and practical. Her advice is always sound. She is patient and I believe the reason she works tireless, weekends and nights, is because she genuinely loves the business."
Arthur J.
"I couldn't work and ask God for a better agent! No words to describe the type of agent she is. Her work speaks for itself, and I pray God continues to bless her because she's an amazing person inside and out. Very patient, understandable, and reliable. I have given 4 friends her information already, because they deserve the same treatment I received from beginning to end, and it can only come from Marilyn. Thanks again! You are the best."
"I couldn't work and ask God for a better agent! No words to describe the type of agent she is. Her work speaks for itself, and I pray God continues to bless her because she's an amazing person inside and out. Very patient, understandable, and reliable. I have given 4 friends her information already, because they deserve the same treatment I received from beginning to end, and it can only come from Marilyn. Thanks again! You are the best."
Darlene P.
"Marilyn was great. Delivered timely results that were above expectations."
"Marilyn was great. Delivered timely results that were above expectations."
Lou C.
"First Time Home Buyer Success! As a first-time home buyer, I had many concerns about being able to purchase a home and doing so safely during a pandemic. From the moment I spoke to Marilyn, she was very attentive to my preferences and made me feel comfortable during each step of the process. She made time to speak with me on a weekly basis to discuss my preferences, homes that I'd seen on the market, and how to best prepare for open houses. Her guidance ensured that I was able to purchase my condo in my top choice condo complex and simplified the process so that there was less stress on my end. Please know that with Marilyn's knowledge and work ethic, you are in very good hands!"
"First Time Home Buyer Success! As a first-time home buyer, I had many concerns about being able to purchase a home and doing so safely during a pandemic. From the moment I spoke to Marilyn, she was very attentive to my preferences and made me feel comfortable during each step of the process. She made time to speak with me on a weekly basis to discuss my preferences, homes that I'd seen on the market, and how to best prepare for open houses. Her guidance ensured that I was able to purchase my condo in my top choice condo complex and simplified the process so that there was less stress on my end. Please know that with Marilyn's knowledge and work ethic, you are in very good hands!"
Buyer
"The best agent in MA! Marilyn is the hardest-working, most dedicated agent I have ever worked with. She works tirelessly, day and night, to do whatever it takes to help her clients."
"The best agent in MA! Marilyn is the hardest-working, most dedicated agent I have ever worked with. She works tirelessly, day and night, to do whatever it takes to help her clients."
Dan M.
"Marilyn helped my fiancé and I get the perfect home for us when we casted a broad net over most of Southeast MA. As first-time home-buyers, she was patient and kind with us when we were unsure, and encouraging in the moments of urgency when we were ready to jump. She felt like a friend and an advocate in the most important ways, she answered our questions by sharing her experiences, listened to what we wanted and needed, and went to bat for us. She is a consummate professional and understands the importance of relationships with her clients, other agents, closing lawyers, and mortgage providers. The very first offer we put on a house was accepted over 17 others and we weren't even the highest offer, she knows how to leverage every strength to win a bidding war in a competitive market."
"Marilyn helped my fiancé and I get the perfect home for us when we casted a broad net over most of Southeast MA. As first-time home-buyers, she was patient and kind with us when we were unsure, and encouraging in the moments of urgency when we were ready to jump. She felt like a friend and an advocate in the most important ways, she answered our questions by sharing her experiences, listened to what we wanted and needed, and went to bat for us. She is a consummate professional and understands the importance of relationships with her clients, other agents, closing lawyers, and mortgage providers. The very first offer we put on a house was accepted over 17 others and we weren't even the highest offer, she knows how to leverage every strength to win a bidding war in a competitive market."
Sarah H.
"If I could give Marilyn 10 stars, I would do it in a heartbeat! From the moment we started our home-buying journey in March to closing the deal and moving into our dream home in April, Marilyn was there every step of the way. Her dedication and support were truly exceptional. Marilyn’s expertise and commitment to finding us the perfect home made the entire process smooth and stress-free. She went above and beyond, fighting for us and ensuring that our needs were met. We are incredibly grateful for Marilyn’s hard work and would highly recommend her to anyone in search of their perfect home. Thank you, Marilyn, for everything!"
"If I could give Marilyn 10 stars, I would do it in a heartbeat! From the moment we started our home-buying journey in March to closing the deal and moving into our dream home in April, Marilyn was there every step of the way. Her dedication and support were truly exceptional. Marilyn’s expertise and commitment to finding us the perfect home made the entire process smooth and stress-free. She went above and beyond, fighting for us and ensuring that our needs were met. We are incredibly grateful for Marilyn’s hard work and would highly recommend her to anyone in search of their perfect home. Thank you, Marilyn, for everything!"
Sacha L.
"You just won’t find a harder-working realtor. I really do believe it’s because she loves what she’s doing. She’s also flexible and sees things in a big-picture format. Gives sound advice. I’m going back with her when I need a realtor again."
"You just won’t find a harder-working realtor. I really do believe it’s because she loves what she’s doing. She’s also flexible and sees things in a big-picture format. Gives sound advice. I’m going back with her when I need a realtor again."
Seller
"Marilyn provided an extraordinary level of support for us in managing a complex out-of-state relocation. She understands the market in depth, is extremely responsive, and is a consummate professional. She turned what could have been a very challenging home-buying experience for us into a pleasant and productive experience. I would highly recommend her."
"Marilyn provided an extraordinary level of support for us in managing a complex out-of-state relocation. She understands the market in depth, is extremely responsive, and is a consummate professional. She turned what could have been a very challenging home-buying experience for us into a pleasant and productive experience. I would highly recommend her."
Buyer
"Our experience was Marilyn was excellent. She went out of her way to make things as easy as possible and made sure to explain anything we had questions about (which was quite a bit) along the way. She was extremely responsive and always available when we needed her. I would highly recommend working with Marilyn if you’re searching for a new home!"
"Our experience was Marilyn was excellent. She went out of her way to make things as easy as possible and made sure to explain anything we had questions about (which was quite a bit) along the way. She was extremely responsive and always available when we needed her. I would highly recommend working with Marilyn if you’re searching for a new home!"
Jim D.
"We dealt with a few realtors over the last 2 years and none of them compare to Marilyn. She is definitely a businesswoman who has a lot of experience and knows what she is doing. She sends out listings of houses within your price range every morning and whenever we are interested in a property we let her know and she gets us viewing as soon as possible after reviewing it and letting us know if it is worth seeing. The day before a viewing she would send us all the details and a time schedule of each property based on the locations (love that). On the day of viewing, she brings a printout of all the properties for that day which surprises us. Marilyn always made herself available and always responded to our phone calls, texts, and emails promptly and we were amazed by it. Marilyn made sure the whole process was carried out smoothly and in a timely manner when dealing with the loan office, processor, underwriters, and lawyer. They gave us a hard time right before closing but Marilyn continued to stay on top of everything and pushed the process along by making phone calls and sending emails to all the appropriate recipients as needed to prevent more delays up until the day of closing. Marilyn is the best realtor and we would and will refer her to any and everyone."
"We dealt with a few realtors over the last 2 years and none of them compare to Marilyn. She is definitely a businesswoman who has a lot of experience and knows what she is doing. She sends out listings of houses within your price range every morning and whenever we are interested in a property we let her know and she gets us viewing as soon as possible after reviewing it and letting us know if it is worth seeing. The day before a viewing she would send us all the details and a time schedule of each property based on the locations (love that). On the day of viewing, she brings a printout of all the properties for that day which surprises us. Marilyn always made herself available and always responded to our phone calls, texts, and emails promptly and we were amazed by it. Marilyn made sure the whole process was carried out smoothly and in a timely manner when dealing with the loan office, processor, underwriters, and lawyer. They gave us a hard time right before closing but Marilyn continued to stay on top of everything and pushed the process along by making phone calls and sending emails to all the appropriate recipients as needed to prevent more delays up until the day of closing. Marilyn is the best realtor and we would and will refer her to any and everyone."
Buyer
"Marilyn assisted us in buying our first house and she made sure we understood each part of the process. Her knowledge, patience, and experience made us feel very comfortable during this trajectory. She goes beyond the real estate steps and responsibilities as she acted as our consultant, psychologist, and friend. I would definitely recommend Marilyn."
"Marilyn assisted us in buying our first house and she made sure we understood each part of the process. Her knowledge, patience, and experience made us feel very comfortable during this trajectory. She goes beyond the real estate steps and responsibilities as she acted as our consultant, psychologist, and friend. I would definitely recommend Marilyn."
Thais D.
"As a first-time home buyer, Marilyn was extremely helpful with guiding us through the entire process, from helping us determine exactly what we were looking for in a home to the recommendation of a mortgage broker and attorney. She was very knowledgeable about each town we were considering and was always extremely responsive to all of our questions throughout the process. Marilyn always had our best interest in mind and made the home-buying process very seamless."
"As a first-time home buyer, Marilyn was extremely helpful with guiding us through the entire process, from helping us determine exactly what we were looking for in a home to the recommendation of a mortgage broker and attorney. She was very knowledgeable about each town we were considering and was always extremely responsive to all of our questions throughout the process. Marilyn always had our best interest in mind and made the home-buying process very seamless."
Leonardi J.
"I met Marilyn in May 2019. I went to look at an apartment for rent but instead of renting, I decided to buy. Marilyn connected me with amazing people to help me get the approval I needed to purchase my first home. Marilyn walked me step by step and stood by my side during the entire process. She is so welcoming and understanding. Marilyn makes sure that she can work with your schedule and to get things done in a timely manner. I would continue to work and refer her to anyone."
"I met Marilyn in May 2019. I went to look at an apartment for rent but instead of renting, I decided to buy. Marilyn connected me with amazing people to help me get the approval I needed to purchase my first home. Marilyn walked me step by step and stood by my side during the entire process. She is so welcoming and understanding. Marilyn makes sure that she can work with your schedule and to get things done in a timely manner. I would continue to work and refer her to anyone."
Kendra D.
"Marilyn made our relocation process a breeze. She gave us the best advice, knew all the right steps to help us close fast, and was so kind and caring through every step of the process. Amazing communication."
"Marilyn made our relocation process a breeze. She gave us the best advice, knew all the right steps to help us close fast, and was so kind and caring through every step of the process. Amazing communication."
Kristy G.
"Marilyn was direct, transparent, honest, and responsive. We presented her with a challenging timeline to purchase our second home. She fought for us every step of the way. The end result, we are now in the home and neighborhood of our dreams. We have Marilyn to thank for this. You can't go wrong with Marilyn."
"Marilyn was direct, transparent, honest, and responsive. We presented her with a challenging timeline to purchase our second home. She fought for us every step of the way. The end result, we are now in the home and neighborhood of our dreams. We have Marilyn to thank for this. You can't go wrong with Marilyn."
Buyer
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