Seller Information

You are about to embark on the sometimes feared and always exciting process of selling your home. Whatever scenario that has brought you to the decision to sell your home and to contact us we want to let you know that we are devoted to using our expertise and the full resources of our office to achieve results. Whether this is the first home you have sold or your tenth we will make this experience enjoyable and will get you the results you want – the most money possible in the shortest amount of time with the least hassle!

Selling your home is a very important decision and a big undertaking in your life. In fact, most people only choose a few homes in their lifetime so selling one is no small decision to most. We are going to make sure that you are well equipped and armed with up-to-date information and guide you through every phase of this process.

Please follow the links below to explore the home-selling process. It should serve as helpful information during and after your transaction and help you stay organized.

Remember, it is all about YOU! In every real estate transaction our main goal is to meet your goals and exceed your expectations. Our entire focus is on your complete satisfaction. In fact, we work so hard to get the job done well, you will want to tell your friends and associates about it. This is why over 75% of our business comes from referrals. Good service speaks for itself.

Helping people buy or sell their home is not only what we do as careers, this is what we do for fun! We enjoy researching the market, working out all the details, and getting to the closing table. We look forward to working with you so let’s get started!

• Service Commitment
• The Home Selling Process
• Pricing Your Home
• Preparing Your Home for Sale
• Photograph the Property
• Advertising Blitz
• The Home Inspection
• Closing Day

 

Service Commitment

We here at Wagner Auctioneering and Real Estate are dedicated, passionate, and market-savvy professionals who put our clients’ satisfaction before all else. Our attention to detail, broad knowledge of the real estate industry as a whole, and our pure determination to indulge our clients with first class service sets us apart. We gladly work with For Sale By Owners, builders, and other "non-traditional" sellers on your behalf to get you into the home you want.

We understand the power of creative, well-organized, and highly effective marketing and offer customized marketing plans that maximize property exposure to the most qualified buyers. It is not only important to secure the most able buyer but also the one that is most likely to close the deal.

When so much is at stake, Wagners is the one you want to represent you. Our fair yet aggressive negotiating style and protectiveness of our clients’ best interests and ultimately, their assets, has gained us respect with colleagues and clients alike.

Whether it is patiently guiding first-time sellers through this exciting process or following through with clients’ needs long after the transaction is over, our warm, caring and efficient business style will turn you too into a client for life!

As your REALTOR® we promise we will:

1. Provide you with top-level customer service during the entire selling process.
2. Promptly return your calls/emails and contact you in a timely manner.
3. Maintain honesty and integrity with you at all times.
4. Help you obtain the highest possible price for your house in the shortest amount of time with the least hassle.
5. Advise you on pricing and assist you with staging your home.
6. Implement a multi-step marketing plan to advertise your home through as many avenues possible.
7. Coordinate the home-showing process including creating an open house plan if desired.
8. Present all offers in person and advise you on the terms and contingencies.
9. Negotiate offers on your behalf.
10. Schedule and coordinate completion of contingencies and inspections.
11. Monitor the buyer’s loan process and timelines.
12. Organize and supervise the preparation of closing documents and guide you through the closing process.
13. Maintain a professional and personal relationship with your family.

 

The Home Selling Process

We have designed this entire website to assist you with the selling of your home. There are a lot of details to be handled during the sales process and it is our job to streamline everything to make it as easy as possible.

The following is a graphic of the process you are about to embark on!

 

       

 

Pricing Your Home

Let us begin with this direct statement:

We are not the ones who decide how much your home is worth. The market does.

The market tells us where to price your property to sell and how to approach the marketing of it. The value of your property is determined by what a buyer is willing to pay and a seller is willing to accept. Factors that affect the value in today’s market include:

Pricing Misconceptions

 

                                 

 

Pricing Your Home Competitively

Sellers who list their homes at the price recommended by their agent sold in 38 days faster, for 2.25% higher, and with 1% less price reduction.

The right price is very important:

• A property generates the most interest when it first hits the market.
• The number of showings is greatest during this time if it is priced at a realistic market value.
• Starting too high and dropping the price later misses the initial excitement and fails to generate strong activity.
• Many homes that start above market value end up selling below market and in a greater amount of time.

Motivation

We usually give a range of prices that we believe a property should be listed for. Motivation and List Price act inversely to each other, therefore, the more motivated you are to sell your home, the lower the list price should be and vice versa. See chart below.

                                            

PRICE

Pricing Your Home

It is all about strategy. We base your recommended price on:

• A detailed, custom market analysis
• The unique characteristics of your home and its setting
• The current condition of your home
• Our expertise in the real estate market.

Once more, our primary goals is to net you the most money possible in the shortest amount of time with the least hassle. We believe this pricing plan matched with our marketing plan will draw agents and buyers to your home and position it as a highly appealing, highly competitive property.

Competitive Market Analysis

A Competitive Market Analysis (CMA) is a detailed report regarding your specific area or neighborhood. You will see information on homes for sale, purchased, and not sold. Each category is integral to correctly pricing your property.

Your home cannot "pass or fail" an inspection and your inspector will not tell you whether they think the home is worth the money you are offering. Their job is to make you aware of repairs that are recommended or necessary.

The most important facts come from the homes that have sold and how they compare to your home. These sellers were successful in pricing their home right and got it sold. Expired listings are the prices that the market have rejected and have not sold. Current homes for sale are direct competition and also need to taken into account when pricing your home.

By compiling information from these three sources we will come to an agreeable price for your home and get it sold quickly and for the best price possible. We offer realistic listing and selling prices and am sometimes not chosen in favor of another Realtor who offers to list a home at a higher price. Please remember, it is not always just about a higher list price, however, many factors such as the time on market, ease of the transaction, and the ending net amount.

The "Net Amount" From Selling Your Home

All of these numbers are great, but, what is the bottom line? Because every offer is constructed differently and can vary widely there is not a definite number or percentage you will get from selling your home. Your mortgage payoff, tax prorations, typical sellers costs, and closing costs are just a few factors that will dictate your net amount from your sale.

 

Preparing Your Home For Sale

• Unfortunately, for the next few weeks you are no longer allowed to "live" in your home. It needs to remain spotless and ready to show. Your home needs to become a showcase home where everything is in its place, all the time. This is only for a short time and imperative to reach your goal of a quick sale.
• The central idea when listing your home is to put yourself in the buyer’s position. What do you think they want to see in a home they are considering purchasing? What do you think they do not want to see?
  • Clean, clean, clean! By far, the biggest criticism of homes on the market is the cleanliness level. Scrub, dust, vacuum every inch of the house and keep it that way.
  • Repair any glaring issues – broken cabinets, chipped paint, damaged light fixtures
  • Consider a new coat of paint, it really does wonders!
  • Brighten it up! Install 100 watt light bulbs in light fixtures. You do not want others to have the feeling that your home is dark and dingy.
• Create a 20-minute plan. Worse-case scenario, what would you have to do if someone wanted to view your home in 20 minutes? Stage home to accentuate its unique features. De-clutter! Inexpensive ways to maximize appeal:
  
  
  Exterior
  Keep the grass freshly cut
  Apply fresh paint/stain to wood
  Paint front door
  Weed & mulch flower beds
  Clean windows – inside and out
  Tighten all door handles
  Ensure gutters and downspouts are firmly attached
  Interior
  Remove clutter, knick knacks
  Clean or paint walls
  Shampoo carpets
  Organize cabinets / closets
  Repair any plumbing leaks
  Clean all light fixtures

 

Photographing the Property

• After the cleaning, de-cluttering, and possibly painting it is time to take great photographs of your home and property.
  • Up to 89% homebuyers search for their new home online and good pictures can make or break the deal from the beginning. Think about it – if they do not like the photos of the property, why would they want to see it in person?
  • Pictures and slideshows will appear in the MLS system, YouTube, blogs and our website.
• I enjoy photography but at times will bring in a professional to take pictures of your property.
• A lockbox (electronic or manual) will go on your door at this time as well.
• This enables other agents to gain access to your property without you or I having to be present or provide them with a key ahead of time.

 

Advertising Blitz / Marketing Plan

1. Price your home strategically so you are competitive with the current market and current price trends.
2. Stage your home to cast a positive light on the features most important to buyers – uncluttered rooms & closets, fresh paint, and curb appeal.
3. Optimize your home’s internet presence by posting information in the Multiple Listing Service, including photographs and custom descriptions.
   • We are members of two local real estate boards – Mid-Eastern Indiana Board of Realtors and Richmond Board of Realtors. What does this mean for you? Maximum exposure! As you can see by the map below we are reaching a wide area of other Realtors who are currently looking for homes for their buyer clients.
   • Through MLS syndication agreements your home can also be found on other Realty websites and national real estate websites and popular search engines.
4. Utilize social media sites (Facebook, YouTube, Blogger) to increase exposure.
   • By producing a custom YouTube video associated to your property, not only does it look cool, but helps tremendously in Search Engine Optimization (SEO) by creating custom content.
     • What is SEO? It is the process of affecting the visibility of a website or a web page in a search engine's "natural" or un-paid search results. In general, the earlier (or higher ranked on the search results page), and more frequently a site appears in the search results list, the more visitors it will receive from the search engine's users.
   • We will also cross-post this video to our Facebook page and share it on our personal pages.
5. Place For Sale signage at property and directional signs, if needed.
6. Utilize print advertising by placing ads (with picture) in the Homes & Lifestyles Magazine and your local newspaper real estate listings.
7. Email-blast our client database and the over 200 real estate agents in the area.
8. Include our personal cell phone numbers on signage and online for an immediate response to potential buyers.
9. Create custom flyers and fact sheets to place inside your property for buyers to preview.
10. Provide you with updates detailing my marketing efforts, including comments from prospective buyers and agents who have visited your home.

 

The Home Inspection

More often than not Buyers choose to have their purchase dependent upon a home inspections. The inspection usually will include the following:

• Appliances
• Plumbing
• Electrical
• Air conditioning and heating systems
• Ventilation
• Roof and attic
• Foundation
• General structure

The inspection is not designed to criticize every minor problem or defect in the home, although the inspector will mention everything they find. It is truly intended to report on major damage or serious problems that require repair. Should serious problems be indicated the inspector will recommend that a specific professional to the problem inspect it as well.

Your home cannot "pass or fail" an inspection and your inspector will not tell you whether they think the home is worth the money you are offering. Their job is to make you aware of repairs that are recommended or necessary.

Your home cannot "pass or fail" an inspection and the inspector will not tell give opinion on the value of the home. Their job is to make you and the Buyer aware of repairs that are recommended or necessary.

After the home inspection is completed any repairs requested will be negotiated between Buyer and Seller. In some instances certain repairs will be necessary in order for financing approval. As the Seller you have the option to correct all or some of the issues, none of the issues, or negotiate a lower sales price in lieu of repairs. Please note, if you choose not to repair a "Defect" (described as "a condition that would have significant adverse effect on the value of the Property, that would significantly impair the health or safety of future occupants of the Property, or that if not repaired, removed, or replaced would significantly shorten or adversely affect the expected normal life of the premises) Buyer will have the option to cancel the contract at that time.

 

Closing Day

A "closing" is where you and I meet with some or all of the following individuals: the buyers, the buyer’s agent, a representative from the lending institution, and/or a representative from the title company all in order to transfer the property title from you to the buyers. Also known as "settlement," this is when you get paid and the buyer receives the deed to your home.

What to Bring

• All keys pertaining to your home
• Garage door opener(s)
• Picture I.D.

What to Expect

• The closing agent will look over the purchase contract and identify what payments are owed and by whom
• Prepare documents for the closing
• Conduct the closing
• Make sure taxes, title searches, real estate commissions, and other closing costs are paid
• Ensure buyer’s title is recorded
• Ensure that you receive any monies due

Your Costs

Sellers commonly pay the following at closing:

• Mortgage balance and prepayment penalties, if applicable
• Other claims against property – property taxes, Home Owners Association dues
• Unpaid special assessments
• Deed preparation
• Real estate commission
• Legal fees or title insurance premium
• Negotiated items included in purchase agreement
• Buyer closing costs
• Home warranty

After the Closing

• Make sure to keep copies of all closing documents
• Tell your friends and family about your experience!