Before We List, Please Review These Documents

These documents are required by my broker and local MLS and Board of Realtors.

Listing Documents
Listing Strategy

The 3 P's of a Successful Listing

Before your home goes live, we focus on three important areas: Preparation, Promoting, and Pricing. These help position your home to attract the right buyers and create the strongest possible result.

P.

Preparation

Preparation helps your home show its best before buyers ever walk through the door.

  • Declutter key living areas
  • Deep clean the home
  • Review repairs or updates needed
  • Improve buyer first impressions
  • Optional pre-inspection if it makes sense
P.

Promoting

Promoting creates exposure. The goal is to get your home in front of qualified buyers with a clear marketing plan.

  • Professional photos
  • Professional video tour
  • Neighborhood outreach
  • Direct mail campaign to nearby homeowners
  • Email campaign to private buyers and a large network of real estate agents
  • Digital yard sign
  • Social media marketing
  • Open house — optional/additional service
  • Digital ads — optional/additional service
  • Drone footage — optional/additional service
Not every marketing option is needed for every property. Optional services can be discussed based on the home, market, and strategy.
P.

Pricing

Pricing is one of the most important decisions. We'll review the data and choose the strategy that best fits your goals.

Market Value

Aligns with buyer expectations and positions your home competitively in the current market.

Below Market Value

Can create more attention, traffic, and potential multiple-offer activity, but must be used carefully.

Above Market Value

May be considered when there is added value not reflected in comparable sales, but can lead to fewer showings if priced too high.

Weekly Review

Listing Scorecard & Communication Schedule

Once your home is listed, we'll track activity using a listing scorecard. This helps us review showing activity, buyer feedback, online interest, and whether we are on track compared to the market.

01

Showing Activity

We'll review how many showings the home is getting and how that compares to what we expected.

02

Buyer Feedback

We'll look at what buyers and agents are saying about the home, price, condition, and presentation.

03

Market Averages

We'll compare your listing activity to similar homes so we can see if the listing is performing on track.

04

Strategy Adjustments

If activity is lower than expected, we'll discuss possible adjustments, including marketing, presentation, or price corrections.

Communication Schedule

Instead of daily calls or texts, we'll set a regular communication schedule for listing updates. Many sellers prefer a weekly review, often Monday afternoon, where we go over the scorecard, showing activity, feedback, and next steps. If questions come up during the week, you can email them or save them for our scheduled update.

Active Listing

Live Listing, Showings & Offers

Once your home is live, buyers can view it online, request showings, submit feedback, and make offers. This stage is about staying organized, reviewing activity, and making smart decisions.

01

Online Listing

Your home is active on the MLS and begins appearing on major real estate websites.

Common Questions
Where will my listing appear?
Your listing will appear on the MLS and syndicate to major real estate websites based on MLS distribution.
02

Showing Schedule

If the home is occupied, we'll set showing instructions so you receive notice before appointments and can prepare before buyers arrive.

Common Questions
How much notice will I receive?
We can set showing instructions such as 24-hour notice when needed, especially if the home is owner-occupied.
What should I do before a showing?
Keep the home clean, turn on lights if possible, secure valuables, and leave during the appointment so buyers feel comfortable walking through.
03

Showing Approvals

You may have the option to approve or confirm showing requests before appointments are accepted.

Common Questions
Can I approve showings first?
Yes. If preferred, we can set up showing requests so you approve or confirm appointments before they are accepted.
04

Feedback & Activity

We track buyer feedback, online interest, showing activity, and overall market response.

Common Questions
How do we review feedback?
We'll review feedback during listing scorecard updates so we can understand what buyers are saying about price, condition, layout, and overall interest.
What if we are not getting enough showings?
We'll review the activity data together and discuss possible changes to showing access, presentation, marketing, or pricing.
05

Offers & Negotiation

When offers come in, we'll review price, terms, financing, contingencies, and timelines before deciding how to respond.

Common Questions
What happens when we receive an offer?
When an offer is received, I'll send you a text letting you know. The offer will also be sent by email so you can review it before we discuss it together.
When will we review the offer?
We'll review offers together during business hours or within 24 hours whenever possible. I'll walk you through the price, financing, contingencies, closing timeline, occupancy, seller costs, and overall strength of the offer.
What happens if an offer comes in over the weekend?
If an offer comes in over the weekend, buyers and their agents should expect that we may review and respond the following Monday afternoon. This helps us review everything clearly and make the best decision instead of rushing.
What matters besides price?
Financing strength, inspection terms, appraisal risk, closing timeline, occupancy, buyer concessions, and overall certainty all matter.
Accepted Offer

Under Contract & Inspection Period

Once an offer is accepted, the home moves into the under contract stage. During this period, inspections, earnest money deposit, negotiations, and buyer due diligence usually take place before moving fully toward closing.

01

Accepted Offer & EMD

Once an offer is accepted, the buyer's earnest money deposit is typically delivered based on the contract timeline.

Common Questions
What is earnest money?
Earnest money is a deposit showing the buyer is serious about purchasing the home. The amount and timing are listed in the purchase agreement.
Does accepting an offer mean the home is sold?
Not yet. The home is under contract, but inspections, financing, title work, and contingencies still need to move forward.
02

Inspection Period

The buyer may complete inspections during the agreed inspection window.

Common Questions
What happens during inspections?
The buyer may hire inspectors to review the home's condition. After inspections, they may accept the home, ask questions, request repairs, or request concessions.
Do I need to agree to repairs?
No. We'll review all requests together and decide the best response based on the contract, market conditions, and your goals.
Can deals fall apart during inspections?
Yes, sometimes buyers may cancel during the inspection contingency period depending on the contract terms.
03

Backup Offers

Depending on the situation, we may still allow or consider backup offers while the first buyer moves through inspections and contingencies.

Common Questions
Why would we accept backup offers?
A backup offer can help protect the seller if the first buyer cancels or cannot move forward.
Can we still show the home?
Sometimes yes, depending on the agreement and market strategy.
04

Moving Toward Pending

Once inspections are resolved and contingencies are moving forward, the transaction usually progresses toward pending status.

Common Questions
What does pending usually mean?
Pending usually means inspections are cleared or resolved and the transaction
Final Stages

Pending, Clear To Close & Closing

Once inspections and major contingencies are resolved, the transaction usually moves into pending status and begins preparing for closing.

01

Pending Status

Pending usually means inspections are resolved and the transaction is moving toward appraisal, title work, underwriting, and closing.

Common Questions
What does pending mean?
Pending means the buyer and seller are moving forward toward closing and most major contingencies have been resolved.
Can pending deals still fall apart?
Yes, although less common, financing, appraisal, title, or other issues can still affect the transaction before closing.
02

Appraisal & Underwriting

If the buyer is financing the purchase, the lender may order an appraisal and complete final underwriting approval.

Common Questions
What happens during appraisal?
The lender's appraiser reviews the home and comparable sales to help confirm value for the buyer's loan.
What is underwriting?
Underwriting is the lender's final review of the buyer's financing, appraisal, income, assets, and loan conditions.
What happens if the appraisal comes in low?
We'll review the options together and discuss possible negotiations or next steps.
03

Clear To Close

Clear to close means the lender has approved the buyer's file and closing can officially be scheduled.

Common Questions
Are we finished once we are clear to close?
Almost. Final documents still need to be signed, funds confirmed, and closing completed.
When will we know the closing date?
Once the lender and title company confirm everything is ready, the closing date and signing schedule are finalized.
04

Closing Day

Closing is when documents are signed, funds are transferred, and ownership officially transfers to the buyer.

Common Questions
What happens at closing?
The final documents are signed, funds are transferred, and the sale is officially completed.
When do I hand over keys?
Key transfer and possession are handled according to the purchase agreement and closing terms.
When is the home officially sold?
The home is officially sold once closing is complete, funds are confirmed, and the transaction is finalized.

My Goal Throughout the Process

My goal is to keep the process organized, strategic, and easy to understand from start to finish. You’ll always know what stage we’re in, what comes next, and what decisions need to be made along the way.