1. Open title. Don't wait until you get an offer. Title defects, clouds and other issues can take weeks or months to cure. You don't want to lose a buyer (who doesn't want to hang around for the solution) because of the oversight. When you list the home on the MLS you can let other agents know that "title is open." The proactive effort on your part will make the agent representing the buyer feel better about the title commitment already being in.
2. Upload all disclosures. The sellers disclosure, water district notice and hoa addendum should be uploaded immediately. If there are any special instructions, additional documents or specifications (list of improvements) or anything else, they should all be included when you list the property on the MLS. Don't make the other agent ask, wait or pound his fist repeatedly asking for the documents. The timing of when property disclosures are delivered is critical. Don't offer a sellers disclosure a week before closing. The buyers agent may be inexperienced and not even know what the sellers disclosure is.
3. Ask your seller to review the information you provided to the MLS. NOW is the perfect time to catch any errors or mistakes. You're human. Don't be too proud or controlling to not ask for opinion. Your seller will likely catch a thing or two. I've made plenty of mistakes! I'd rather find out upfront than the day of closing (or after closing) that I said there was a water sprinkler when there wasn't!
4. NEVER forget to discuss the possibility of a leaseback with your seller, especially if you plan on representing them in a purchase!! Your seller doesn't want to move twice. Don't wait until all negotiations are complete to come back begging for a leaseback from the buyers agent. You leave yourself no leverage and you'll look incompetent and unprofessional for not thinking and planning ahead. And don't even think about blaming it on the title company.
5. Finally, make sure the key the seller gave you works! OUCH! I always test the key before walking out the door! If you need to WD40 that lock, now is the time. The last thing you need is for an agent not be able to show your listing because the key is jammed or it isn't the right key at all. Make sure the seller hasn't given you their only copy (thinking they'll just come and go through the garage door). I've had to get up in the middle of the night to let "sellers in" because I had their only copy.
Happy Selling!
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