Speaking of unaccompanied buyers, I heard a couple toured a home today because 'the agent gave us the code!' Can you imagine a seller being okay with this? O M G! As it happened, the buyer liked a home that we'd seen earlier in the day and the Offer is in place but, I'm still in shock that practice is okay with ANY seller!

Anyway, I digress! Wonderful, detailed post to prepare sellers with do's and don'ts when their home is about to hit the market, Jeff. Lots of great points that all sellers should read and heed!

Dear Jeff,

So funny that you have almost the same list that I do. It is stressful to put a home up for sale. Hopefully all will go well, but sometimes you have weird things come up. I once had a break-in, where a young homeless family apparently made themselves at home, while the seller was out of town. I could tell that it might be a family from the foot prints in the fire extinguisher powder that they apparently set off & some of the clothing they left behind after cleaning up in the tub & using the washer & dryer.

Excellent very well thought out and well written post, Jeff!

Good morning Jeff - certainly a very stressful time but following the advice of your agent is important to getting it done.

"Select the price"... arriving at the correct one to reflect the current market is a science. The rest of the check list means little with a bloated price and crazy wiggle room tacked on top of what you let the owner(s) expect to net. If your seller ignores market value, if you the agent ask THEM what do you think the place is worth and run with that out of whack number, nothing good happens. No matter how many open houses you hold or professional artful images you craft. The next agent will reap the commission because the price was wrong Bob in the first mls round and round go around.

How many houses pretty much just like mine are competing for that buyer is something to consider. Real estate sells year round... people's lives don't stop so get it listed in the winter, be ready to move quickly to beat the spring glut of a ton of new listing competition.Great post Jeff Dowler, CRS that shows you know what it feels like to be in the seller's shoes with great empathy.

Selling a home can be stressful, and can certainly be a pain in the neck when you have to leave the house for the 3rd time in the same day. But these are great tips that will help get the home sold!

Congratulations on the featured post. I hope home sellers will read it

What a great presentation of concerns for sellers. You really deserved a feature for this one 😀

Jeff, again a great post with lots of wisdom!  

Jeff, you cover it all and share a lot of valuable information in your post for sellers. This could be made into a handout for your clients. It really is stressful to sell a home but, selecting the right agent makes all the difference. 

Jeff I'm thinking about buying a house in your area so you can sell it for me! Great post. 

Very well written Jeff Dowler, CRS and could be  hand book for sellers. I am having a probkem with 1 seller inviting everyone who drives by inside.  

Good morning Jeff (:
Great resource for home sellers!
I love the "You May Be Thinking..." section - you are sure to align with many sellers with those questions.
Congratulations on the Feature!  And thank you for sharing

Great points and when I did list homes I made sure that there was a lot of communication up front. That initial period can be anxiety provoking for sellers.

Jeff,

What a wonderful post, and you did a masterful thorough job in discussing the process.  The only thing I would add is for folks to hide their prescription drugs.  Recently, at an open house here in Goleta, the owners drugs were stolen, and they were quite expensive.  The agent reimbursed them.  A.

Jeff I know my mind would be racing with questions, but  I am sure a knowledgeable, experienced Realtor like yourself would be able to walk me off the ledge

Good morning, Jeff Dowler, CRS what a great job you did here.... every homeowner AND real estate agent would be wise to read every word of it...

Hello Jeff - as others have commented, this post addresses the anxiety, the hopefulness and the questions that may be in the minds of a newly listed homeseller. Very complete. Very clear.

Hi Jeff Dowler, CRS, you've covered everything when it comes to getting ready for all the showings and offers. It is important for them to approve the MLS sheet before going live and seen by hundreds. 

Jeff,  Here is a tip from one of our clients.  She has her seller fill out a prepared schedule of their activities, their kid's school times and  other activities on specified days, etc.  She puts the available for showing times  on the MLS for other agents.  Given that she specializes in luxury, she has to be there for the showings also.  This works really well for the whole family!   I think this would work for all involved in selling a home. A

A beautifully written and well-crafted message delivered here, Jeff Dowler, CRS ... one that is sure to help Sellers reach a swift and smooth CLOSED transaction.  Especially like that you included advice about asking questions and communication's importance ...

Congrats on the Feature!

Gene

Good afternoon Jeff Dowler, CRS,

Congratulations on a well deserved featured post!You did an outstanding job of outlining the process and proved why anyone in your area should be reaching out to you if they are thinking of listing their home.

Hopefully they have an awesome agent like you Jeff!  Way to cover all the bases!

Blessings and stay fired up!

Fergie

Hi Jeff! Great post and very detailed! Thanks for sharing this!

How relevant this post is...We all know one thing for usre. Everyone involved is thinking...Agents land that thinking plane

Jeff- this is excellent advice that all sellers should heed. Leaving so that buyers can view the home is of upmost importance.

All great tips and advice for your sellers.  The unknown can be the scariest part!

Great article Jeff Dowler, CRS . Putting ones home on the market requires a lot of the sellers, your advice is golden!

Thanks for sharing: My takeaway;  

It’s important to not leave personal stuff lying around – money, checkbooks, jewelry, laptops, tablets, phones, bank and credit card statements, and small valuables, could prove overly tempting. Protect your identity by making sure any and all documents, financial statements, bills and similar records are safely secured and out of sight

Jeff, every agent should have a similar list to present to sellers.

Sellers should have the list handy and review daily.

This is a road-map to success.

Thanks for posting.

This is all good for a seller to know - and you should keep reminding them of some things. I'll never forget going into a house for a scheduled showing and finding that the occupant had cashed his paycheck - and left the money on the coffee table!

Great post Jeff!

Great post!  So thoughtful, Jeff;  it is such a stressful time for Seller's.  This is a very helpful guide of what to expect.  Keeping:)

Hi Jeff: Even though I've been working this beat forever it seems, I am still laughing when I set-up sellers with my question.

I say: OK, this is a test. What do you do when a buyer shows up at your door and says they were just walking by the house and noticed the for sale sign, would it be OK for you to let them see it?

Almost every single seller, without fail, says, sure, come on in! LOL.

I’ve seen crazier clientele in my day but this is pretty interesting even so! Great blog topic!

Jeff Dowler, CRS I think I would just say what was on my mind in the moment in the nicest, most diplomatic way possible. :)

Sage advice, Jeff. I love it when a seller listens to solid advice and lets the house got to market. It's rare that one like that lingers. On the other hand, if the seller is trying to micromanage and steer everything from his/her Lazy Boy, it can be challenging. 

Excellent advice! We just listed our home and have been going through what I've been putting sellers through for a long time.