The Selling Process
Step 1: Meeting with Your
Realtor
Step 2: Marketing Your Property
Step 3: The Purchase Agreement
Step 4: The Follow-Through
Step 5: The Closing
Selling your property is a step-by-step process than can be complicated or stress-free, depending on the resources you use. Your best and most important resource for a stress-free transaction is your Realtor. That's why the first step in the selling process is:
Step 1: Meeting with your Realtor
Congratulations. You've made a great decision in choosing to work with a Realtor. Together you have a lot of decisions to make. Fortunately, your Ayre/Rhinehart Realtor is educated and experienced in every aspect of selling property in the Midland area so these important first steps should be a breeze. You'll discuss:
- agency and types of representation, responsibilities of both you and your agent, and what your needs and expectations are
- strengths and weaknesses of your property
- ways to improve marketability and possible marketing strategies
- comparative sales in your area, typically through a market analysis that your agent can conduct quickly and easily
- the best selling price for your property
Once everything is agreed upon, you and your agent will draw up a formal listing agreement and complete disclosure forms. Then just sit back and relax. And watch the magic unfold.
Step 2: Marketing Your Property
Your agent will customize a marketing strategy to suit your needs and requirements. We have a variety of tried-and-true methods that most sellers find very effective.
- Multiple Listing Service (MLS) - your Realtor will immediately submit your property to this computerized, on-line service. Within hours (if not sooner!) your property will be seen by every Realtor in the area who can then notify their prospective buyers of it.
- Advertising on our Website - your property will be simultaneously advertised on a variety of websites, including our company site and the Midland Board of Realtors site. These sites are visited by prospective buyers every hour of every day, giving your property maximum exposure.
- Print Advertising - still a very effective way of promoting your property. We advertise in every issue of the Midland Daily News including full page ads in the Friday "Homes" section and we also advertise in the Saginaw News and Bay City Times. Our in-house advertising staff also ensures that your property is featured in every upcoming issue of "Midland Area Homes" magazine until it is sold. This popular publication is distributed bi-weekly throughout the Midland County area at no charge. In addition, we advertise in the Saginaw Area Homes magazine and the Bay Area Homes Magazine.
- Tours - every week our sales staff tour newly listed properties in the area. This gives every Realtor a firsthand look at the unique features of your property to give them a better idea if suits their prospective buyers' needs.
- Signs - placing one of our eye-catching signs on your property is a great way to generate inquiries about it. Sometimes people become motivated to start the buying process simply because they've always admired your home and have dreamt of the chance to own it themselves.
- Showings - this is the best way for buyers to learn everything about your property themselves. We keep an electronic appointment log and record all requests to see your home. If you'd like (and most sellers do), our office will notify you in advance of any prospective showings. The buyer's agent will accompany their client during the entire appointment and your agent will relay to you any feedback received about the showing and your property.
- Open Houses - this is another traditional but very effective way to market your property. We'll arrange a convenient time for your home to be open to the public. An Ayre/Rhinehart agent will be present at all times to answer questions, promote features and help interested buyers. We advertise the time, date and place of your Open House in newspapers and also on our company and Board of Realtors' websites.
- Referral Networking - Ayre/Rhinehart has a wide variety of relocation referral sources and we also network with major corporate relocations departments across the country, so we work with transferees to our area all the time. This results in added exposure for your property. Sometimes your property may be perfect for someone who's not even in town yet!
Step 3: The Purchase Agreement
Before you know it, you'll have one (or more!) offers to buy your property to consider. This is when you'll be especially glad to have an experienced Ayre/Rhinehart agent on your side.
Your agent will walk you through the entire purchase agreement so that you can understand the contract completely and can better decide what course of action to take. Your agent can help you decide whether to accept the offer as is, reject it entirely, or make changes to the contract in the form of a counter-offer.
This can be a very exciting experience yet you'll want to make the best decision possible. Your agent will be the voice of reason and experience for you to turn to. Some of the factors to consider (besides price) include:
- financing
- terms
- date of possession
- inclusions & exclusions
- rights & duties of buyer and seller
- period of time allotted for inspections, appraisals, repairs, etc.
Once both you and the buyer are happy with the wording and terms of the contract, a formal and binding purchase agreement is drawn up and signed by everyone involved.
Step 4: The Follow-Through
Let's face it: selling your property (and moving) can be a stressful experience and nothing is worse than being kept in the dark. First and foremost, we keep you updated on everything important that's happening behind the scenes.
As for the rest of the selling process, we can arrange the required inspections, appraisals, utility changeovers, title research and document preparation. We calculate usage fees, tax prorations and utility prorations. If a problem should arise, we'll be in touch promptly and we'll help get it taken care of. Juggling all these balls is second nature to us.
After all, we've been doing it for over 25 years.
Step 5: The Closing
The Big Day. When keys, deeds, titles and money change hands.
You'll have had ample opportunity to review the preliminary closing figures and have any questions answered. We coordinated the time and place for this final step in the selling process. You didn't have to worry a bit about the myriad little details that led up to this exciting day. We made sure you had all the documentation you needed. All you had to do was show up.
Your property is officially sold and in return you receive a check, some important tax documents and, if we've done our job right, the satisfaction at having chosen to work with Ayre/Rhinehart Realtors.
And you walk away with a smile.
Call, write, visit or email us - we'll make it happen.