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Written By: Nena Negovanovic, Broker, Smothers Realty Group
Selling your home, whether it is your first or fourth, requires a lot of thought and planning. There may be confusion as to where to start, what price is fair, or who to call first. Below you will find some useful information once you have decided to sell.
Prepare your home for showings.
Today’s home buyers are shrewd shoppers. They will research your home on the Internet, look into every closet during a showing, and pour over the inspection report once they write an offer. The better you prepare before that first showing, the easier this stage will be for you. Home buyers are looking for a home that they can call their own, so start your packing now! Personal photos, vacation memorabilia, the antique rug, all items that take away from the beauty of your home should be safely put away. Touch up the paint, dust every corner, clean the floors and carpets, change out the light bulbs and any other updates will be very appreciated by all buyers.
Hire a professional.
Navigating the sale of a house isn’t an easy task. Hiring a professional and reputable real estate agent assures smooth sailing. The knowledge of market conditions, the countless hours of working with buyers and sellers, the extensive understanding of all the contracts, the wide network of professionals that agents have worked with, and the continuing education that agents must accomplish is far more beneficial to you then simply putting a For Sale by Owner sign out front. Accurately pricing your home and an effective marketing strategy means a world of difference in this competitive market.
Understanding the expenses in selling a home.
Sellers often forget the expenses associated in selling a home. The brokerage commission fee is calculated on the purchase price. After that you have the attorney’s fee, the cost for a survey of your property, and sometimes a transfer tax depending on your county. Other fees may come into question as well such as paying for additional inspections, fixing outlying issues found in the home, and assisting the home buyer with closing concessions. Having the updated mortgage pay-off information handy will help when you receive your purchase offer.
Before it’s Sold, what’s the game plan?
It is important to decide what your next move will be after selling your home. Will you move into a condo, or a larger home, or into a new neighborhood? Having a game plan is essential when deciding to sell your home. If you require a home loan for the new purchase, will it be contingent on the sale of this home? What is your budget for the new purchase? Getting a pre-approval would be a necessary step at this point.
Putting your home on the market can be challenging and sometimes scary but putting your faith into a professional real estate agent can ease your mind and make the process a dream.
For more than two decades, Smothers Realty Group retained a leadership position in La Grange. In 2018, that includes Cathy Bier, Shannon Kutchek and Helen LaLonde as three of the Top 10 Brokers in La Grange.
The brokerage, founded by Managing Broker/owner Joan Smothers in 1996 and now with about 30 full-time Brokers, has consistently held leading market share positions over the competition, including national and global real estate offices in the same trading area who, in some cases, have more than four times as many Brokers.
Smothers attributes the long-term success of the brokerage to the community connections, partnerships and on-the-ground insights her Brokers have cultivated that allow them to share a more in-depth knowledge about the community and the inventory with clients than other Brokers.
Following are additional 2018 year-end highlights for Smothers Realty Group:
In addition to its long-time success in greater La Grange market, Smothers Realty Group has broadened its business in recent years throughout the western suburbs, including Westchester, Western Springs, Darien, Naperville and Aurora, to name a few.
*All statistics via MLSNI, 1/1/2018-12/31/2018.
Smothers Group is a team of real estate agents affiliated with Compass, a licensed real estate broker with a principal office in Chicago, IL, and abides by all applicable equal housing opportunity laws. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only. Information is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is subject to errors, omissions, changes in price, condition, sale, or withdrawal without notice. No statement is made as to accuracy of any description. All measurements and square footages are approximate. This is not intended to solicit property already listed. Nothing herein shall be construed as legal, accounting or other professional advice outside the realm of real estate brokerage.