How can I prepare my house for sale?

The selling process usually starts months before a property is actually put on the market. It is a good idea to look at your home through the eyes of a potential buyer. This will help you decide what needs to be cleaned, painted, repaired or tossed out. Your Realtor can help you make these decisions and list your home at a fair price when it’s ready.

What is the MLS, and how does it benefit me?

A Multiple Listing Service, or MLS, is a database that makes it easier to reach a large number of buyers and increase your property’s exposure. It’s a system which participating brokers at the real estate board agree to share commission on the sale of houses listed by any one of them. For example, if your house is listed with one broker and another finds the buyer who purchases it, they split the commission. You benefit because more people have an interest in selling your house and your home is exposed to more buyers since Realtors have access to MLS.

How can I find out what my home is worth?

Your Western Property Group associate has a thorough knowledge of the current real estate market, and will prepare a professional market analysis of your home to help you set a competitive price. Your associate will also help you “stage: your home for showing to buyers. It is extremely important to view your home as a potential buyer would. Professional staging features your home in the best light, increasing it’s marketability.

As a seller, what do I have to disclose about the condition of my property?

The best policy is truth when it comes to disclosing the condition of your property. You must disclose all known material defects of the property. Normally, these are noted on a Seller Disclosure Form (SDF). This is a form included in the Western Property Group seller compliance manual and is completed by the seller and Realtor. If an item is not covered on the SDF, you must still make disclosures about known material defects. Even if a matter has been repaired, you should still disclose the previous defect and a report of the repairs completed. By disclosing all problems up front, you can avoid any surprises that many times provokes a lawsuit.

When is the best time to put my home on the market?

Peak selling seasons change from year to year and sometimes weather has a lot to do with it. Often early spring and early fall are the prime listing seasons because houses tend to show better in those months than they do in the heat of the summer or the cold of winter. Keep in mind there are more houses on the market during the prime seasons, so you’ll have more competition. You shouldn’t base your decision to sell on what season it is because each selling situation is unique.

When choosing a Realtor, how do I know what all of those abbreviations mean behind the agent's name?

Well, believe it or not, all of those letters stand for Realtor designations. Realtors are required to take a certain amount of continuing education classes each year to maintain their real estate license. Many times, they’ll choose an area to focus on so they can specialize in it. Below are some of the most common designations, which indicate they have specialized knowledge about a certain topic or are members of different real estate associations.