SELLER'S GUIDE

A STEP-BY-STEP FIRST TIME SELLER'S GUIDE

Putting your home on the market can be a stressful process, especially when you don’t know what to expect. Fortunately, with the help of an experienced team of real estate agents and this easy to follow guide, you can smoothly complete the process. Following these steps will help you prepare so you can get organized and sell your home for the best price possible.​​​​​​​

Living room with beige sofas and blue and gray pillows, a wooden coffee table with decorative objects and a potted white orchid, wicker chairs, a fireplace with white mantel and framed pictures, and a door leading outside with a window showing greenery.

STEP 1: UNDERSTAND WHY YOU'RE SELLING

What do you want to accomplish with the sale of your home? Do you want to make a certain amount of money that you can put toward a larger or nicer home? Do you need to sell it as soon as possible to facilitate a move to a new city or area? Once you understand your needs, you can better craft your offer. For example, if you need to sell quickly, you might want to price your home lower than if your goal is to make a certain profit margin. Make sure you convey these needs to your team of real estate agents once you choose one so they can adjust your selling price accordingly.

Front view of a modern suburban house with a brick and siding exterior, multiple windows, and a well-manicured lawn with two small trees.

STEP 2: DETERMINE SELLING PRICE

Knowing how to price your home is one of the most important parts of the selling process. When you set a fair price in the beginning, you’ll get the most interest from other real estate agents and prospective buyers. Overpricing your home could lead to reduced interest, and underpricing leads to receiving less than what your home is worth. Working with a team of real estate agents is the best way to determine the right selling price for your home. A team of real estate agents with experience can determine what other comparable homes are selling for, evaluate the current market, and may even suggest a home appraisal.

A large suburban house with brick and cream-colored exterior, multiple gabled roofs, and black shutters, surrounded by a well-maintained lawn and landscaped bushes.

STEP 3: START PREPARATIONS

If you’ve kept your home in showroom condition since you’ve lived in it, you’re in the minority of homeowners. Once you price your home, it’s time to start getting it ready to be shown to potential buyers. This includes getting rid of clutter, depersonalizing the space so that buyers can envision themselves in the space, making any small repairs, and doing a deep clean to make sure your home is in pristine condition.

Front porch with black front door, brick exterior, white trim, and decorative glass panels on sides and above door. Potted greenery on sides, brick steps, and a hanging lantern light.

STEP 4: DEVELOP A MARKETING STRATEGY

We will develop a marketing strategy that is perfect for advertising your home. This involves listing the home and then driving the right people to that listing through social media campaigns, agent-to-agent referrals, traditional media, or SEO advertising. Our team creates a marketing campaign that aims to get the most possible traffic to your listing in the first three weeks after becoming a client.

Dining room with a wooden table, dark blue chairs, a chandelier, checkered wallpaper, and a vase with flowers.

STEP 5: EVALUATE OFFERS

Receiving an offer is an exciting part of the process, but it doesn’t mean the journey is over. We will evaluate each offer and make sure the party making the offer is prequalified or pre-approved by a mortgage lender and that their offer is acceptable to you. If the offer is too low, you can make a counter-offer or offer other ways to bridge the gap, such as covering some or all of the closing costs, making repairs, adjusting the move-in date, or leaving some appliances or fixtures for the new buyer.

A dining room viewed through a doorway, featuring a wooden table, four upholstered chairs, candelabras, a chandelier, a large mirror with a gold frame, and blue wallpaper.

STEP 6: ACCEPT AN OFFER

Once we deem the offer is acceptable, we will review the proposed contract to make sure it’s all in order and includes the necessary components such as deposit amount, down payment, financing, inspection rights and repair allowances, contingencies, settlement date, and a list of fees and who will pay them. When both parties have agreed to the term, a final contract will be prepared by your team of real estate agents.

Bright living room with white walls, large windows, a white sofa with light-colored pillows, a wooden coffee table with decorative items, a large potted plant, artwork above a fireplace, and additional seating with white cushions.

STEP 7: GET READY TO CLOSE

You have accepted an offer and are now very close to the end of your selling journey. But first, you and the buyer must make a list of what needs to be done before closing. In some cases, your home may need to be formally inspected, surveyed, and appraised. In other cases, major or minor repairs will need to be made before the house can close. We will head up efforts to develop and execute this list, get each action item paid for by the correct party, and make sure everything is in order by the closing date. A few days before the closing date, we will call the company closing the transaction to make sure everything is ready to go. If you haven’t done so already, you also need to make arrangements to move out of the home so the new buyer can take possession.

Backyard with green grass, patio area with lounge chairs, dining table, and umbrella, large tree, and house with brick and white siding, under partly cloudy sky.

STEP 8: CLOSE

You’ve reached the last step in the seller’s process. When you close on a home you are selling, you are legally transferring ownership of the property to the new buyer. We will meet with the company closing the transaction to sign the final paperwork and go over any issues that have not yet been taken care of. During this time, you can also make plans with your team of real estate agents to handle final details such as canceling utilities, cable, and lawn or trash services, changing the name on accounts that the new owner is retaining and ensuring the new owner has instructions for all appliances that will remain in the home.

CONGRATULATIONS!

Once you have sold your home, you’re free to take the next step on your journey. Whether this is relocating to a new city, moving into a larger home, or downsizing and enjoying your life as empty-nesters, knowing all your selling responsibilities have been taken care of will help you achieve peace of mind for your new path.

OUR TESTIMONIALS

  • BARB G.

    Sara was great, she found me the perfect house in no time. She answered my texts and calls in an appropriate amount of time and showed me the houses I wanted to see in less than twenty-four hours when the sellers were able to accommodate them! Sara was very knowledgeable about the home-buying process and is trustworthy! I highly recommend her.

  • MARK W.

    As a somewhat experienced homebuyer, I like to find my own leads and then rely on my realtor's expertise. Being of an independent mind can cause wrinkles and delays in the process as well. I was lucky enough to find Sara P. in May of last year, and she provided her expertise and support through multiple showings and offers, all the way through closing on my dream home in September! She always remained positive and resourceful in moving things along and getting the job done, and her availability was top-notch as well. Sara made the process easy and enjoyable, and I couldn't be happier with the result.

  • FRANK R.

    Very knowledgeable, extremely professional. A true pleasure to work with. I highly recommend Sara for any and all of your real estate needs. You will not find a more professional, dedicated real estate agent. I look forward to working with Sara again.

  • KALLEN

    Sara was very professional, she was courteous of our availability and work around us. She was very concerned about finding the perfect fit while not pushing us too hard or fast. Every time I have seen her she always had a smile, truly a breath of fresh air. I would certainly recommend her to friends and family if any of those deadbeats need an agent.

  • BUYER

    We must have looked at twenty homes together! Before we both agreed on the gem that is my home now. She was very patient and always on time. A pleasure to have done business with Sara Puccia she cares about the people!

  • ROBERT G.

    We were in search of an investment property and Sara was fantastic in not only finding us a perfect building but also negotiating the deal. She kept us informed throughout the whole process, was always available to answer any questions we had, and if she did not know the answer was quick in getting it for us. We highly recommend her!

  • BUYER

    She was wonderful! Always willing to go the extra mile-checking on the status of listings, matching up what she knew about us with potential homes, and making appointments in a very timely fashion. She knows the greater Rochester area well and steered us toward a home we hadn't considered, but turned out to be perfect. Highly recommended!

  • SELLER

    Sara has helped me purchase and sell multiple homes. She is knowledgeable, kind, creative, and very responsive. Whether you're looking to buy or sell, Sara will work harder than anyone else to make your goal hers.

  • BUYER

    Sara was always available and responsive to texts, emails, and calls. She didn't question any of the houses we chose to look at, she just quickly lined up the viewing and patiently allowed us to look around. She offered points to consider, without being pushy at all. If she didn't personally have the answer to a question or concern, she had contacts to tap. She is knowledgeable, sweet, and fun. It was great to work with her! We would highly recommend her, in fact, we chose to work with her even though we have a long-standing, positive relationship with another realtor. We just happened to make the contact and decided she was the one to work with!

  • SELLER

    Sara went over and above in every aspect of representing me during the sale of my property. She is an incredible resource and knows the local market well. Everything from helping me locate contractors to pricing the property for sale, to negotiating the best deal makes Sara an invaluable professional to have on your side. As an attorney, I’ve had the opportunity to work with many brokers. Sara is amongst the very best of them!