A true pearl - Dawna made the selling of our home and buying of our "new" home a truly painless and easy experience. She was involved in everything from help in preparing our home to sell to finding and negotiating the purchase of our new home. Even more amazing, as this is really my first experience in these types of transactions, she was able to keep my nerves at a low rumble.
She is a true expert in managing expectations of both sellers and buyers. I know this because we were involved in a sell and buy simultaneously.
She always seemed to have the right words to manage ruffled feathers between buyers and sellers on both ends of our transactions.
I don't believe anyone could, or would be willing, to take on all of the nitty-gritty aspects of the process, frequently leaving us to simply nod our heads yes or no as all of the myriad decisions were made.
I won't say the entire process was easy, but I will say I've never worked with a realtor who took more responsibility or worked harder to help us achieve our goals than Dawna did.
Would I use her again? You bet! Would I recommend her to a friend? In a heartbeat.
- Details. Tell your agent everything you know about your property and neighborhood. Your trusted agent needs a chance to look objectively at the information and decide how to present the property to the general market.
- Property loan & financing particulars. To prepare an accurate estimate of your sale proceeds, your current loan terms (amount, interest rate, payment, maturity date, etc.) are important. This can also affect marketing. If you have no loan on your property, you may be able to carry the financing for a qualified buyer. This may give the buyer an opportunity to save thousands in the purchase of your property with lower closing costs, potentially increasing a price they pay.
- How was the property acquired? (i.e. gift, exchange, second home, investment plan, etc.) This helps your agent address your investment goals and determine a strategy for selling.
- Financial and legal impact of sale. Talk to your tax planner, financial advisor, and attorney about the consequences of the sale. Many sellers are not aware of the variety of large costs of selling a property, both in the short term and long term. Also, if the property is part of your estate planning, there may be family and legal ramifications disposing of the property.
- What outside influences are there with your decision to sell? (Health changes, 3rd party influences, national news, pandemics, etc.) Most transactions have little or nothing to do with the actual property. Some properties are put on the market simply because the owners want change. Depending on circumstances, it may be best to not sell, and instead, look at other alternatives for keeping the property until you can sell. Knowing the personal story behind the need to sell will help your agent market the property while making progress on your personal objectives.