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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.​​​​​​​

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

Testimonials

What Our Clients Say

"Getting a house is an extremely daunting process and I really didn't know where to start. Initially I was connected with a Zillow agent and had a strange experience where I felt pushed into things. I told a friend and they recommend Claudia. It was amazing working with her. She listened to what we wanted, explained things we didn't know, and showed us what to look for when we were going through open houses. She never pushed us to up our budget, we did end up with something over what we initially wanted but it ultimately was our choice. I appreciated her input and feedback as we went through this process. It took us a while to find a place but we found a good one and Claudia made the process as stress free as it could be. Thank you for all of your help!"
"Getting a house is an extremely daunting process and I really didn't know where to start. Initially I was connected with a Zillow agent and had a strange experience where I felt pushed into things. I told a friend and they recommend Claudia. It was amazing working with her. She listened to what we wanted, explained things we didn't know, and showed us what to look for when we were going through open houses. She never pushed us to up our budget, we did end up with something over what we initially wanted but it ultimately was our choice. I appreciated her input and feedback as we went through this process. It took us a while to find a place but we found a good one and Claudia made the process as stress free as it could be. Thank you for all of your help!"
Lyze K.
"Claudia's magic is her experience marketing high-end real estate, her constant attention to every detail, and her unwavering pleasant can do attitude. Yes, do hire her! If you are selling a home in San Francisco you will quickly find out that this is a complex endeavor and as the homeowner you will need an experienced professional sales agent who is keenly in touch with the pulse of the market to guide you through the process. Claudia Siegel is such a professional and she excelled in every aspect of our sale. We were patiently guided throughout the process - including the daunting number of disclosure statements and inspections. Where to start? Presentation is most important and you will need help preparing your home for market. Claudia has an established business relationship with a remarkable list of service vendors. From determining what repairs and cosmetic improvements must be accomplished, to immediate scheduling and supervising of the work at reasonable cost Claudia excelled in making our property market ready on a tight timeline. We were out of town owners and needed an agent who could manage the property including minor repairs of all kinds, bringing plumbing fixtures up to code, and - most important for the SF market - beautiful physical and virtual staging of the home. From listing through closing our process took less than five weeks and produced three offers above asking price. Claudia's magic is her experience marketing high-end real estate, her constant attention to every detail, and her unwavering pleasant can do attitude. Yes, do hire her!"
"Claudia's magic is her experience marketing high-end real estate, her constant attention to every detail, and her unwavering pleasant can do attitude. Yes, do hire her! If you are selling a home in San Francisco you will quickly find out that this is a complex endeavor and as the homeowner you will need an experienced professional sales agent who is keenly in touch with the pulse of the market to guide you through the process. Claudia Siegel is such a professional and she excelled in every aspect of our sale. We were patiently guided throughout the process - including the daunting number of disclosure statements and inspections. Where to start? Presentation is most important and you will need help preparing your home for market. Claudia has an established business relationship with a remarkable list of service vendors. From determining what repairs and cosmetic improvements must be accomplished, to immediate scheduling and supervising of the work at reasonable cost Claudia excelled in making our property market ready on a tight timeline. We were out of town owners and needed an agent who could manage the property including minor repairs of all kinds, bringing plumbing fixtures up to code, and - most important for the SF market - beautiful physical and virtual staging of the home. From listing through closing our process took less than five weeks and produced three offers above asking price. Claudia's magic is her experience marketing high-end real estate, her constant attention to every detail, and her unwavering pleasant can do attitude. Yes, do hire her!"
Glenn M.
"So grateful for Claudia- she helped us get our first home, and it was the first place we put in an offer for! She's extremely knowledgeable about the area and has great instincts. Claudia was always there to answer any questions and help us understand the process as first time home buyers. We love our new spot, and we're amazed at how easy Claudia made the whole process!"
"So grateful for Claudia- she helped us get our first home, and it was the first place we put in an offer for! She's extremely knowledgeable about the area and has great instincts. Claudia was always there to answer any questions and help us understand the process as first time home buyers. We love our new spot, and we're amazed at how easy Claudia made the whole process!"
Kyle M.
"I loved working with Claudia and highly recommend her! I was a first time buyer and looking on my own - I was intimidated by the SF market and really didn't know where to start or understand what I could afford. I remembered meeting Claudia years ago at an open house where she was the sellers agent and remembered liking her vibe so much that I kept her business card for years! What I loved about working with Claudia is she's extremely patient, really well connected (other agents know her and like working with her, which actually matters a lot), truly works at understanding the picture of your ideal home, and never pushed/pressured me into putting in a bid if I wasn't sure or ready. In contrast, I have experienced a realtor before who really laid on the pressure, saying things like, "This is such a great deal, but you need to put in a bid now!" Because of her experience in the SF market, Claudia has a good sense for what homes are truly worth. What's more, I can tell you that Claudia truly cares about her clients and forming long lasting friendships with her clients. It has been 4 months since I bought my home and Claudia still calls me to check up on me."
"I loved working with Claudia and highly recommend her! I was a first time buyer and looking on my own - I was intimidated by the SF market and really didn't know where to start or understand what I could afford. I remembered meeting Claudia years ago at an open house where she was the sellers agent and remembered liking her vibe so much that I kept her business card for years! What I loved about working with Claudia is she's extremely patient, really well connected (other agents know her and like working with her, which actually matters a lot), truly works at understanding the picture of your ideal home, and never pushed/pressured me into putting in a bid if I wasn't sure or ready. In contrast, I have experienced a realtor before who really laid on the pressure, saying things like, "This is such a great deal, but you need to put in a bid now!" Because of her experience in the SF market, Claudia has a good sense for what homes are truly worth. What's more, I can tell you that Claudia truly cares about her clients and forming long lasting friendships with her clients. It has been 4 months since I bought my home and Claudia still calls me to check up on me."
Andrea W.
"Claudia made the process of searching for a home as easy as it could possibly be in the competitive market of San Francisco. She took lots of time to understand exactly what we were looking for, and helped us find a home that not only met but completely exceeded our expectations. We so appreciated her attention to detail and the thoughtfulness and kindness with which she guided us as first-time buyers throughout every stage of the process -- from searching to writing a competitive offer and closing. She is truly exceptional at San Francisco real estate and we could not recommend her more highly."
"Claudia made the process of searching for a home as easy as it could possibly be in the competitive market of San Francisco. She took lots of time to understand exactly what we were looking for, and helped us find a home that not only met but completely exceeded our expectations. We so appreciated her attention to detail and the thoughtfulness and kindness with which she guided us as first-time buyers throughout every stage of the process -- from searching to writing a competitive offer and closing. She is truly exceptional at San Francisco real estate and we could not recommend her more highly."
Jacob C.
"Claudia is an experienced and resourceful real estate agent, with an extensive network of connections. Need something fixed in the house? She has the person to do it. Don't want to work with that painter? She will find you three others to choose from. When we were doing an emotional sale - she rolled with all the emotions. She also answers texts and phone calls in minutes - if not seconds. When we were trying to decide paint colors, she was right there beside me with a paint brush. You could not ask for a more dedicated guide and partner in selling your home."
"Claudia is an experienced and resourceful real estate agent, with an extensive network of connections. Need something fixed in the house? She has the person to do it. Don't want to work with that painter? She will find you three others to choose from. When we were doing an emotional sale - she rolled with all the emotions. She also answers texts and phone calls in minutes - if not seconds. When we were trying to decide paint colors, she was right there beside me with a paint brush. You could not ask for a more dedicated guide and partner in selling your home."
Susan M.
"Claudia proved to be just the right choice. She is extremely knowledgeable and experienced with San Francisco real estate. Furthermore, she is caring, honest, and responsive. Claudia has an eye for interior design, staging, and photography, and she called in the right experts to make my house look stunning. She maintains excellent working relationships with a vast list of contacts which enabled her to swiftly address any issues that arose throughout the selling process. Claudia stayed on top of what seemed to be an endless list of little details while keeping the big picture and end goal visible. I felt like I was her only client even though I know that wasn't the case. Claudia was a joy to work with; she is a super nice, calm, and fair person with a great sense of humor. At the same time, I observed her willingness to push to make sure my needs were met. She does not back down and is able to effectively negotiate while maintaining positive relationships. I feel lucky to have found her and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend her services to anyone. Final result - I followed Claudia's suggestions and received multiple offers, all over asking price."
"Claudia proved to be just the right choice. She is extremely knowledgeable and experienced with San Francisco real estate. Furthermore, she is caring, honest, and responsive. Claudia has an eye for interior design, staging, and photography, and she called in the right experts to make my house look stunning. She maintains excellent working relationships with a vast list of contacts which enabled her to swiftly address any issues that arose throughout the selling process. Claudia stayed on top of what seemed to be an endless list of little details while keeping the big picture and end goal visible. I felt like I was her only client even though I know that wasn't the case. Claudia was a joy to work with; she is a super nice, calm, and fair person with a great sense of humor. At the same time, I observed her willingness to push to make sure my needs were met. She does not back down and is able to effectively negotiate while maintaining positive relationships. I feel lucky to have found her and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend her services to anyone. Final result - I followed Claudia's suggestions and received multiple offers, all over asking price."
Kk L.
"We were moving across the country but only knew the state, nothing more. Leaving our house in Claudia's hands was a decision we didn't take lightly but we knew we made the right call. She isn't opposed to getting her hands dirty and is all in to get the job done. She is professional, thorough, helpful, resourceful, kind, personable, and has your best interest in mind. We have stayed in contact across the continent after 8 months of leaving our house to for her to show and ultimately sell, and sell she did! It closed in record time and over asking. Don't hesitate to use her for her skills, knowledge and expertise."
"We were moving across the country but only knew the state, nothing more. Leaving our house in Claudia's hands was a decision we didn't take lightly but we knew we made the right call. She isn't opposed to getting her hands dirty and is all in to get the job done. She is professional, thorough, helpful, resourceful, kind, personable, and has your best interest in mind. We have stayed in contact across the continent after 8 months of leaving our house to for her to show and ultimately sell, and sell she did! It closed in record time and over asking. Don't hesitate to use her for her skills, knowledge and expertise."
Nancy M.
"Claudia Siegel is a great realtor! She has a keen eye for value, timing and all the resources needed to make the sale of your property seamless. She treats you respectfully and warmly to make the process easy for you. I highly recommend Claudia Siegel for selling your property."
"Claudia Siegel is a great realtor! She has a keen eye for value, timing and all the resources needed to make the sale of your property seamless. She treats you respectfully and warmly to make the process easy for you. I highly recommend Claudia Siegel for selling your property."
Loreta T.
"I recently worked with Claudia to find and purchase a condominium in San Francisco. She is a gem- competent, thorough, energetic, and an expert on the San Francisco market. She took all the time I needed, and patiently showed me numerous properties until we found the perfect place. She informs herself about every detail of the property, raises important questions, and has contacts to help with every aspect of the process, from inspection to closing. If you need an excellent, knowledgeable, personable and reliable realtor, go to Claudia. I recommend her without reservation!"
"I recently worked with Claudia to find and purchase a condominium in San Francisco. She is a gem- competent, thorough, energetic, and an expert on the San Francisco market. She took all the time I needed, and patiently showed me numerous properties until we found the perfect place. She informs herself about every detail of the property, raises important questions, and has contacts to help with every aspect of the process, from inspection to closing. If you need an excellent, knowledgeable, personable and reliable realtor, go to Claudia. I recommend her without reservation!"
Kim

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