It's possible. If you already have an unrepresented buyer lined up (one who is not already working with a real estate buyers agent) and they are in agreement with the terms you've proposed, you may be able to save some money selling it yourself. However, this is rare. In most cases, the staging and marketing abilities of an experienced listing agent can help you achieve far greater results than you would on your own. Not only can a great listing agent help you sell your home for more money but can also attract more activity, more qualified buyers, and stronger overall terms. Listing your home with an experienced Realtor can also help you prevent or easily navigate issues that may arise once the home is under contract. Trying to do this on your own could be detrimental to the contract you have in place if you are not fully educated on the process and legalities.

A great listing agent will help you prepare and even help stage your home (if necessary). They'll also likely hire a professional photographer or videographer so that your home is showcased in its best light. They will help market your home in various ways whether it be through postal mailings, single property websites, social media advertising, and most importantly, via the MLS. Once listed on the MLS, your home's listing will be distributed to almost every online real estate portal out there. An experienced Realtor will properly guide you through all of the listing paperwork, and seller disclosures and offer you advice on pricing your home strategically (to receive the most interest while maximizing your profit). And that's just the beginning. Once there is interest in your home, your listing agent will help you negotiate the best offer and terms and assist with all of the contracts and paperwork. They will help guide you through the inspection and appraisal process and work with both the closing attorney and buyer's agent to get past any difficulties or roadblocks so that you actually make it to the closing table. There can be a big difference from one Realtor to the next but if you work with a reputable one, they are well worth their commission and much more.

With residential real estate (homes/townhomes/condos), buyers will actually determine the value of your home. This so-called "market value" is what the buying public is willing to pay for your home based on many factors such as the current market conditions, supply & demand, comparable home sales, size, location, condition, and home improvements. As a homeowner, you can increase the desirability and potential for a higher sales price through better home preparation and the marketing/exposure of your listing.

You can estimate a good list price by taking into account what other similar homes in your neighborhood or surrounding areas are selling for and then comparing things such as price per square foot, condition, location, improvements and upgrades, and other factors such as the current market. An experienced Realtor can help counsel you on this as well as supply you with a CMA (comparative market analysis) to help you make the best decision.

Well, they can be but in no way should these be relied on to be 100% accurate. The estimates from Zillow or sites like ours are automated valuations based on tax records and sales data from the MLS. They don't take into account such things as location, condition of the home, upgrades, recent home improvements, etc. An experienced Realtor can help properly evaluate your home and prepare a current CMA (comparative market analysis) based on all of these factors.

"Market Value" is the price a home buyer is willing to pay for your home. A professional appraiser can determine the "appraised value" which may or may not correspond with the market value. Lenders typically use the appraised value when determining the LTV (loan to value) ratio during the mortgage process. "Tax value" is the value that the city or county tax assessors place on your home for tax purposes. This value can stay in place for as long as 8 years (in NC) while the market value can fluctuate. Tax value is typically lower than market value, sometimes by 20% or more.

If you're even contemplating a sale, I would suggest having an experienced Realtor come out as soon as possible even if you're not planning on selling for months. Not only is this a good chance to meet/interview your possible future listing agent but it also gives you plenty of time to be working on any suggested repairs, improvements, and decluttering you'll want to do before listing. A top-notch listing agent can spot even the smallest things that may make a big impact on the way your home shows and feels to prospective buyers.

2 to 3 weeks is a good, safe estimate assuming that your home is almost ready to go. To properly list a home, we usually need a couple of weeks so that we can line up our home stager, photographer & videographer, design the printed & digital marketing pieces, have professional home measurements made, complete the listing paperwork, etc. An extra week will give us a little buffer room to make sure that things are done just right. A couple of weeks may seem like a long time but what you don't want to do is rush to get your home on the market before it's 100% ready, as it could end up costing you more than just time.

In this current seller's market, we can usually get your home under contract within the first weekend or week it's on the market. There are clearly some variables here such as whether or not you've taken our advice with preparation and proper pricing, whether or not there are factors that we can't control (environmental factors, noise from a busy road, power lines behind the home, location, etc), and the current market that you are selling in. There are always home buyers out there and we most definitely have the skills to make y

You'll often hear that spring is the best time to list your home. Spring is typically the start of the selling season and buyers become much more active. Others may say it's best to list in the summer, before the start of the new school year. Truth is, there are ALWAYS buyers out there regardless of the time of year. If you're thinking of listing in the spring or summer, there will be more competition in the market. If you waited later in the year to list, your results could be just as good, if not better, because there is typically less inventory. In a nutshell, the best time to sell is when it's right for YOU. We will help your home stand out no matter the time of year.

Ideally, go ahead and have us out for a visit so that we can walk through your home with you and give you customized suggestions (remember, you can't do this too soon). But, if you're not ready for that yet, I would do the following: De-clutter as much as possible; Sell or donate furniture or possessions that you won't need going forward; Pack up items you don't need now and neatly stack boxes in the garage or store offsite at a storage facility or in a POD delivered to your residence; Repaint, if needed, to freshen up the space or neutralize strong paint colors; Make any necessary repairs to the interior or exterior; Spruce up the landscaping (pruning, aerating, and seeding, adding mulch, etc). This would be a heck of a start and something that you can be working on months in advance.

It depends. In theory, it's a great idea for both parties. Having your home inspected prior to listing will give you time to make the necessary repairs that will likely be found during a buyer's inspection period. Some home sellers also like the peace of mind they have knowing there (likely) won't be any big surprises that arise that could be detrimental to the transaction. Just remember, should you decide to have your home pre-inspected, you'll want to be prepared to either remedy those items before listing or disclose them to future buyers (as those issues would then become 'material facts'). Now, if your home is fairly new, in good condition and you've been doing preventative maintenance on your home, it's probably okay to just wait for the buyers to do their own inspection and then take things from there. We can advise on what we feel would be best in your situation once we see your home.