Selling with Confidence with Rachael Harms Real Estate Des Moines

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Selling with Confidence with Rachael Harms Real Estate Des Moines

It’s important to feel confident when selling your home so that’s why I am breaking down the process. In this blog post, I’m going to take you from start to SOLD in four steps.

Step 1 | The Walk Through

This is the crucial first step of selling your home. By walking through together, I will be able to assess the current state of your property and make suggestions for cleaning, repairs, and decluttering based on typical buyer preferences.

We will also determine the best features of your home, and identify any drawbacks. This is also a good opportunity for you to provide nuanced insights about the home. What drew you to this property? What improvements have you made? What do you love about this neighborhood? All of these are valuable input for effective marketing that will set us up for success.

Step 2| Market Analysis

The first stage of determining the listing price of your property is by completing a comparative market analysis. This will provide an estimate of your home’s value by reviewing currently listed and recently sold comparable properties in your immediate area. By adjusting for the differences that make your home unique, we can reach a data-driven estimate to help us settle on your initial listing price.

Listing Appointment

Once I’ve completed the Comparative Market Analysis, we will meet again to agree on a pricing strategy. Having a solid strategy is crucial to the successful sale of your home. Using my professional market expertise will help us list at a price that is both accurate and reasonable based on the location, market, age, and condition of your property. Once that is settled, we’ll be able to discuss your expectations, and sign the listing documents that enact the listing contract.

Pre-Launch

After our listing appointment, I will make the necessary arrangements to prepare your home for sale. We will prepare any staging items needed and take photos for our marketing materials. By hiring a professional photographer, we can showcase your home in the very best light to ensure your home looks as beautiful online or in print as it does in person. This is the first impression for prospective buyers, so having professional quality photography is key to helping your home stand out. Signage and lock boxes will also be collected and installed so we’re ready to launch!

Step 3 | Listing on MLS

Once your home is listed and activated on MLS (Multiple Listing Service), the pricing, photos, and property details will be accessible to buyer agents across the country. This is the biggest element of listing your home because it feeds into top marketing partners such as Realtor.com, Trulio, and Zillow. Exposure to these sites means exposure to thousands of prospective buyers, which will lead you down the path of a successful sale.

Social Media Magic

In today’s day and age, social media is an invaluable tool in marketing your home. Channels like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are powerful platforms packed with local information and digital word of mouth. Your listing will be quick to search, and easy to share!

Open House – Pending Latest COVID-19 Restrictions

Help prospective buyers by hosting an open house! This is a great opportunity to allow prospective leads view your property in a no-commitment, low stress environment. It serves two purposes — finding serious prospects and receiving instant feedback about your home. Any simple improvement suggestions, such as decluttering or staging alterations, can be implemented quickly for future viewings. When we decide to host an open house, I will indicate it on MLS, and prospects will be notified MLS, their agents, social media, or notice on your sign!

Step 4 | Negotiating Bids & Agreement

When an offer is made by a buyer, I will help you determine the best course of action and respond accordingly until an agreement is reached.

  • Once we accept a bid, your home will likely undergo a series of inspections depending on the Buyer’s mortgage lender.
  • I will guide you through any post-contract negotiations required by the inspector’s findings.
  • Your property will also undergo an appraisal by the lender to ensure the Buyer is not overpaying.
  • Further documentation will be collected and verified in order to proceed with closing the sale.

Close of Sale

We’re almost there! This is the final leg of the home selling journey!

Before closing, we must ensure all lender and Buyer requirements are met before the deadline. We will provide any remaining documents and schedule the official closing appointment. Both your lawyer and I will review the final figures before the appointment. There will likely be a final walkthrough by the Buyer 24 hours before the closing.

Closing is the legal process of finalizing your sale! This formal meeting between both parties, with the presence of both Real Estate agents, attorneys, an escrow officer, your lender, and a title company representative.

By reviewing the contract of sale, the officer will be able to determine what fees are owed by whom and prepare your final closing documents. Part of conducting the closing will also involve ensuring all fees are paid, the seller receives the money owed, and that the Buyer’s title is recorded.

Once the sale is finalized, it’s official! The buyer receives the title and you will receive the payment. Once that is done, the transaction is complete!

About Rachael Harms

Rachael Harms has been a realtor for just over ten years and has over 62 five-star reviews on Zillow. She is a passionate advocate for both sellers and buyers and absolutely prides herself on creating the best experience possible for all of her clients. She lives in West Des Moines with her husband Ryan and son Grayson. 

Hear from her clients’ the Collins family:

“This is our first home and I honestly am so happy with how we were treated! Rachael is the sweetest person and was very patient and helpful throughout the entire process. She went above and beyond to listen to what we wanted and found listings that fit us perfectly.

Whenever we decide to move again, we will be back!”

If you’re thinking about selling or buying a home feel free to reach out to her:

Website: https://rachaelharms.remax-central.com/

Email: rachael@realestateconcepts.net

Cell: (515) 729-6108

Rachael Harms, Real Estate Des Moines, selling your home, home selling, real estate, selling homes
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Erin Huiatt

Erin is a reliable resource and stepping stone for women and families to find support and make connections within our community. She wants families to feel confident to reach out and ask for help and advice to get pointed in the right direction. She enjoys traveling and exploring with her two children in tow!

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