Selling

• Selling a Home the Traditional Method

• Selling a Home at Auction

Why You Should Use a Real Estate Showcase REALTOR® to Selling Your Home Studies show that home sellers who use a REALTOR® to represent them generally get a better price than those who sell the home themselves. REALTORS® are up-to-date on critical processes and can help keep you out of trouble. They can also help you get your home sold at the best price in the right timeframe.

Equally as important, REALTORS® add objectivity to an inherently emotional transaction: The successful sale of your home. Selling your home is probably the one of the biggest decisions you'll make in your lifetime. Having an experienced, knowledgeable Real Estate Showcase professional representing you in the sale of your home just makes good sense. Selling your home can be a life-changing event. Real Estate Showcase agents fully understand the real estate process - and just as important, they understand your local market.

To locate a Real Estate Showcase Sales Associate, visit the Meet our Staff page.

• Selling a Home the Traditional Method

Before Your Home Is Listed

It's important to have your home in good showing condition before buyers start going through it. Here are some steps to take:

• Touch up interior and exterior paint as needed.
• Install new carpeting and flooring if it appears worn or dated.
• Make sure the front is clean and spruced up - curb appeal will create a favorable first impression.
• Trim bushes and plants as needed, and make sure the lawn is kept mowed and trimmed. In autumn, rake the leaves; in winter, keep the snow shoveled.
• Keep the interior clean, de-cluttered and odor-free. Eliminate evidence of pets.
• Minimize personal items such as family photos. You want buyers to see themselves living in the home.
• Consider putting excess furniture and belongings in storage. Now's the time to clean out the garage and basement and sell, give away or throw away items you don't need anymore.
• Consider having a pre-listing inspection performed. Buyers will be hiring professional inspectors; here's your chance to address problems in advance.
• Consider engaging a professional stager to give your home the right emotional appeal.

During the Listing Period

• When potential buyers visit your home, either be absent or make yourselves as inconspicuous as possible.
• Have fresh flowers in the entryway. It makes for a friendly introduction into your home.
• If offers are made that don't match your hoped-for price, don't reject them out of hand. Pay attention to your agent's advice.
• Consider dropping the price if several months go by with few or no offers. But if you and your agent have priced your home properly from the start, this shouldn't be necessary.
• Don't get discouraged. In buyer's markets, homes take longer to sell than during boom times. Your home will eventually sell; it's a matter of your Real Estate Showcase agent finding the right buyer for you.

Help Your Agent

You have the best chance of selling your home if you work closely with your Real Estate Showcase agent. Make sure all showings are coordinated through him or her. If you have a brochure box, be sure to keep it filled. If prospective buyers want to discuss your property or negotiate price or other terms, defer to your Real Estate Showcase agent. He or she is the expert and can best handle all these details without emotion.

• Selling a Home at Auction

What to expect from Real Estate Showcase when selling your property...

• Honest, up-front, and accurate advice regarding value, average days-on-market, and current market conditions.
• Detailed marketing plan and approach for your unique situation.
• Extensive advertising and marketing using the latest resources available.
• Strong presence in local advertising sources.
• Staff of the entire office touring your property and working together to sell your property as quickly and as smoothly as possible.
• Complete cooperation with all other brokers in the state of Ohio.
• Guidance from start to finish during the contract period.

Marketing Resources

• Print (local newspapers)
• Property magazines
• Brochure box
• Open houses
• Syndicated Internet Advertising
• Multiple Listing Systems (MLS)
• Yard sign
• Direct mailing (full color, high-quality postcards & flyers)
• Web-based marketing software

Selling FAQs

• Why should I sell my property using the auction method?
• When will the auction be held?
• What is the best auction method to use?
• If I put my property up for auction, do I have the right to refuse the final bid?
• Will I still have to consider a contingent contract?

Why should I sell my property using the auction method?

The auction method accelerates the sale of your property by generating additional consumer interest and activity. Non-contingent contracts and projected 30-45 day closings are required of all buyers of auctioned properties. This means a quick transaction for you.

When will the auction be held?

The advantage of the auction method is the seller has the right to choose the date and time of their auction. One of the many reasons auctions are so effective is that your property is exposed to a wide variety of potential buyers on a set auction date.

What is the best auction method to use?

The surest way to affect a sale is to auction "Absolute." An absolute auction generates the most competition, which leads to the strongest dollar offering for your property. The second method is the "Reserve Bid" auction, which enables you to approve or reject any or all offers.

If I put my property up for auction, do I have the right to refuse the final bid?

In a "Reserve Bid" auction you have the right to refuse any bid which is less than the agreed minimum bid. When you elect to use the "Absolute" method of auction, the auctioneer has the option of canceling the sale prior to the start of the auction if it is deemed to be a situation that is not favorable to the seller.

Will I still have to consider a contingent contract?

Everything that is sold at auction is sold "As Is, Non-Contingent," with a 30-45 day projected closing date.