Choosing the Right Realtor ®

Your Sutton Realtor ® is a trained professional who knows all aspects of the real estate market. A Sutton Realtor ® will save you time, money and aggravation.

As with purchasing a home, you want to list with the Sutton Realtor ® who is the expert in your location. After all, potential purchasers will be calling this "area expert" to inquire about houses for sale. There will be a few of them who are knowledgeable about your neighbourhood. Call them up and interview your potential Realtor ® . You need to feel comfortable with him or her, after all, they will be working for you.

Should you go with a Non-Exclusive or Exclusive Listing Arrangement?

If you enter into this type of arrangement with your Sutton Realtor ® , you are giving him or her the exclusive right to find a purchaser for your home. With this type of agreement, no other Realtor ® will bring potential buyers to your home, because only the listing representative is entitled to the commission.

You may consider this type of arrangement in a sellers market during which time there are more people interested in purchasing a home than there are homes available.

Understand Market Conditions

The real estate market is in constant flux, not only as a whole but in particular areas as well. Knowing what is going on in the overall and local real estate markets will help you understand how these conditions can affect the sale of your home. When you meet with your Realtor ® , ask about the current state of the market.

Buyers Market

The supply of homes on the market exceeds demand.

Characteristics: High inventory of homes.  Few buyers compared to availability.  Homes usually stay on the market longer.  Prices are stable or perhaps dropping.

Implications: Buyers spend more time looking for a home, and when they negotiate, they usually have more leverage.

Sellers Market

The number of potential buyers exceeds the supply of homes on the market.

Characteristics: There is a smaller inventory of homes with many buyers. Homes sell quickly. Prices usually increase.

Implications: Prices may be higher or perhaps climbing. Buying decisions must be made quickly. Conditional offers may be rejected.

Balanced Market

The number of homes on the market is roughly equal to the demand.

Characteristics: Demand equals supply. Sellers accept reasonable offers. Homes sell within a reasonable time period. Prices generally remain stable.

Implications: here is less tension among buyers and sellers. There is a reasonable number of homes to choose from.

It simply makes sense to clean up both the interior and exterior of your home before listing it for sale. But that doesn't mean you have to undertake major home renovations projects in order to sell your home. With a little effort you can increase the perceived value of your home by a great margin.

Here are some simple things to keep in mind that you can do to increase the perceived value for your home and make the perfect first impression.

Exterior of Home

At the Front Door

Setting the Mood

Maximize Open Space

Maintenance

Squeaky Clean

How We Handle Showings

We will arrange and coordinate showings of your home for qualified buyers and their agents. If we are unable to reach you, we will leave a message advising you of the agent's name and broker, along with the date and time they wish to access your home. Dependent on how you would like appointments to be handled, we will either release the lock box combination to the agent and ask that they knock before entering, or we will wait for confirmation from you that the date and time are convenient.

For showings it is expected that you have tidied your home, both inside and out, and it is usually best if you leave the house while people are being escorted around your home. Often your presence will make potential buyers feel uncomfortable and not give them the opportunity to relax and feel the ambience of your home. Respect their need for privacy and allow about an hour for them to adequately review and discuss the house with their agents.

The ambiance of your home can be enhanced using lighting, music and fireplaces that are turned on. Our experience in selling homes demonstrates that a home with the correct "ambiance" helps the potential buyer relate more easily.

We are always available to answer any inquiries about your property. We provide consistent communication about your home to agents and prospects alike.

Selling Your Home With Donald Boyer

There are a million different reasons why people sell their homes, but every seller has one thing in common: the desire to get as much money possible from their existing residence as quickly and as hassle-free as possible. (If your home is your principal residence, you won't have to pay capital gains tax on any profits from the sale. If, on the other hand, it is an investment property, prepare for the tax!)

Before you begin the selling process, really evaluate why you're moving. Do you have to few rooms, or too many? Has your job moved to another city and you're relocating? Are the neighbours driving you away? Or are you simply looking for a change? A complete analysis of your current position will set a good foundation for your next home hunt.

Buy or Sell First?

Buy or sell first? That's tricky. After all, if you find a purchaser for your existing home, before you've found a new one, you may find yourself living out of a suitcase if convenient closing dates can not be negotiated. On the other hand, if you find your dream home before you've unloaded your old one, you may be faced with carrying two mortgages for a time.

So how do you manage? Easy. Do your homework and have a good idea about the neighbourhood and type of home you're looking for. Do an honest evaluation of your family's needs and budget.

Speak to your Sutton sales representative and start your new home search as soon as your existing home hits the market.

If you've found a home, before you've sold your existing one, use "sale of your existing home" as a condition on your offer. If you don't sell your house within a fixed period of time, you can choose not to go through with the offer. This, however, is a difficult condition when you sign back the agreement. Again, it will only be for a fixed time. Even if you have not found the ideal next house by the time the deal closes, you may still wish to proceed with the offer. As a buyer with a "sold house" you will be in a better position to negotiate price.

Make your house more sellable.

While we all believe that our home is our castle, our personal tasted may not appeal to everyone. Your Sutton sales representative will work with you to give you an impartial analysis of your home, how it relates to other "competing" homes on the market and how your home reflects current design and style trends. Your sales representative will also take a good look at the general condition and upkeep of your dwelling.

Overall, your Sutton sales representative will work with you to position your home on the market so that your sales experience will take place as expeditiously as possible.

Advertise your home on MLS

This service is only available to sales representatives. It is a database of all the homes for sale through sales representatives. Details about your home will be available to other sales representatives searching for homes in your area, in the range of your asking price.

Arrange Showings

In addition to giving your home the once over with a mop and dust cloth, have your sales representative prepare a home feature sheet. This is a one page synopsis of your home that highlights lot size, room dimensions, features and upgrades as well as utility costs and taxes. Prospective buyers will take a sheet and refer to it while viewing your home. Plus, it makes for a great reference sheet when the buyers are comparing properties.

During the viewing, make sure you give the viewer and the sales representative a feature sheet and get the sales representative business card. Give viewers the freedom to wander around your home by themselves. Following may make them uncomfortable. The sales representative will stay with the prospects to offer some protection against theft or property damage.

Lock Box

To make your home more accessible for showings, a lock box will be placed on your door or on your property. The lock box allows Donald Boyer to securely place a key to your home in a location that is accessible for other agents so that they may unlock the door to your home to show it while you are not there. The combination to the lock box is not generally available and will only be given to agents with qualified buyers. As necessary we will release the security codes for disarming alarm systems during the home showing as well.

When The Offer Arrives

When an offer is "registered", we will contact you to make arrangements to present the offer. In the meantime, we will contact other agents who have recently shown your home to advise them of the offer, creating the opportunity for multiple offers. This is the beginning of the negotiation process to sell your home. We will need to contact you for discussions and signatures to complete the process. This is a time sensitive period of negotiation and your availability is critical to successfully complete the deal.

We effectively negotiate on your behalf, ensuring that paperwork and meeting deadlines are coordinated and met as required. We work to bring the deal together.

Home Inspections

Most offers are written with conditions. Commonlythe buyer will require an inspection of your home and a satisfactory report. This inspection is usually completed within five business days of the acceptance of the offer and is arranged and paid for by the Buyer.

Home Inspectors are bonded professionals looking for major problems and a typical inspection takes between two and four hours, depending on the size of the home. The buyer and the buyer's agent may also attend the home inspection, and we therefore recommend that you not be present. The inspector checks the roof, attic, plumbing, electrical, heating and air conditioning systems, windows, basement, structure, etc. The inspection is largely visual and will not cause any damage to your home. The Buyer obtains the report the same day and if there are any concerns or issues, their agent will contact our office. We will let you know the outcome of the inspection as soon as possible.