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6. Market your property
When you work with an agent, they can showcase your house to their network and pool of potential buyers. Without an agent, you need to find ways to reach your buyers. Take a page from successful agents in your area — are they sending postcards, putting out yard signs, and posting “for sale” notices in local groups? Copy them.
As most homebuyers begin their search online, don’t overlook digital marketing. Make sure you have a presence on these platforms:
- MLS
- Social media networks (Facebook, Nextdoor, Instagram)
- Virtual tour platforms (YouTube and Vimeo)
- Classified ad websites, such as Craigslist
7. Field phone calls and schedule tour requests
Once your home is “live” on the MLS, you’ll hopefully start receiving phone calls to request showings. Agents use tracking software and online calendars to avoid double booking and to let sellers know when they need to be out of the house. Consider setting up a special Google calendar or spreadsheet for this purpose.
8. Follow up with potential buyers
After people have come through your house, make sure to follow up. An agent typically contacts the buyer’s agent for feedback or sends a form requesting comments. Do the same, and call or email to ask if they have any questions.
While you can ask what they thought of the house, they might be sensitive to the fact that you’re the owner and could be reluctant to say anything negative. Strive for professionalism and detachment.
9. Review offers and negotiate with the buyer
Once offers come in, review and compare them. There’s more to an offer than the sale price. Look at closing timelines, if the buyer is offering you a rent-back period, and other contingencies, to find the best overall offer.
Don’t forget that you can negotiate. Perhaps one buyer offered a higher price, but you need a longer closing timeline. Call and ask if they’d be willing to bump it out a week. Be careful with negotiations, however, as you don’t want to anger buyers and cause them to walk away.
10. Manage contract timelines and due dates
After accepting an offer, there’s a lot of paperwork to handle. From the purchase agreement to the closing statement, these are legally binding documents. You’ll need to monitor contract timelines, such as how long the buyer has to get a home inspection done, negotiate for repairs, or walk away from the sale.
11. Prepare the required legal disclosures
States have different legal requirements for home sales. It’s a good idea to involve a lawyer in either reviewing or preparing these documents. At a minimum, you’ll need a purchase agreement and a settlement statement.
12. Schedule inspection appointments with the buyer
The buyer selects and pays for the home inspection. While you may want to prepare for the home inspection, your primary responsibility is to make sure that the home is empty and that the buyer and inspector can access the property.
13. Renegotiate with the buyer’s agent based on inspection findings
After a home inspection, buyers can and often do negotiate home repairs. They could ask you to fix items before the closing or request a credit back at closing to cover the repair costs. If the home inspector found serious issues, they could negotiate the sale price down.
Be prepared to handle these negotiations tactfully and be realistic when deciding whether to make concessions. If the sale falls through, another buyer’s home inspector will find the same issues. It could be worth offering to knock a few thousand dollars off the sale price to close the deal.
14. Navigate the settlement process and close your home sale
The settlement process involves working with a title company to make sure the home has a clear title. You’ll have to collect all documents — title, deed, and any homeowners association covenants — as well as the mortgage payoff amounts. Some states require that lawyers be present at closing, so even if you choose not to involve one earlier in the process, you’ll have to hire someone now.
Weigh the benefits and understand the trade-offs
If you decide to sell without a Realtor, you’ll be wearing many hats — scheduler, marketer, legal expert, and more. It is a full-time job, which is why most real estate agents do it full-time.
If you don’t have the time and energy to handle all of that and prefer to sell with a Realtor, HomeLight can connect you with the best agent to sell your home. Our free Agent Match tool analyzes millions of transactions to find top agents who sell homes faster and for more money than others in your area. It takes just two minutes to find someone to take all that work off your plate and guide you through the complicated process of selling a home.
