A Step-by-Step First Time Seller's Guide

Putting your home on the market can be a stressful process, especially when you don’t know what to expect. Fortunately, with the help of an experienced agent and this easy to follow guide, you can smoothly complete the process. Following these steps will help you prepare so you can get organized and sell your home for the best price possible.​​​​​​​

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Step 1: Understand Why You're Selling

What do you want to accomplish with the sale of your home? Do you want to make a certain amount of money that you can put toward a larger or nicer home? Do you need to sell it as soon as possible to facilitate a move to a new city or area? Once you understand your needs, you can better craft your offer. For example, if you need to sell quickly, you might want to price your home lower than if your goal is to make a certain profit margin. Make sure you convey these needs to your Real Estate Agent once you choose one so he or she can adjust your selling price accordingly.

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Step 2: Determine Selling Price

Knowing how to price your home is one of the most important parts of the selling process. When you set a fair price in the beginning, you’ll get the most interest from other real estate agents and prospective buyers. Overpricing your home could lead to reduced interest, and underpricing leads to receiving less than what your home is worth. Working with a real estate agent is the best way to determine the right selling price for your home. An agent with experience can determine what other comparable homes are selling for, evaluate the current market, and may even suggest a home appraisal.

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Step 3: Start Preparations

If you’ve kept your home in showroom condition since you’ve lived in it, you’re in the minority of homeowners. Once you price your home, it’s time to start getting it ready to be shown to potential buyers. This includes getting rid of clutter, depersonalizing the space so that buyers can envision themselves in the space, making any small repairs, and doing a deep clean to make sure your home is in pristine condition.

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Step 4: Develop a Marketing Strategy

I will develop a marketing strategy that is perfect for advertising your home. This involves listing the home and then driving the right people to that listing through social media campaigns, agent-to-agent referrals, traditional media, or SEO advertising. My team creates a marketing campaign that aims to get the most possible traffic to your listing in the first three weeks after becoming a client.

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Step 5: Evaluate Offers

Receiving an offer is an exciting part of the process, but it doesn’t mean the journey is over. I will evaluate each offer and make sure the party making the offer is prequalified or pre-approved by a mortgage lender and that their offer is acceptable to you. If the offer is too low, you can make a counter-offer or offer other ways to bridge the gap, such as covering some or all of the closing costs, making repairs, adjusting the move-in date, or leaving some appliances or fixtures for the new buyer.

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Step 6: Accept an Offer

Once I deem the offer is acceptable, I will review the proposed contract to make sure it’s all in order and includes the necessary components such as deposit amount, down payment, financing, inspection rights and repair allowances, contingencies, settlement date, and a list of fees and who will pay them. When both parties have agreed to the term, a final contract will be prepared by your agent.

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Step 7: Get Ready to Close

You have accepted an offer and are now very close to the end of your selling journey. But first, you and the buyer must make a list of what needs to be done before closing. In some cases, your home may need to be formally inspected, surveyed, and appraised. In other cases, major or minor repairs will need to be made before the house can close. I will head up efforts to develop and execute this list, get each action item paid for by the correct party, and make sure everything is in order by the closing date. A few days before the closing date, we will call the company closing the transaction to make sure everything is ready to go. If you haven’t done so already, you also need to make arrangements to move out of the home so the new buyer can take possession.

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Step 8: Close

You’ve reached the last step in the seller’s process. When you close on a home you are selling, you are legally transferring ownership of the property to the new buyer. I will meet with the company closing the transaction to sign the final paperwork and go over any issues that have not yet been taken care of. During this time, you can also make plans with your Real Estate Agent to handle final details such as canceling utilities, cable, and lawn or trash services, changing the name on accounts that the new owner is retaining and ensuring the new owner has instructions for all appliances that will remain in the home.

Congratulations!

Once you have sold your home, you’re free to take the next step on your journey. Whether this is relocating to a new city, moving into a larger home, or downsizing and enjoying your life as empty-nesters, knowing all your selling responsibilities have been taken care of will help you achieve peace of mind for your new path.

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Andrej E.
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Bauer D.
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Charles T.
Blair S.
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Bill C.
P. Smith
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Rj N.
Early S.
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WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
Fast and responsive to all my requests. After looking at several properties in person with him over a span of a few months, Kyle discovered the perfect home for me and solidified the purchase.

— Timothy B.

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
Kyle was very helpful and patient with us. He understood our needs and thanks to him we live in a great house that we would probably never picked to go look at but it was by far the best choice for us.

— Andrej E.

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
Great agent and a wonderful person. We submitted 4 bids and came upon many frustrations in search of our first home. He was very patient during this extremely frustrating process. Very knowledgeable and genuine.

— Buyer

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
Kyle is very professional, knowledgeable, and helpful. As I was from out of town, Kyle inspected the unit and provided a great perspective on the condition, thus allowing me to initiate the purchase process remotely.

— Bauer D.

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
Kyle was very professional and a joy to work with. I would highly recommend him for all your real estate needs. We bought a condo and Kyle was instrumental in finding out what we were looking for and showing us all the options available.

— Buyer

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
Kyle was professional throughout our sale. He provided good research to establish our selling price. Our sale was 98% of our listing price. His follow-through on questions was always prompt and informative. A real pleasure to work with. Highly recommend!

— Seller

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
Kyle Suhr goes above and beyond for his clients. He is professional and I highly recommend him. Kyle listed and sold my condo in twenty-four hours. Although there were some legal difficulties, Kyle assisted me with finding options that met the needs of closing the sale.

— Seller

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
Super helpful, responsive, and willing to find the best home that fits me. My new home was the second home we looked at! Even though I closed on my house 2 months ago, Kyle still answers questions I have regarding being a new homeowner. 10/10 recommend. He knows his stuff!

— Buyer | Seller

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
We gave Kyle specifications of what we were looking for, and since we were still up north, we were very selective. Kyle only provided the properties that met our specs, and with very few remote views, we came and purchased a property. Kyle helped arrange everything. Very professional.

— Buyer

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
Kyle was a wonderful find for an out-of-town purchaser. He was extremely helpful and answered all of our questions with skill and courtesy. He was a great help in anticipating any problems which could arise in purchasing a home in Bonita Springs. A wonderfully pleasant human being, also.

— Buyer

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
I have recommended Kyle to my friend who was looking for a home. I found him to be very knowledgeable and showed me exactly what I wanted to see. He took his time and was not trying to tell me what I wanted or what he thought would be good for us. He was always available to look at homes. Enough said.

— Buyer

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
Kyle was recommended by some new friends who had just purchased a home in Spanish Wells. We started our search with Kyle and looked in almost all communities in Bonita Springs. He found us a home in Spanish Wells and helped us negotiate a good price. Judy and I were very happy with his excellent service.

— Buyer

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
Truly enjoyed working with Kyle. He demonstrated a level of local knowledge, diligence, initiative, and overall professionalism above and beyond other Realtors® I’ve experienced. He also exhibits a kind, thoughtful, and personable demeanor which lets you know and feel that he is truly interested in assisting with your needs.

— Charles T.

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
Kyle is the quintessential Realtor®. He is very knowledgeable about the market and area and has a wonderful personality. He listens to what you're looking for and will find it. He goes above and beyond to provide a perfect ending. I highly, highly recommend Kyle to accomplish your mission, be it seeking or selling your home.

— Blair S.

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
Kyle took plenty of time with us initially, to make sure he understood how we wanted to live and what we were looking for before he put together a targeted group of places for us to look at. The concise list saved a lot of time and covered exactly the type of homes we were looking for. He was energetic, and responsive, and made everything easy.

— Buyer

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
Kyle is very knowledgeable, honest and goes beyond expectations to help his clients and make their experience the best it can be. We have been fortunate to have Mr.Suhr in our corner to make our purchase and would recommend him to others for a great experience. Others that we know that have dealt with Mr. Suhr have been impressed and would use his services and recommend him to friends.

— Buyer

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
Mr. Suhr is very friendly and professional in what he is doing. His support to find a house for us was great. Even though we are living in Europe, his communication level vocal and written form was excellent. Also, his very high engagement to find different tenants to rent out or saison was very helpful. Based on his professional and very serious work, we are going continuously with him to find another s...

— Buyer

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
Kyle was "Johnny on the Spot" whenever we contacted him for information or had a request to see a house last minute. When we had appointments arranged with him, he had very professionally prepared a notebook of all properties with pictures and information for us to refer to and make notes on. He knows the area exceptionally well. He also read me and my husband very well and was very patient. We definitel...

— Buyer

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
Very polite and well-mannered. Had excellent knowledge of the area and market trends for any area I was interested in. Went as far as doing research for empty land adjacent to the property I was purchasing. Spent two full days with me making sure that I saw any and all properties that fit my parameters. Sent me a gift card to a local hardware store with a thank you note after my purchase was complete. Al...

— Buyer

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
We had a very good relationship with Kyle when moving to Florida from Michigan. Kyle listened to us and was able to show us what we asked for. He talked about places in the area that we would like to visit. Even about doctors and dentists. Kyle had to deal with our salesman long distance and was very professional. We are very impressed with the work he put in and would recommend Kyle to anybody wanting t...

— Bill C.

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
In 2011, I shopped for houses basically long-distance living in Indiana. My 90-year-old mother would go on viewing trips with Kyle. I came down as often as I could and jointly we likely looked at 50 houses. Keep in mind it was a depressed market and I wasn't in the hunt for high-end real estate. Kyle helped me get my Florida home at a bargain price and after renting it for two years I live here year arou...

— P. Smith

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
We knew we wanted a house in VillageWalk of Bonita Springs. We were amazed at how different the same model of a house (Capri) could be in the same development. Kyle worked with us to identify important features and things to look for. We had very little negotiation so I can't rate him on that. Once we had a contract we had to return North. Kyle handled the long-distance purchase superbly. He was right th...

— Buyer

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
I have professionally worked with Kyle for over 5 years. He has helped me sell and buy many properties in Florida. He is not only extremely professional but also personable, timely, thorough, and the best real estate professional I have worked with in my 50 years of conducting real estate transactions. He goes above and beyond the normal real estate agent/client relationships. I have been involved in man...

— Rj N.

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
Provided an outstanding set of properties for me to evaluate, in multiple passes, as I had a couple of different types of homes in mind. Then, we narrowed down to the best ones that fit my varied criteria, and Kyle was extremely efficient at setting up tours of the homes. Once we decided which to purchase, he was a major reason why we were able to execute a signed purchase agreement. He also was proactiv...

— Early S.

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
Our purchase was from out of state; so much of our interaction was via the phone. He brought our friend to the home we were interested in purchasing. He spent a lot of time with them, allowing them to take many pictures (for us), as well as, allowing them to ask many questions (not just questions we wanted answered but questions our friend thought we would want to know). He brought our friend back to see...

— Buyer

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
My wife and I came to Bonita Springs, FL the summer of 2012, looking for a winter home. We had done online research and had several homes in mind that we wanted to look at and communicated with Kyle via email. After arriving in Bonita Springs, Kyle picked us up and showed us the homes we requested plus several more that he found matching our requirements. After viewing previously lived-in homes, we decid...

— Buyer

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What's your home really worth?

What's your home really worth?

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I plan to bring my success to the local real estate industry to every client and beloved neighborhood. My expertise as a creative marketing liaison aligns traditional, digital, and social communications to offer strategic, creative counsel that meets client objectives while keeping them at the forefront of an authentic audience.