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Seller's Guide

Everything you need to know about putting your home on the market, accepting an offer, and closing on your home.

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 team of real estate agents 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 team of real estate agents once you choose one so they 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 team of real estate agents is the best way to determine the right selling price for your home. A team of real estate agents 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

We 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. Our 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. We 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 we deem the offer is acceptable, we 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 team of real estate agents.

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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. We 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. We 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 team of real estate agents 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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Testimonials

Read what our clients have to say about working with us.

"I recently had the pleasure of working with Kelly in this highly competitive real estate market. I have bought and sold over 10 houses and Kelly was by far the best Agent I have worked with and she helped me seamlessly close a deal. If you want a solid, reliable, professional Agent, look no further."
"I recently had the pleasure of working with Kelly in this highly competitive real estate market. I have bought and sold over 10 houses and Kelly was by far the best Agent I have worked with and she helped me seamlessly close a deal. If you want a solid, reliable, professional Agent, look no further."
Gary S., Pacific Beach, CA
"My husband and I purchased out dream home about 5 months ago. Deb was our Realtor and we were extremely pleased with her ability to communicate with us and negotiate our terms. Specifically we felt she fought for what was important to us and she didn't push us - she could tell when we were excited about an opportunity and when we weren't. We felt comfortable and we took our time to get the place that fit us perfectly! She was patient and made the deal happen when we were ready. I will be using her again and highly recommend her."
"My husband and I purchased out dream home about 5 months ago. Deb was our Realtor and we were extremely pleased with her ability to communicate with us and negotiate our terms. Specifically we felt she fought for what was important to us and she didn't push us - she could tell when we were excited about an opportunity and when we weren't. We felt comfortable and we took our time to get the place that fit us perfectly! She was patient and made the deal happen when we were ready. I will be using her again and highly recommend her."
Diane W., San Diego, CA
"I've been working with Deb to find a second home. I'm a real estate attorney from NC and Deb understands what information I need to feel comfortable. She is patient, knowledgeable, and everything you would want in the person representing you on a complex transaction."
"I've been working with Deb to find a second home. I'm a real estate attorney from NC and Deb understands what information I need to feel comfortable. She is patient, knowledgeable, and everything you would want in the person representing you on a complex transaction."
Janet S., San Diego, CA
"Deb is amazing - period. As a finance professional relocating to La Jolla with my family, I could not have asked for a better agent - whom our entire family is not lucky to call friend. Deb has excellent in-depth knowledge of local inventory and its history. She seeks first to understand what you want - or think you want (she can help you refine that) - and is comfortable speaking candidly about the area. She'd rather find you a perfect match than simply close a deal. As a career sales professional, she appreciates the value of relationships over transactions and has brought that ethos to her real estate practice. She has the perspective of a local and also that of a transplant from the competitive SF Bay area communities. She understands the value of time - both yours and hers - and maximizes that which you have to spend home hunting. We've bought and sold on the East Coast thru career agents with multi billion dollar portfolios and not one held a candle to Deb. If we could, we'd bring her with us wherever we transact - she is simply THAT good. "
"Deb is amazing - period. As a finance professional relocating to La Jolla with my family, I could not have asked for a better agent - whom our entire family is not lucky to call friend. Deb has excellent in-depth knowledge of local inventory and its history. She seeks first to understand what you want - or think you want (she can help you refine that) - and is comfortable speaking candidly about the area. She'd rather find you a perfect match than simply close a deal. As a career sales professional, she appreciates the value of relationships over transactions and has brought that ethos to her real estate practice. She has the perspective of a local and also that of a transplant from the competitive SF Bay area communities. She understands the value of time - both yours and hers - and maximizes that which you have to spend home hunting. We've bought and sold on the East Coast thru career agents with multi billion dollar portfolios and not one held a candle to Deb. If we could, we'd bring her with us wherever we transact - she is simply THAT good. "
Steve and Lisa, La Jolla, CA
"We had been contemplating a full-time move to La Jolla from the Midwest for many years. We worked with several Realtors along the way and then we found Deb! She was absolutely fantastic. She lives in the community and knows the local market very well. She was very patient and always available - and enthusiastic - as we looked at many properties. We never felt pressured. She is a strong negotiator and successfully handled a few complicated scenarios before we found the perfect place. We were extremely impressed with her follow-thru after the sale. She helped us locate some quality contractors for some work that needed to be done to transition the house to our home. We are very happy in our new home and can't thank her enough for her efforts. She is a smart, caring professional who really listens to her clients and represents their interests supurbly. We gladly recommend her to family and friends without reservation; She is the BEST!"
"We had been contemplating a full-time move to La Jolla from the Midwest for many years. We worked with several Realtors along the way and then we found Deb! She was absolutely fantastic. She lives in the community and knows the local market very well. She was very patient and always available - and enthusiastic - as we looked at many properties. We never felt pressured. She is a strong negotiator and successfully handled a few complicated scenarios before we found the perfect place. We were extremely impressed with her follow-thru after the sale. She helped us locate some quality contractors for some work that needed to be done to transition the house to our home. We are very happy in our new home and can't thank her enough for her efforts. She is a smart, caring professional who really listens to her clients and represents their interests supurbly. We gladly recommend her to family and friends without reservation; She is the BEST!"
Tom and Pat S., La Jolla, CA
"It is our immense pleasure to recommend Deb Schrakamp as a real estate agent for any individual or family searching for the ideal home for their unique situation. After relocating to California from New York, Deb had an initial meeting with us and took diligent notes regarding our specific needs in the type of home we desired as well as our budgetary limitations. She is highly talented and made excellent use of the relevant search engines and real estate databases to quickly find us a variety of homes for sale in areas that were of interest to us. She did not waste our time with homes that were out of our price range or not in line with our needs or geographic location desires. A master with the contract negotiations, Deb always came up with a deal that was good for us and made everyone involved happy as well. She knows San Diego, especially La Jolla like the back of her hand. There is nothing that escapes Deb’s attention when it comes to property for sale in this area. We found Deb to be a highly attentive agent, almost as if we were her only customers, although we know that was not the case. She returned all phone calls and emails the same day. We never felt neglected or unimportant. She is also highly personable with an engaging personality. We are pleased to recommend Deb Schrakamp to anyone looking to buy or sell a home. She is hands down the best in the business in our opinion and if we ever need to move again she will be our first choice in real estate agents."
"It is our immense pleasure to recommend Deb Schrakamp as a real estate agent for any individual or family searching for the ideal home for their unique situation. After relocating to California from New York, Deb had an initial meeting with us and took diligent notes regarding our specific needs in the type of home we desired as well as our budgetary limitations. She is highly talented and made excellent use of the relevant search engines and real estate databases to quickly find us a variety of homes for sale in areas that were of interest to us. She did not waste our time with homes that were out of our price range or not in line with our needs or geographic location desires. A master with the contract negotiations, Deb always came up with a deal that was good for us and made everyone involved happy as well. She knows San Diego, especially La Jolla like the back of her hand. There is nothing that escapes Deb’s attention when it comes to property for sale in this area. We found Deb to be a highly attentive agent, almost as if we were her only customers, although we know that was not the case. She returned all phone calls and emails the same day. We never felt neglected or unimportant. She is also highly personable with an engaging personality. We are pleased to recommend Deb Schrakamp to anyone looking to buy or sell a home. She is hands down the best in the business in our opinion and if we ever need to move again she will be our first choice in real estate agents."
Danny A., San Diego, CA
"Working with Deb was fantastic. After re-locating to San Diego from Chicago, I found it incredibly difficult to find a decent realtor. Deb outshines the rest and the entire experience with her was great. Not only was she incredibly patient as I constantly changed my mind about what area I wanted to live in and even what type of home I wanted but she made the entire process a lot of fun. I always looked forward to meeting Deb to view homes. Once we found the condo I now call home, she helped move the process along and was knowledgeable about all of the ins and outs and had plenty of local contacts for inspectors, tradesman, etc. I recommend Deb to everyone I know looking for a home in the San Diego area."
"Working with Deb was fantastic. After re-locating to San Diego from Chicago, I found it incredibly difficult to find a decent realtor. Deb outshines the rest and the entire experience with her was great. Not only was she incredibly patient as I constantly changed my mind about what area I wanted to live in and even what type of home I wanted but she made the entire process a lot of fun. I always looked forward to meeting Deb to view homes. Once we found the condo I now call home, she helped move the process along and was knowledgeable about all of the ins and outs and had plenty of local contacts for inspectors, tradesman, etc. I recommend Deb to everyone I know looking for a home in the San Diego area."
Paul B., San Diego, CA
"Deb is an absolute pleasure to work with. We were first time home buyers and new to the whole process. I was nervous about making such a big purchase and potentially making a bad investment. She held our hand through the whole process and truely had our best interest in mind. I never felt an ounce of pressure, if anything she encouraged us to continue viewing more listings before making a offer. I would highly recommend Deb to anyone looking for a place and wants someone they can trust."
"Deb is an absolute pleasure to work with. We were first time home buyers and new to the whole process. I was nervous about making such a big purchase and potentially making a bad investment. She held our hand through the whole process and truely had our best interest in mind. I never felt an ounce of pressure, if anything she encouraged us to continue viewing more listings before making a offer. I would highly recommend Deb to anyone looking for a place and wants someone they can trust."
Ryan L., San Diego, CA
"Kelly is an amazing realtor...you couldn't do better. In a very competitive market, she came in, assessed our property, and immediately set to work ensuring we'd sell our house in a timely manner and get top dollar for it. She also helped with timelines, has an amazing staff of stagers, and set up all of our inspections, showings and document signings with ease. She didn't miss a step the entire process. We sold in record time and made over $250,000 OVER what we expected. Hire Kelly. You won't be disappointed."
"Kelly is an amazing realtor...you couldn't do better. In a very competitive market, she came in, assessed our property, and immediately set to work ensuring we'd sell our house in a timely manner and get top dollar for it. She also helped with timelines, has an amazing staff of stagers, and set up all of our inspections, showings and document signings with ease. She didn't miss a step the entire process. We sold in record time and made over $250,000 OVER what we expected. Hire Kelly. You won't be disappointed."
Andrea P., San Diego, CA
"Kelly was wonderful to work with. She has great knowledge in the real estate market. We felt we had an open line of communication throughout our entire buying process. We would highly recommend Kelly when it comes to your property buying or selling needs. "
"Kelly was wonderful to work with. She has great knowledge in the real estate market. We felt we had an open line of communication throughout our entire buying process. We would highly recommend Kelly when it comes to your property buying or selling needs. "
Jeff and Debbie B., Coronado, CA
"Kelly Macdonald is an amazing realtor! We listed our home with another agent in June 2019 and after several frustrating months switched to Kelly. The difference between the level of service and professionalism was night and day. Kelly linked us to an amazing staging company that really made our listing pop off the page and stand out from other listing and our listing was in the top viewed categories on multiple websites for months. Kelly also provided many cost effective tips and upgrades to further increase the wow factor of our property. Even in these crazy times of COVID 19 Kelly remained diligent on getting our home sold and we continued to receive multiple offers and were able to sell our home for the price we wanted in June 2020. It shows you really get what you pay for when it comes to good realtors and we will recommend Kelly to our family and friends for their real estate matters."
"Kelly Macdonald is an amazing realtor! We listed our home with another agent in June 2019 and after several frustrating months switched to Kelly. The difference between the level of service and professionalism was night and day. Kelly linked us to an amazing staging company that really made our listing pop off the page and stand out from other listing and our listing was in the top viewed categories on multiple websites for months. Kelly also provided many cost effective tips and upgrades to further increase the wow factor of our property. Even in these crazy times of COVID 19 Kelly remained diligent on getting our home sold and we continued to receive multiple offers and were able to sell our home for the price we wanted in June 2020. It shows you really get what you pay for when it comes to good realtors and we will recommend Kelly to our family and friends for their real estate matters."
Jim H., La Jolla, CA
"My wife and I moved to San Diego from Australia to take a new job. The move was very stressful adjusting to a new country and trying to find a place to rent that would make our transition pleasant. Kelly initially helped us with a great property her company listed, but when a property became available that fitted all of our requirements she was so helpful in organising a showing and helping us through the paperwork. Her service didn't stop there however. Kelly provided her assistance after we moved in and even sent us a wonderful house warming gift. She offers exceptional customer service and is such a pleasant an competent agent. We highly recommend her to anyone looking to buy, sell or rent a property."
"My wife and I moved to San Diego from Australia to take a new job. The move was very stressful adjusting to a new country and trying to find a place to rent that would make our transition pleasant. Kelly initially helped us with a great property her company listed, but when a property became available that fitted all of our requirements she was so helpful in organising a showing and helping us through the paperwork. Her service didn't stop there however. Kelly provided her assistance after we moved in and even sent us a wonderful house warming gift. She offers exceptional customer service and is such a pleasant an competent agent. We highly recommend her to anyone looking to buy, sell or rent a property."
Shane G., La Jolla, CA
"I relocated from Dallas to San Diego in May after selling my condo in 3 days! I had the movers pack and ship my things out here without even having found a place to rent so got on a plane, flew out here and put myself up in a hotel. That's when Kelly came to the rescue! She was so professional and knew exactly what type of style home I was looking for. She quickly put together several properties to view and I found exactly the space I wanted in La Jolla. I moved in there in just less than a week! It was so easy working with Kelly, she is not only professional and knowledgeable but she is also a pleasure to work with. She will be my realtor going forward as I search for a house to buy in the near future."
"I relocated from Dallas to San Diego in May after selling my condo in 3 days! I had the movers pack and ship my things out here without even having found a place to rent so got on a plane, flew out here and put myself up in a hotel. That's when Kelly came to the rescue! She was so professional and knew exactly what type of style home I was looking for. She quickly put together several properties to view and I found exactly the space I wanted in La Jolla. I moved in there in just less than a week! It was so easy working with Kelly, she is not only professional and knowledgeable but she is also a pleasure to work with. She will be my realtor going forward as I search for a house to buy in the near future."
George S., La Jolla, CA
"Literally could not have had a better advisor and advocate throughout and even after the process was complete. Kelly was responsive and supportive and was available by text/phone/email any time we needed it. But beyond that she was instrumental to advocating for us as the buyer, and communicating the intent and needs of the seller. Without her I am sure we would not have ended up in our dream home. Since going under contract she has walked us through every step and quirk in the process, even when we had special requests and needs."
"Literally could not have had a better advisor and advocate throughout and even after the process was complete. Kelly was responsive and supportive and was available by text/phone/email any time we needed it. But beyond that she was instrumental to advocating for us as the buyer, and communicating the intent and needs of the seller. Without her I am sure we would not have ended up in our dream home. Since going under contract she has walked us through every step and quirk in the process, even when we had special requests and needs."
Lawrence S., Pacific Beach, CA
"Kelly Macdonald was wonderful to work with! She is very knowledgable about the area we were interested in, she was always ready to answer any questions we had, and guided us through the whole buying process smoothly. We are a very picky buyers and she was endlessly searching for our dream home in La Jolla and thanks to her the whole experience of buying a house from the east coast was a breeze! We would highly recommend Kelly to anyone since she exceeded all our expectations!."
"Kelly Macdonald was wonderful to work with! She is very knowledgable about the area we were interested in, she was always ready to answer any questions we had, and guided us through the whole buying process smoothly. We are a very picky buyers and she was endlessly searching for our dream home in La Jolla and thanks to her the whole experience of buying a house from the east coast was a breeze! We would highly recommend Kelly to anyone since she exceeded all our expectations!."
Martina G., La Jolla, CA
"We had been looking for a house on and off for a couple of years and Kelly was awesome the whole time. She really helped us hone in on what we wanted and then made finding the perfect home for our family a reality. Plus, she did it all during a pandemic when we were two states away! We love Kelly and are sure you will too."
"We had been looking for a house on and off for a couple of years and Kelly was awesome the whole time. She really helped us hone in on what we wanted and then made finding the perfect home for our family a reality. Plus, she did it all during a pandemic when we were two states away! We love Kelly and are sure you will too."
Carol V., San Diego, CA

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