THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO
Selling Your Home
2
WELCOME
As you begin to learn a little about who we are and what we believe, you will find that we are a diverse team of knowledgeable and progressive REALTORS® working to set a new standard for real estate in Brevard County. Established in 2014, CENTURY 21 Ocean was founded with a focus on redefining marketing techniques and putting the customer relationship first. We recognize that the decision to sell your home is never an easy one, and the best way to start is to work with a professional – a trusted advisor who can guide you and be your support system.
We will help you understand the opportunities in the local real estate market. CENTURY 21 Ocean will analyze market conditions, recent home sales, as well as active and expired listings to provide you with a realistic assessment of your home’s value. Throughout the pages that follow, you will be provided with an inside look into the way we work, as well as an outline of proven strategies from preparing your home for sale all the way through closing. Rest assured CENTURY 21 Ocean values you and has your best interests at heart.
3
HERITAGE 06 07 08 09
About Us
Global Presence Client Spotlight Praises
PROCESS 10 11 12 13 14 15
Overview
Prepare Your Home
Marketing Materials Marketing Timeline
Showing Your Home Reporting
RESOURCES 16 17 18 19
Seller Checklist Seller Notes
Service Pledge Contact
4
5
About Us
At CENTURY 21 Ocean, we truly believe that you, the customer, deserves the best. Created with this simple, yet important focus in mind, it is our commitment to provide an unrivaled customer experience for the home buyers and sellers in the greater Brevard County area.
6
GLOBAL PRESENCE
16 36
Century 21 Real Estate operates in 79 countries and territories with approximately 6,900 offices and over 101,000 sales associates globally. Your buyer could come from anywhere in the world. Any time day or night, a CENTURY 21 Sales Associate could be discovering your home for a new buyer. Put the power of our global brand to work for you.
31
Languages
Currencies
Countries & Territories Visit century21global.com to learn more about our global presence.
1971
1990s
PRESENT
Founded by Art Bartlett and Marsh Fisher in Orange County, CA.
Implements the Seller Service Pledge & creates Fine Homes & Estates.
Worldwide leader in customer satisfaction and brand awareness.
1980s
2000s
Century 21 Real Estate expands into France, Japan, Hong Kong, and Mexico.
Century 21 Real Estate expands into China, Russia, South Africa, Thailand, and Brazil.
7
CLIENT SPOTLIGHT Design Consultant Cheryl Patten chose CENTURY 21 Ocean when it came time to sell her home in Cocoa Beach and buy a new home on the Banana River.
Penthouse owner, Cheryl Patten, worked for many years as a design consultant in Sarasota prior to moving to Brevard County seven years ago. When the decision was made to move to Cocoa Beach, Florida, HGTV House Hunters followed her journey of purchasing her dream beachside condo. Four years later, HGTV came back to feature Cheryl’s penthouse on House Hunters: Where Are They Now? This time HGTV not only featured the Cocoa Beach penthouse with its most recent finishing touches, but also filmed some footage in her newly opened store in Downtown Cocoa Beach.
Last spring, Cheryl decided it was time for a new challenge - making a dream home on a different body of water in Brevard County. Cheryl contacted CENTURY 21 Ocean to sell her fully-furnished condo and help her find her next home on the Banana River. CENTURY 21 Ocean was professional, courteous and quick to respond in all facets of marketing the condominium and getting the home sold quickly. With the help of CENTURY 21 Ocean, Cheryl was able to get the purchase price she wanted for her condo, as well as find her next dream home on the water.
8
“
CENTURY 21 Ocean did an excellent job when I sold my home. They were professional and always available when I had questions. They guided me through negotiations on two contracts. I recommend them to anyone looking to buy or sell a house.
MELODY DECARLO Seller
“
They are attentive, hard working, and very honest. They really do their best to listen and help you find the best house that fits your wants and needs. They are very knowledgeable and a pleasure to work with.
CENTURY 21 Ocean was there when we needed them. We felt like we were their most important client. We knew what they were doing and they made us feel comfortable throughout the process. Thank you!
“
“
NICOLE HENDRICKS
CHRIS RILEY
KT TRUDEAU
Buyer
Seller
Buyer
9
My home purchase was exceptionally smooth and pleasant. I felt like CENTURY 21 Ocean had a very good understanding of my wishlist. They went above and beyond to make the process seamless and easy.
Our Process
We will discuss the benefits of listing your home with a CENTURY 21ÂŽ professional. Together we will discuss our local market presence and current market conditions to establish the value of your home. As CENTURY 21 professionals we want you to feel complete confidence in our service.
10
PREPARE YOUR HOME A successful home sale begins with selecting the right price, beautiful staging and professional photography to highlight your home’s best features.
PRICING YOUR HOME
STAGING YOUR HOME
Your CENTURY 21 Ocean agent will prepare a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) to determine the approximate value of your home. This valuation is based on recent home sales in your area and characteristics of your home.
Home staging can help highlight your home’s best features, making it appeal to buyers’ senses and emotions. Following simple design and home improvement suggestions can maximize your home’s attractiveness and create a captivating first impression.
PHOTOGRAPHY & DESIGN A better-photographed home can sell faster because more people are enticed to visit the home and people know what they are getting before they even set foot in the home. We want to sell your property faster for top-dollar.
11
A POWERFUL WEB PRESENCE We feature all of our listings on many of the Internet’s most visited real estate websites, including:
Plus More
12
MARKETING TIMELINE
WEBSITE
Create a photo slideshow and virtual tour to post on listing websites.
By creating a Unique Property Website for each of our listings, we are able to attract online buyers, as well as provide local buyers with fast and comprehensive information about your property. These days, it’s easy for properties to get lost among the thousands of real estate listings added to the market each and every day. Your Unique Property Site will ensure that your property stands out from the crowd.
Enter your Listing into the Multiple Listing Service.
Announce your listing to all sales associates in our office and other CENTURY 21 Offices in the area. Place an Electronic Lock Box on your door to provide easy access for other sales associates. Host open house and listing caravan.
Place your listing on the century21.com website.
Distribute your listing to hundreds of listing partners.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Place your listing on social media sites like Facebook and YouTube. Promote your Unique Property Website.
We value that your home is unique and we will blend our online advertising and customize our social media marketing to help your home reach more new buyers than traditional marketing methods ever would have reached.
Prepare full color property flyers and brochures to showcase your home to buyers and other sales associates.
Offer the CENTURY 21 Home Protection Plan® that can help attract buyers to your property.
Schedule email marketing pieces to a large list of contacts and past clients, as well as other Brevard County REALTORS®.
Direct mail advertising to local area – Just Listed Postcards.
13
SHOW THE HOME
THE CLOSING TABLE
We will start by setting clear expectations in regards to showing the home, and we will work together to identify optimal times for showing your home to potential buyers. Showing the home is a key element in introducing the home to the market and generating buzz among potential home buyers as well as other real estate agents. The more flexibility you can afford—the more exposure to your home. It’s important to keep things in perspective following an open house and remember that home buyers need time to process what they see and time to look around at other homes before making such a big decision like purchasing a home.
Generally, a closing is attended by the buyers, sellers, the closing agent who usually works for the title insurance or escrow company, and the real estate brokers or agents for both seller and buyer. Before closing, buyers have a final opportunity to walk through the property to assure that its condition has not changed since the contract was signed. At the closing itself, all papers have been prepared by closing agents, title companies, and lenders. This paperwork reflects the sales agreement and allows the buyers and sellers in the transaction to verify the transaction. Buyers get the title to the property, lenders have their loans recorded in the public records, and state governments collect their transfer taxes.
NEGOTIATION We will negotiate with potential buyers on your behalf to help get you to the closing table.
14
PERFORMANCE REPORTS When you list your home with a CENTURY 21 Ocean agent, you will gain access to our world-class online reporting tool for online property visibility.
ď‚€
Our exclusive tool, THE GOLDEN RULERÂŽ, is a listing measurement device that can provide reports on a regular basis on the number of consumer views and leads on your online property listing. The new Market Comparison Report lets you as the seller see how this activity on the listing compares to similar properties in the area.
15
SELLER CHECKLIST Selling a home can feel overwhelming if you do not have a proven process in place. This checklist will help you gain confidence and clarity each step of the way.
01
02
Preparation Prior year tax bill
Professional photos, videos, virtual tours (if apl)
Survey
Prepare MLS listing
Current mortgage info
Order For Sale sign, lockbox & text sign rider
3 copies of the keys to the front or main entrance
Post listing on social media
Invoices for repairs or improvements to property
Boost ad on social media
A list of inclusions and exclusions in the sale
Post listing on Zillow, Trulia, Realtor.com, etc.
Declarations/covenants/deed restrictions (if apl)
Create listing brochure
Utility bills, actual monthly costs or monthly budget
Send Just Listed postcards
Information on special assessments (if apl)
Unique property website
Homeowners/condo association info (if apl)
Schedule Golden Ruler
Evaluate property for potential insurance issues,
Schedule open houses (if apl) & post on social
zoning, easements, etc.
03
Marketing
media and run promotional ads
04
Offers & Negotiation
Escrow
Review seller estimated proceeds calculator
Solid contract clearly stating terms & what must occur
Prepare to compromise & negotiate
right period (if apl), appraisal, addendums, survey, loan
Mortgage pre-approval or proof of funds requirement Qualify lender if buyer is financing
Remember that terms can be as important as price
before escrow closes & the property changes hands
Schedule timelines for escrow receipt, inspections, first
commitment, title commitment, final walk-through, etc.
Compare recent sales in the neighborhood
Utilities - prepare to turn off after closing
Review sales contract for errors/omissions
Review closing disclosure for debits & credits
Schedule timelines in order to make sure of timely
escrow receipt, inspections, first right period (if apl),
appraisal, addendums, survey, loan commitment, title commitment, etc.
16
Keys to property, garage, remotes, manuals to buyer Buyer will deposit payments & sign documents
Seller signs over the deed & closing statements & receives balance due
NOTES
17
“
We are dedicated to providing you with professional, courteous and responsive service. To fulfill this commitment, we agree to provide you with the following service. Place the internationally recognized CENTURY 21
Dedicate ourselves to making the process of selling
For Sale yard sign on your property, and abide by local ordinances.
your home as easy and successful as possible.
Respect you and your needs and be honest and
Post your property on century21.com, a website
forthright, in accordance with Fair Housing regulations and ethical real estate practices.
which receives millions of visitors each month.
Promote your property to potential buyers.
Hold your best interests in the highest regard
throughout the process.
Utilize the CENTURY 21 System’s vast online
resources to expose your property to potential buyers around the world.
Value and respect your time, being as efficient and effective as possible.
Utilize the CENTURY 21 System to help you obtain
Endeavor to always understand your needs and
the results you deserve, including leveraging our network of more than 6,900 offices worldwide.
respond quickly.
Provide regular progress reports throughout the
Submit to you all written offers, assist with
process, and discuss comments received about your property with you.
negotiations, and provide an estimate of your net sales proceeds, so you understand these implications prior to the acceptance or rejection of any offer.
Explain each step of the process and act as a guide to help you make informed decisions.
Upon acceptance of an offer by you, pre-settlement
Make recommendations to enhance the
(escrow) activities throughout the closing process will be monitored as permitted by law or local practice.
marketability of your property.
Utilize a written Competitive Market Analysis
and local market information to help you set an appropriate listing price to sell your home and receive the value you deserve.
Assist you in finding your next home, or offer to
refer you to another CENTURY 21 Office in another location.
Introduce you to other professionals (mortgage
Use the full breadth of our collective experience,
lenders, title agents, etc.) for information or assistance as appropriate.
knowledge, tools and the most up-to-date training to best serve you.
Develop, present and agree upon a Customized
Marketing Plan with specific promotional efforts to help best market your property.
18
CONTACT PHONE EMAIL WEB
321.323.1212
info@c21ocean.com c21ocean.com
ADDRESS COCOA BEACH
MELBOURNE
4333 N. Atlantic Ave
Cocoa Beach, FL 32931
6555 N. Wickham Rd, Suite 104 Melbourne, FL 32940
FOLLOW FACEBOOK INSTAGRAM TWITTER
Facebook.com/Century21Ocean
Instagram.com/Century21Ocean Twitter.com/Century21Ocean
19
© 2016 CENTURY 21 Ocean. All Rights Reserved. CENTURY 21® and the CENTURY 21 Logo are registered service marks owned by Century 21 Real Estate LLC. Century 21 Real Estate LLC fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Each office is independently owned and operated. 20