Getting Your Home Ready To Be Photographed

When your home is getting photographed you want it to look great! The Davenport Group will coordinate with a professional cleaning service and landscaping company, if necessary, to make your home shine. If you prefer to complete the work yourself, here is a guide so that not one detail is missed.

Cleaning Checklist:

Outside:

•Please have the cars out of the driveway and parked somewhere not in the front of the house.

•Do some general yard work: trim overgrown plants, rake dead leaves, mow, and edge.

•Do some general clean up: Arrange deck furniture neatly, sweep the patio/deck and walkway if needed.

•If you can, hide your trashcans and roll up your hoses.

Inside:

•Pick up any shoes, especially in the entry area.

•Clean any French doors or glass front/back doors.

•Clean windows that are streaked or dirty.

•If you have a pet, make sure the dishes are hidden, and the litter box and crate too if possible.

•Check for burned out light bulbs and replace them.

•Hide the paper stacks- bills, mail, magazines.

•Hide the trashcans.

Inside:

•Clean off counters of most items- dishtowels, food, dishes, etc.

•Wash and put away the dishes.

•Make sure the table is cleared and push in the chairs around the table.

•Remove everything from the outside of the refrigerator.

Bedrooms:

• Make all beds.

•Pick up all laundry.

Bathrooms:

•Clean up the bathrooms- no shampoos, razors, towels laying around, etc.

•Put all toilet seats down.

•Hang towels neatly on pegs or towel bars, but not thrown over the shower rod.

•Clean off the counters. Nothing out except decorative items and a hand towel.

•Clean out the shower- no shampoo bottles, face cloths, etc.

Living Rooms:

•Pick up remote controls.

•Straighten furniture and pillows.

Marketing the Listing

1. Have professional Photos of home taken.

2. Create print and Internet ads.

3. Enter listing into all 3 of the MLS systems

4. Set up Showing time to coordinate showings with owners and other agents.

5. Install electronic lockbox.

6. Prepare mailing and contact list.

7. Generate mail-merge e-letters to contact list.

8. Order “Just Listed” Postcards.

9. Prepare property marketing brochure .

10. Upload listing to company and agent internet sites.

11. Create and place Facebook paid for boosted ad

12. Create and post FaceBook post for personal page and repost every 2 weeks

13. Create and post FaceBook post for company page and repeat post every week

14. Create Virtual Tour (VT)

15. Place VT video on You Tube channel

16. Tweet VT video and property information on a weekly basis

17. Complete enhanced marketing on Zillow, Trulia & Realtor.

18. Advise Network Referral Program of listing.

19. Plan and organize a 7 level Open House.

20. Provide marketing data to buyers & buyers agents from relocation networks.

21. Convey price changes promptly to all internet groups & reprint/supply brochures promptly if needed.

22. After each showing request feedback from the showing agent through emails, texts & calls.

23. Discuss feedback from showing agents with seller to determine if changes will accelerate the sale.

24. Place regular weekly update calls to seller to discuss marketing and pricing.

25. Send weekly marketing stats from Zillow

The Offer and the Contract

26. Receive and review all offer to purchase contracts submitted by buyers or buyers’ agents.

27. Counsel seller on offers. Explain merits and weakness of each component of each offer.

28. Contact buyers’ agents to review buyer’s qualifications and discuss offer.

29. Confirm buyer is pre-qualified by calling loan officer and obtain pre-qualification letter on buyer from loan officer.

30. Negotiate all offers on seller’s behalf, setting time limit for loan approval and closing date.

31. Prepare and convey any counteroffers, acceptance or amendments to buyer’s agent.

32. Email copies of contract and all addendums to closing attorney, lender, co-op agent & all parties.

33. Record and promptly deposit buyer’s money into escrow account.

34. Advise seller in handling additional offers to purchase submitted between contract and closing.

35. Change MLS status to “Sale Pending.”

36. Coordinate all inspections, such as pest, termite, septic, survey, mold, radon, home inspection, etc.

37. Receive and review all inspections with seller and negotiate any items that may have an impact on sale.

38. Assist seller in identifying and negotiating with trustworthy contractors for required repairs.

39. Negotiate payment and oversee completion of all required repairs on seller’s behalf, if needed.

Tracking the Loan Process

40. Follow loan processing through to the underwriter.

41. Contact lender weekly to ensure processing is on track.

42. Relay final approval of buyer’s loan application to seller.

43. Schedule appraisal.

44. Provide comparable sales used in market pricing to appraiser if needed.

45. Follow up on appraisal.

46. Assist seller in questioning appraisal report if it seems too low.

Closing Preparations and Duties

47. Coordinate closing process with buyer’s agent and lender.

48. Ensure all parties have all forms and information needed to close the sale.

49. Select location for closing.

50. Confirm closing date and time and notify all parties.

51. Work along side the attorney in resolving any title, easement, boundrey issues if needed.

52. Work with buyer’s agent in scheduling and conducting buyer’s final walkthrough prior to closing.

53. Research all tax, HOA, utility and other applicable prorations.

54. Request final closing figures from closing agent (attorney or title company).

55. Receive and carefully review closing figures to ensure accuracy.

56. Provide “Home Owners Warranty” for availability at closing if applicable.

57. Provide earnest money deposit from escrow account to closing agent.

58. Coordinate closing with seller’s next purchase, resolving timing issues.

59. Have a “no surprises” closing so that seller receives a net proceeds check/wire at closing.

60. Refer sellers to one of the best agents at their destination, if applicable.

61. Change MLS status to Sold. Enter sale date, price, selling broker and agent’s ID numbers, etc.