Just for Sellers
Selling your property is a process, no doubt. There are a lot of details. It can feel daunting. But, bear in mind the end result: you have important goals to accomplish by selling your property. Rest assured you’ll get through it!
Why Choose Stellar?
We’ve been there a time or two. We know what it’s like to uproot your family and move to the next thing, or to sell that investment property in order to take the next step. At Stellar, we genuinely care for the well-being of others, we want to see individuals and communities thrive!
We work hard, with honesty and integrity, because we are building a business to last. You can trust our Stellar team to guide you through the selling process. Let us handle the details so you can spend your time and energy focusing on what matters most.
Pre-Listing Consultation
The first step of the selling process & always customized to your needs.
Strategic
Pricing
We provide a comparative market analysis (CMA) for your property so you know exactly what market value is bringing.
Professional
Photo + Video
We hire the best in Southwest Missouri to present your property in its best light.
Creative Marketing
We have an in-house dedicated marketing team!
Selling Guide
Here’s how we handle the selling process, so you know what to expect each step of the way.
Pre-Listing Prep
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Pre-Listing Consult
A no-pressure service we provide to help you determine if selling your home is the next right step.
- This can happen months before you list, and the property doesn’t have to be picture perfect.
- Agent will tour the property, discuss possible improvements to be made, and how to prep for the photoshoot. If helpful, we can even provide you with our “Stellar Punch List”. This is a customized list, outlining very specifically which items or improvements are worth your time, energy, and overall investment.
- We run a comparative market analysis (CMA) to assess the property value. We will contact you within a few days with the compiled info.
Prep the Property for Sale
Gain as much equity as possible by following the pre-listing advice of your Stellar Agent. Much of the value our Agents provide is on the front end, before the home even reaches the market.
- For general tips on the most equitable way to prepare your home for sale, our Prepping To Sell Guide is a helpful resource. Contact us for a copy delivered straight to your inbox.
- If you’ve requested a customized Stellar Punch List, simply begin working your way through the list, completing each task.
- We understand this preparation may feel overwhelming. Just know the time it takes to complete these tasks is well worth the return on your investment.
- Don’t hesitate to reach out at any point if you have questions or need some clarity on the next best step for you.
- Also be sure to check out our “Prepping For Sale Guide” to learn the most equitable ways you can prep your property for sale.
Sign Listing Docs
Meet with your Agent to go over a listing contract and discuss the in’s and out’s of listing your property. At this appointment be prepared to:
- Have a spare key to give your agent.
- Set a date to schedule the photographer.
- Sign a listing contract. We can bring paper copies or we can sign electronically.
- Provide utility history.
- Disclose any concerns or defects on the property and let your Agent know if there are any encroachments or liens against the property; they may need to be disclosed to potential Buyers.
- If the property is in a trust or another entity, gather proper documentation
- Call the county Recorder’s office and ask them to email restrictions, plat, & survey if these documents are available.
Photoshoot Day
The big day is here, but you’ve already done the heavy lifting!
- Your agent will arrange for the photographer to access the property.
- Leave the house, take pets with you so the photographer can set up gear and move about the house freely.
- Celebrate! You've worked hard to get to this point.
Listing Goes Active!
Your agent will send you a link to review the listing and approve. Once you’ve approved the listing, begin sharing on social media outlets!Active Listingclick to learn more
Showing Your Property
A few tips on how to have the most successful showing- Most often, you’ll have several hours’ notice; however sometimes Buyers will want to look at the drop of a hat. Your agent will give you opportunity each time to allow or refuse a showing. Remember, the easier it is to view your property, the easier it is to sell!
- If at all possible, leave for showings so Buyers feel comfortable looking at your property.
- Make sure pets are put away for showings.
- Your agent will follow up after all showings, and gather feedback from potential buyers. We can see what people are saying about your home, evaluate, and make changes as needed.
Receive offer(s) + negotiate offer(s)
- Any and all
offers An offer is a written contract that outlines the terms of your agreement with a Buyer to sell the home.from potential buyers will be presented to you by your agent via a salescontract. The contract outlines the Buyers’ proposed terms with many aspects to consider such as purchase price, closing date, terms, contingencies, type of financing, and usually has a deadline at which it expires.
- Evaluate your offer(s) to consider how you’d like to respond. In the case of one offer, you may accept, reject, or counter with another offer. If you receive multiple offers, you may ask for a highest and best from all parties, you may choose to negotiate with one party only, you and your Agent may come up with another creative response entirely. Your Agent will be a helpful guide through this process.
- You may negotiate with a Buyer until you land on price & terms everyone agrees with. All parties sign the contract, contract is executed. An executed contract is one all parties have signed. Your executed contract date is the date the final party has signed, and all contract timelines begin running from this date.
Contract to Close
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Congratulations! After all parties have signed, your contract is “executed” and legally binding, you are now under contract! Your Agent will deliver copies of the executed contract to you, the Buyer’s Agent, and the Title Company.Title Company Gets to Work!
- The Title Company will begin their title search to ensure the property can transfer with a clean title. Clean Title means the property is free from any
liens, A lien is a claim against an asset, typically used as collateral to satisfy an existing debt.encroachments, An encroachment is when a neighbor’s structure reaches over the boundary line and sits on your property, or if your structure extends onto a neighbor’s property.additional claims of ownership from previous family members or partnerships, or other defects.
- They will provide information on any shared features (fences, wells, etc) or easements. An easement is a legal agreement where another person or entity is given the right to access an owner’s land for a distinct purpose. Sometimes neighbors have easement rights to use a driveway for example, or often utility companies have easements on properties so they can access utility lines when maintenance is needed.
- The Title Company will work to coordinate your closing with you, the Buyer, the Buyer’s lender, and other involved parties.
Next Step, Inspections
Property inspections will be scheduled, you will be notified of the day and time.
- Leave the property during inspections.
- Buyer typically pays for this service.
- Make sure crawlspace, attic accesses, septic tank risers are all accessible (if applicable).
- Buyers will have a set amount of time (designated in sales contract) to have inspections completed. After inspections, Buyer may send you any repair or compensation requests in writing via a form called an Inspection Notice. Buyer may decide to terminate the contract if major issues are discovered.
- If you receive an Inspection Notice, you will negotiate repairs with the Buyer and sign off once agreed upon.
- Be sure to complete all requested repairs properly and prior to closing; save all receipts, and take pictures (or have your contractor do so) of repairs made in hard-to-see places such as crawlspace, attic, etc.
- Buyer will have an opportunity to send an Inspector back to the property prior to closing to ensure repairs are satisfactory.
Appraisal
If Buyer is obtaining a loan, their lender will order an appraisal.
An appraisal assesses the value of the property to ensure the bank is comfortable loaning on it. For example, the bank doesn’t want to loan $150,000 on a property if the assessed value is only around $100,000.
- The Buyer typically pays for this service.
- To assess the value of your property, the appraiser looks at square footage, #’s of bedrooms & bathrooms, acreage, location, condition, comparable sales, etc.
- If your home appraises for an amount less than your agreed upon purchase price, you may have to consider renegotiating a solution in order for the sale to go through.
Closingclick to learn more
Prepare for closing!
- Pack! Seriously, you need to have EVERYTHING out of the home and off the property by the time you sit down at the closing table to sign.
- If you have a mortgage on the property, you’ll need to call the title company and give them your loan payoff info (SS#, mortgage account #). Also, if there are secondary loans or liens against the property, you’ll need to make a plan to get them cleared up prior to closing.
- Call utility companies, direct them to transfer utilities out of your name on the day of closing. (electric, water, sewer, trash) ** NOTE If the closing date is extended, you’ll need to call to extend the date of transfer. **
- Contact post office to have mail forwarded. Notify all monthly budgeted payments - bank accounts, car payments, credit cards, etc.
- Cancel services (lawn company, newspaper, pest control) Helpful tip: DO NOT cancel homeowner's insurance until AFTER you have closed, in the event of a closing extension.
- Clean the home for its new owner(s), this is a common courtesy. Additionally, they may conduct a final walkthrough a few days prior to closing to ensure everything is as agreed upon.
- Review your settlement statement to ensure all of the figures are accurate.
Closing Day!
Arrive at the title company on time for your closing appointment.- Bring driver’s license.
- Provide access to all keys, remotes, garage / gate access codes.
- You’ll sign the documentation needed to transfer the property into the new owners’ name(s). If you would like to pre-read all of the documentation prior to signing, please notify your Agent a few days prior to closing.
- Closing usually takes approx 1 hour.
- Receive your proceeds from the sale!