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A Step-by-step

Seller's Guide

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.

 A stylish kitchen with light gray cabinets, a large island with three woven bar stools, and two unique light fixtures.

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, I 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.

Success Stories

Testimonials

"Easy peasy to work with. Very sharp veteran RE pro performs expeditiously and competently. A pleasure to do business with."
"Easy peasy to work with. Very sharp veteran RE pro performs expeditiously and competently. A pleasure to do business with."
Larry C.
"I have worked with Tom for over 15 years and he is an incredible negotiator who pays close attention to the details of a contract. I recommend him strongly."
"I have worked with Tom for over 15 years and he is an incredible negotiator who pays close attention to the details of a contract. I recommend him strongly."
Dean R.
"Our experience with Tom was nothing short of amazing! He was wise, helpful, efficient, and made the process of buying a home so fun. As first time home owners, the process of looking for a home felt daunting but Tom made us feel confident and so excited. We found the absolute perfect home to raise our little ones in and will always be grateful to Tom for helping us. He ensured we found a perfect little place that not only checks all the boxes, but exceeds them. We could not recommend him enough if you are looking for a realtor who has a vision and would move mountains to see you land in your dream home."
"Our experience with Tom was nothing short of amazing! He was wise, helpful, efficient, and made the process of buying a home so fun. As first time home owners, the process of looking for a home felt daunting but Tom made us feel confident and so excited. We found the absolute perfect home to raise our little ones in and will always be grateful to Tom for helping us. He ensured we found a perfect little place that not only checks all the boxes, but exceeds them. We could not recommend him enough if you are looking for a realtor who has a vision and would move mountains to see you land in your dream home."
Emili F.
"If I could give 6 stars, I would. We've now purchased two homes through Tom and will certainly purchase a third when the time comes. His personal approach means he's on your side of the table in every aspect. No one else I'd recommend for those looking for a partner in their home buying or selling process."
"If I could give 6 stars, I would. We've now purchased two homes through Tom and will certainly purchase a third when the time comes. His personal approach means he's on your side of the table in every aspect. No one else I'd recommend for those looking for a partner in their home buying or selling process."
Ryan H.
"Tom has been an amazing agent to work with. He’s helped us as a first time home buyer and now selling our current home and buying a new home in an impossible time frame. I can’t recommend Tom enough!"
"Tom has been an amazing agent to work with. He’s helped us as a first time home buyer and now selling our current home and buying a new home in an impossible time frame. I can’t recommend Tom enough!"
Bobby G.
"Working with Tom was an absolute pleasure! From start to finish, he was incredibly kind, patient, and approachable—always making me feel comfortable through what can often be a stressful process. Tom's deep knowledge of the local market was evident in every step, from pricing insights to neighborhood recommendations, and he always took the time to explain things clearly so I felt confident in each decision. What stood out the most was how easy Tom was to work with; professional, responsive, and genuinely invested in helping me find the right fit. I never felt rushed or pressured, only supported. If you’re looking for someone who truly cares, is highly knowledgeable, and makes the entire process seamless, I can’t recommend Tom Bertog enough!"
"Working with Tom was an absolute pleasure! From start to finish, he was incredibly kind, patient, and approachable—always making me feel comfortable through what can often be a stressful process. Tom's deep knowledge of the local market was evident in every step, from pricing insights to neighborhood recommendations, and he always took the time to explain things clearly so I felt confident in each decision. What stood out the most was how easy Tom was to work with; professional, responsive, and genuinely invested in helping me find the right fit. I never felt rushed or pressured, only supported. If you’re looking for someone who truly cares, is highly knowledgeable, and makes the entire process seamless, I can’t recommend Tom Bertog enough!"
Aly M.
"Tom is a knowledgeable and experienced realtor. My husband and I had an excellent experience working with him on the purchase of our new home. We were so glad to have him representing us, as he always had our best interest in mind. We love our new home!"
"Tom is a knowledgeable and experienced realtor. My husband and I had an excellent experience working with him on the purchase of our new home. We were so glad to have him representing us, as he always had our best interest in mind. We love our new home!"
Erin W.
"We worked with Tom for the purchase of a new home in San Clemente. He was awesome. He represented us extremely well and brought things to our attention that we didn’t think of and negotiated things on our behalf that we never thought were possible. We highly recommend him!"
"We worked with Tom for the purchase of a new home in San Clemente. He was awesome. He represented us extremely well and brought things to our attention that we didn’t think of and negotiated things on our behalf that we never thought were possible. We highly recommend him!"
Stephen D.
"I worked worked with Tom and he is the best! Always communicating the current market conditions and one of the best negotiators I know! Tom is always looking out for his clients first and is the best realtor in Orange County! Highly recommend to anyone!"
"I worked worked with Tom and he is the best! Always communicating the current market conditions and one of the best negotiators I know! Tom is always looking out for his clients first and is the best realtor in Orange County! Highly recommend to anyone!"
Penny P.
"Tom is a true professional. It is apparent Tom and his team love what they do. The attention to detail, communication, availability, sense of urgency and his expert knowledge made my transaction a great experience. Always a pleasure Tom and I look forward to future transactions!"
"Tom is a true professional. It is apparent Tom and his team love what they do. The attention to detail, communication, availability, sense of urgency and his expert knowledge made my transaction a great experience. Always a pleasure Tom and I look forward to future transactions!"
Edward S.

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