STEP 1: MEET WITH YOUR AGENT
- Discuss your needs.
- Research comparable properties.
- Set a competitive list price.
When pricing your home in Billings, it is important to carefully consider top market value. Using our competitive market analysis tool, we will suggest your home’s best listing price. We sell homes HIGHER than the market average because we list homes at the correct price from the start.
It is important to have your home ready for market on day one. Our team will help you make sure
your home is ready for showings and online by:
• Completing repairs that need to be done
• Decluttering & removing personal items
• Make sure the home is clean and smells fresh
• Cleaning carpets
• Neutralizing spaces and walls
The Lanissa Fortner team offers superior marketing techniques to help get your home sold faster and for more money than the competition.
Prospecting daily for potential buyers, talking with neighbors, and our co-op agents and past clients.
The second you sign with our team, we go to work on marketing your home! Web, social media, and print marketing are all part of the success of getting your home seen by the most potential buyers, selling your home faster and for more money than the competition.
Actively communicate with you through every step of the process. Diligently sharing feedback from showings, following up with agents after viewing the home, and calling weekly to discuss the progress from the previous week.
• 85% of staged homes sold for 6-25% more
• Most tasks are completed during the appointment
Today’s market is centered on technology. Buyers are performing their searches online, so it is important that your listing is ranked high and shown in its best light. Studies have shown that online buyers, disregard homes with limited photos, low-quality photos, and minimal information. Rest assured I take the extra steps to get maximum exposure for your listing and give the online shopper a wealth of information, as well as quality photos, and video tours.
Using a scientific market analysis in your area, we will price your home correctly the first time so that it will sell quickly.
If your home is priced at fair market value, it will attract the largest number of potential buyers in the first few weeks.
If a home is overpriced it will attract the fewest number of buyers looking to purchase a home. The majority of home buyers look at a lot of homes, and they quickly get a feel for the price range that homes sell for in a given condition and location.
To make sure your home is shown in the best light to buyers, we will provide staging insights to ensure your home is ready to go on the market. Staging is done to neutralize your home to appeal to the maximum number of potential buyers.
In today’s market, home buyers are searching online first. It is imperative that the photos of your home are top notch and of the best quality to catch the buyers attention and stand out from the competition. Having more eyes on your home, is the fastest way to get it sold and sell for top dollar.
We are part of a very large real estate agent network. Our team will reach out to this network to see if your home might be a great fit for one of their buyers. This agent network is key to connecting buyers with your home as 88% of residential sales involve real estate agents.
We understand the importance of marketing a property. This is an area we heavily focus my budget on. Our expertise is attracting hundreds of buyers per month, and increasing brand awareness.
A clean, neutral, and streamlined look helps buyers to imagine what life would be like in your home.
The action points below will help them be able to do that.
• Remove personal items, excessive decorations & furniture
• Get rid of clutter and organize and clean closets
• Minimize and clean pet areas in the home
• Replace or clean carpets
• Apply a fresh coat of paint to walls, trim and ceilings
• Replace outdated ceiling fixtures, and clean lighting fixtures
• Be sure that all light bulbs are in working order
• Wash or paint the home’s exterior
• Paint the front door
• Keep the yard nicely trimmed
• Keep the lawn free of clutter
• Weed and freshly mulch garden beds
• Clean interior and exterior windows
• Apply fresh paint or stain to wooden fences
The goal of staging is to create a clean, decluttered look so that potential buyers can look at your home like a blank canvas to envision all their loved ones and belongings in the space for years to come.
Staged homes spend 90% less time on the market and increase sale price up to 5%.
• Sells Faster
• Increases Sale Price
• Highlights the Best Features of the Home
• Disguises Imperfections of the Home
• Defines Spaces and Reveal the Purpose of Each Space
• Demonstrates the Homes Full Potential
• Creates the Wow Factor You Will Need in Photos to Make Your Home Stand Out
• Sells Faster
• Increases Sale Price
• Highlights the Best Features of the Home
• Disguises Imperfections of the Home
• Defines Spaces and Reveal the Purpose of Each Space
• Demonstrates the Homes Full Potential
• Creates the Wow Factor You Will Need in Photos to Make Your Home Stand Out
A listing's photos are often the first and sometimes only opportunity to attract a potential buyer. Most buyers are finding their homes online and photos are the first impression of your home. Pictures are the key to getting a home noticed, showings scheduled, and therefore sold. As your real estate team, we will ensure that your listing will be shown in its best light. Many times a buyer has already decided if they are interested in your home just from the pictures online, without ever stepping foot inside your home.
Amount That Professional Shot Photos Can Increase a Home's Selling Price
More Online Views with Quality Photos
Amount of Time Longer Potential Buyers Look at Professionally Shot Photos
Video gives a prospective buyer a true feeling of moving through a home, and is far more descriptive of a space than still images can ever hope to be.
Real Estate Listings with Video Receive More Inquiries
Videos Attract More Traffic for Nurturing Leads
Of Homebuyers Watch Video House Tours
When appropriate, using aerial photography in real estate can show buyers a much more accurate depiction of what the property is actually like.
• Provides views of the entire property & land.
• The condition of the roof and other
property features.
• The neighborhood and surrounding area, including the home’s proximity to schools & amenities.
• Developments or local districts that are supported by the buyer’s property taxes.
**DISCLAIMER - due to various local, state & federal rules & regulations, not all homes are able to include drone footage in their listing.
This allows real estate agents access to show buyers your home securely. The lockbox holds the keys to the home and is typically found at the front guarded by a security lock. A detailed log is kept each time the lockbox is accessed.
Before showings make sure that all valuables are put away and out of sight. This includes even mail left out (which may contain personal information and bank statements). Items of value such as jewelry, artwork, cellphones, and gaming systems should also be out of sight. It's a good idea to walk through your house before showings and make sure everything of value is out of sight.
Now that your home is online many know that it is for sale. For your safety, NEVER let a stranger into your home. While it is likely that it is just someone who saw the sign in your yard and is interested in getting a quick look, you just never know. Ask them politely to call your agent who handles all showings.
Clean out your medicine cabinets and any other place you may store medications and hide them away. There have been more and more stories of people intentionally going to home showings to take medications freely.
With identity theft on the rise, it is important to put away all mail pieces with your information on them. If this information ends up in the wrong person’s hands, it can easily lead to identity theft.
Often times a home for sale means home owners are not at home. So be sure to always keep your doors and windows locked.
Once your listing goes live, we provide all the necessary shoe covers, and friendly reminder signs for all of your showings.
A large percentage of real estate transactions happen with cooperating agents in the country. We will promote your house for sale to this market.
A sign will be placed in your yard as well as pointers for maximum exposure.
Buyers in today’s market first start their home search online. We will meet your potential buyers where they are...online! Not only will your home be featured in the local MLS, it will also be featured on the major 3rd party real estate sites, and syndicated to hundreds of other listing sites. Your home will also be featured on our company website and social media.
An email will be sent to our current buyer database of thousands of buyers searching for properties on our website. A new listing email alert will go out to our real estate agent network of thousands of agents in the area.
We practice regular social media marketing on today’s top social sites which include and are not limited to: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Pinterest.
Lockboxes are essential for the safety of all. They allow a real estate agent to show your house whenever he or she needs to, rather than relying on you the owner for a key. Owners are also expected to vacate the property for showings. Having a lockbox makes this process much easier for all involved.
When we list your home, you will also be signed up with a showing service that immediately communicates with you when a showing is scheduled. When feedback isn’t left, I will follow up with those agents requesting their feedback within 24 hours.
*2022 NAR HOME BUYER AND SELLER GENERATIONAL TRENDS
Our team will feature your home on the top home search sites, and on social media and syndicate it to over 400+ other sites.
Homes that receive the top 10% of page views sell an average of 30 days faster!
Be as flexible and accommodating to the buyers schedule as possible. We want to avoid having missed opportunities if at all possible.
Make sure everyone in the home is informed when showings are to happen so they can keep their spaces clean.
Keep up with daily messes. Wipe down kitchen and bathroom counters before leaving for the day.
Avoid strong-smelling foods: Keep your meal prep as neutral and simple as possible. Also, if you are burning candles or diffusers, stay with a neutral soft scent.
Keep pet areas clean. Clean up after your pets immediately and wash their bedding regularly. Hide pet food or litter. Not everyone is a pet person and it may hinder a potential buyers ability to picture themselves living in your home.
Open blinds and curtains and let in as much natural light as possible. Leave lights on before you leave for a showing.
Empty trash cans to avoid any odors. Try to empty trash cans nightly so that the home is fresh when you leave for the day.
Keep the room temperature comfortable. This demonstrates to buyers that the HVAC is working properly.
Make sure you place all valuables and prescriptions out of sight and in a safe place.
Having a seller present can make buyers feel awkward. We want to make the buyers feel at home and stay awhile.
Price is just one of many considerations when deciding which offer is best for your home. Here are some of the other factors that matter.
The fewer contingencies on an offer, the better. Shorter time periods are also valuable.
A cash offer is usually more appealing than a finance offer as the seller doesn’t need to worry about the bank approving the loan. Requiring proof of funds before accepting a cash offer is important.
Assures home sellers that the buyer can get the loan they need.
There are conventional, FHA, and VA are the most common, your lender will work with you to see which type you qualify for.
You might need to close quickly to move on to the next adventure, or you might need to extend the closing to allow time for the next home to be ready. Choosing the offer with the closing time that fits your needs will be most attractive to you.
Sometimes a buyer asks you to pay a percentage of their closing costs. These costs are often debited from your net proceeds at closing.
If the home needs some repairs, but you don’t have the time or money to do them, a buyer who is willing to do them for you might be what you need. Occasionally a buyer or a buyer’s lender may require repairs be made before closing, so they may need to be negotiated.
• Accept the offer
• Counter-offer
A counter-offer is when you offer different terms to the buyer.
• Decline the offer
If the offer isn’t close enough to your expectation and there is no need to further negotiate.
• Accept the counter-offer
• Decline the counter-offer
• Counter the offer
You can negotiate back and
forth as many times as
needed until you can reach
an agreement or someone
chooses to walk away.
You will sign the buy-sell purchase agreement and you are now officially under contract! This period is called the contingency period.
Now inspections, appraisals, or anything else built into your buy-sell purchase agreement will take place.
Typically no cost to the seller. The buyer will choose and purchase the inspection performed by the inspector of their choice.
Inspections and potential repairs are usually one of the top reasons a sale does not close.
Foundation, electrical, plumbing, pests, structural, mold, or radon
If the buyer is seeking a loan to purchase your home they will need to have an appraisal performed by the bank to verify the home is worth the loan amount. As a seller, we want the property to appraise for at least the sale amount or more. It is very difficult to successfully contest your appraisal. An experienced agent demonstrates certain strategies to reveal the value of the home prior to the appraisal.
You are in the clear, and closing can be begin!
• Renegotiate the sale price with the buyer.
• Renegotiate with the buyer to cover the difference.
• Cancel and re-list.
• Consider an alternative all-cash offer.
• Likely some small repairs will need
to be made after inspections.
• Agent can recommend
contractors if needed.
Closing is when funds and documents are transferred in order to transfer ownership of the property to the buyer. The escrow officer will look over the contract and find out what payments are owed by who, prepare documents for closing, perform the closing, make sure all payoffs are completed, the buyer’s title is recorded, and that you receive payoffs that are due to you.
Seller commonly pays:
• Mortgage balance & penalties if applicable.
• Any claims against your property.
• Unpaid assessments on your property.
• Real estate agents, for payment of commission.
• Title insurance policy.
Sellers need to bring to closing:
• A government picture ID
• House keys
• Garage door openers
• Mailbox and any other spare keys
Keep copies of the following for taxes:
• Copies of all closing documents
• All home improvement receipts
Once title transfer has occurred contact your insurance agent to cancel your policy so you can receive a refund of any prepaid premiums.
Cancel utilities and close those accounts. Keep a list of phone numbers for each of your utility and entertainment companies.
Let everyone know your new address. Submit a change-of-address form to the post office.
Turn off all light switches and fans, and call the electric company to notify them of your move.
Secure all closing documents as well as the contract and closing documents. Keep them in a safe place.
Put together a packet of manuals, receipts, and any warranties as well.
Move out your personal belongings completely. Check all drawers, cabinets, and closets.
Make sure to leave anything considered a permanent fixture - blinds, TV mounts, bolted-in shelves, curtains curtain rods, etc.
Ensure that your home is completely clean upon leaving the home. Clean the cabinets, refrigerators, and other appliances inside and out. Thoroughly clean out the garage. Schedule trash pick up prior to the day of closing. Leave your home the way you would like to find it if you were the buyer.
Leave all house keys, remotes, gate keys, pool keys, and mailbox keys in a drawer in the kitchen.
Vacuum and sweep floors one more time.
Ensure all blinds are closed, and lock the windows and doors.
The information provided in this guide is intended for general informational purposes only. It is not intended as legal, financial, or professional advice.
The content within this guide is based on information available at the time of publication and may not reflect the most current legal or market developments. Real estate laws, regulations, and market conditions vary by location and are subject to change. Therefore, The Lanissa Fortner Team cannot guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or relevance of the information provided.
The Lanissa Fortner Team and its affiliates, contributors, or authors of this guide shall not be held liable for any losses, damages, or inconveniences arising from the use of or reliance on the information provided in this guide.
Please note that laws, regulations, and best practices can vary and change over time, and it is advisable to verify information from primary sources and consult with professionals before making any real estate decisions.
The Lanissa Fortner team has grown up in rural Montana and have unparalleled local expertise. They have leveraged vast resources to become some of the top real estate agents in Billings and Montana at large. They can help you buy or sell your home and get the most value.
