Selling your home is one of the biggest financial decisions most people make. Understanding the process before you list can reduce stress, avoid costly surprises, and help you make informed decisions. These 15 Steps to Sell Your Home explain the process from preparation and pricing through negotiations, escrow, and closing.

My goal is simple: to help you maximize your net proceeds, to help you avoid costly mistakes, maximize your net proceeds, and guide you through a successful close of escrow.

1. Choose a REALTOR®

The person you choose to represent you can have a significant impact on both your selling experience and your financial outcome.

I’ll take the time to understand your goals, explain the process in plain language, answer your questions honestly, and help you make informed decisions throughout the entire selling process.

As your fiduciary, my responsibility is to protect your interests throughout the transaction. My goal is to solve problems before they become obstacles, negotiate effectively on your behalf, maximize your net proceeds.

2. Define Your Selling Goals

Every seller’s situation is unique. We’ll discuss your timeline, financial goals, moving plans, and any special circumstances so we can develop a strategy tailored to your needs.

If your sale involves an estate, trust, divorce, investment property, or significant tax considerations, it may be advisable to consult with your CPA, attorney, or estate planning professional before listing your home. Addressing these issues early can help prevent delays later in the transaction.

3. Price Your Home Strategically

Pricing your home correctly starts with understanding today’s market. The most reliable pricing decisions are based on recent comparable sales, current competition, and local market conditions—not online estimates, headlines, or guesswork.

Overpricing can reduce buyer interest, increase time on the market, and ultimately weaken your negotiating position. Underpricing may generate immediate interest but could leave money on the table.

I’ll analyze recent comparable sales, current competition, buyer demand, and market trends to develop a pricing strategy designed to maximize your net proceeds while positioning your home competitively.

Automated home valuations can provide a useful starting point, but they can’t replace a detailed market analysis prepared by an experienced local REALTOR® who understands the unique characteristics of your neighborhood.

4. Prepare Your Home for the Market

Every home is different, and not every improvement adds value. I’ll identify the improvements buyers in our area notice most and help you avoid spending money on projects that are unlikely to increase your home’s value.

Before listing your home, review my 15 Things to Spruce Up Your Home Before You Sell checklist for practical ideas. A little preparation before your home goes on the market can make a meaningful difference in buyer interest and, ultimately, your net proceeds.

5. Maximize Your Home’s Exposure

Exposure sells homes. The more people who see your home, the greater the opportunity to receive the right offer.

I’ll develop a customized marketing strategy designed to showcase your home’s best features and attract buyers. When appropriate, I may also utilize broker tours that allow REALTORS® from numerous brokerages to preview your home, expanding exposure within the real estate community.

6. Introduce Your Home to the Market

First impressions matter. Once your home is ready, we’ll introduce it to the market with maximum exposure.

As a member of both the Arizona Regional Multiple Listing Service (ARMLS) and the Prescott Area Association of REALTORS® (PAAR) MLS, I can market your property across both market areas. Your listing is also syndicated to many of today’s most widely used real estate websites, including Zillow, Trulia, Realtor.com, Homes.com, and many brokerage websites and other real estate search platforms. I’ll also promote your property through social media and other online marketing channels.

Don’t overlook the value of a professional yard sign. A significant number of buyers still discover homes while driving through neighborhoods they’re interested in. My highly visible signs include a QR code that allows prospective buyers to instantly access photos and property information from their smartphone.

Every marketing opportunity matters. Some buyers find homes online, others through a REALTOR®, a broker tour, social media, or simply by driving through the neighborhood. My goal is to expose your home to the largest possible audience of potential buyers, giving you the greatest opportunity to receive the right offer.

7. Make Showing Your Home Easy

The easier your home is to show, the more opportunities buyers have to experience it in person. I’ll coordinate showings, communicate with buyer’s agents, and, whenever practical, accompany showings.

As your local REALTOR®, I’m available to answer buyers’ questions, point out features they may otherwise overlook, provide insight about the surrounding area, and obtain valuable feedback that helps us market your home more effectively.

8. Monitor Market Response

Every home eventually tells us how the market views it. My job is to interpret that response and recommend adjustments when necessary.

Real estate is a numbers game. Sometimes there are many buyers competing for the same home, and sometimes there is only one. The greater your home’s exposure, the better the opportunity to connect with that buyer.

9. Evaluate and Negotiate Offers

The highest offer is not always the best offer. 

The strength of the buyer and the terms of the purchase contract can be just as important as the purchase price.

Together we will carefully evaluate financing, contingencies, concessions, closing costs, possession dates, the buyer’s overall qualifications, and other important contract terms to determine which offer best meets your goals.

Offers frequently include response deadlines. I will make sure you understand the timing requirements and have the information you need to make informed decisions before important deadlines expire. Missing an important response deadline can affect your negotiating position and, in some cases, your contractual rights.

If multiple offers are received, I will help you compare each one objectively and develop a negotiation strategy designed to maximize your net proceeds while selecting the offer that provides the greatest overall value—not simply the highest price. 

10. Negotiate the Best Overall Terms

Nearly everything in a real estate transaction is negotiable. While the purchase price is important, it is not the only factor that determines your net proceeds and a successful close of escrow.

Closing costs, repairs, possession dates, appraisal issues, personal property, home warranties, inspection items, and other contract terms all have value. I will negotiate the combination of terms that best protects your interests and maximizes your net proceeds.

11. Manage the Inspection & Due Diligence Period

This is often the most active stage of the transaction. The purchase contract contains important deadlines that can affect your rights and the success of your transaction. I will monitor those deadlines and keep you informed every step of the way.

Seller disclosures are equally important. I am available to discuss your disclosure questions and help you understand the information the forms request so you can make informed decisions rather than relying on advice from friends, neighbors, or other non-professionals. When appropriate, I will recommend consulting the appropriate professional if legal or tax issues arise.

I will negotiate inspection issues, repair requests, seller concessions, and other due diligence matters while working to keep your transaction on track through a successful close of escrow.

12. Manage Appraisal, Financing & Escrow

I will monitor financing, the appraisal, title work, escrow, and every critical contractual deadline while communicating with the lender, title company, and the buyer’s agent.

Staying proactive helps identify potential issues early, keeps everyone on schedule, and reduces the likelihood of unnecessary delays before closing.

Communication is important. Whether you prefer updates after every showing or only when something significant occurs, I will tailor my communication to your preferences so you will always know where we stand and what comes next.

13. Prepare for Closing

As closing approaches, I will coordinate agreed-upon repairs, the buyer’s final walkthrough, utility transfers, changes to insurance coverage, and any remaining details so your transaction is ready for recording.

The buyer’s final walkthrough is not another inspection. It is an opportunity for the buyer to confirm the home is in essentially the same condition as when the purchase contract was accepted and that agreed-upon repairs have been completed. Preparing for the walkthrough ahead of time helps avoid last-minute surprises and keeps your closing on track.

If there are fixtures or personal items you do not intend to include with the sale, it is usually best to remove them before your home is photographed or listed. Eliminating unnecessary negotiating points early often helps the transaction proceed more smoothly.

I will also remind you when it is time to notify utility providers, submit a change of address with the U.S. Postal Service, and contact recurring service providers—including pool maintenance, landscaping, and pest control—so the transition to the new owner goes smoothly. If your neighborhood has a community mailbox, I will also remind you to verify that mailbox keys are available and working before closing to help avoid unnecessary delays after you move.

14. Close of Escrow

Once all requirements of the purchase contract have been satisfied, you will sign the closing documents and the transaction will proceed to recording.

In Arizona, signing the closing documents does not, by itself, transfer ownership or possession. Those generally transfer when the deed is recorded unless the purchase contract provides otherwise.

I will coordinate with the buyer’s agent, the title company, and other parties to help ensure the smooth transfer of all keys, garage door openers, remotes, gate codes, alarm information, mailbox keys, pool automation information, and other access devices associated with the property.

15. After the Close of Escrow

Although agency ends at the close of escrow, my commitment to my clients does not.

Whether you need market updates, contractor recommendations, advice about your next move, or simply have a real estate question, I am always just a phone call, text, or email away.

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Every home and every seller’s situation is different. If you have questions about selling your home, I’m always happy to provide factual answers and let you decide what’s best for you.