A listing is a project with about forty moving parts, and my job is that you only have to think about a handful of them. Here is what actually happens, in order, including the parts that take longer than people expect.
BEFORE IT GOES ON THE MARKET
The work that decides the outcome.
- Pricing. The comparable sales, the current competition, and what your house has that they do not. This single decision moves more money than everything else on this page combined.
- What to fix, and what to leave alone. A short list, ranked by what it earns back. Not a renovation.
- Presentation. Cleaning out, minor repairs, paint where it matters, photography, and enough staging to let a buyer see the rooms rather than your furniture.
- Disclosures. The paperwork that tells a buyer what they are buying. Done properly this prevents a fight later, and it is the least glamorous part of the job.
ON THE MARKET
Showings, and what they ask of you.
Buyers come through with their own agents on a schedule you agree to in advance. You do not have to be there, you can decline any showing that does not suit you, and the house does need to stay presentable for as long as it is listed. That is the real cost of this route, and it is worth being honest about it.
WHEN AN OFFER ARRIVES
Price is only part of it.
An offer is a package: price, financing, deposit, contingencies, closing date and how likely the buyer is to actually get to the finish line. The highest number from a buyer who cannot close is worth less than a lower one from a buyer who can. We work through what each offer actually gives you before you respond to any of them.
AFTER YOU ACCEPT
Inspections, appraisal, and the part that gets renegotiated.
The buyer inspects the house and, in most cases, asks for repairs or a price adjustment. Then the lender appraises it, and the appraisal either supports the price or reopens the negotiation. Neither step is a surprise if you know it is coming, and both are reasons to price the house correctly at the start.
AND IF YOU WOULD RATHER NOT DO ANY OF THIS
There is a second route, and I will name it.
My separate business, Lucano Buys Houses, buys houses directly in their current condition. No repairs, no showings, no waiting. It is normally a lower number than a strong listing would bring, and that gap is the honest price of not doing the work above.
QUESTIONS PEOPLE ASK AT THIS POINT
Straight answers, including the ones that cost me money.
What do you actually do that I could not do myself?
Pricing the house correctly, presenting it properly, and negotiating an offer once one arrives. The pricing decision is where most of the money is won or lost, and it is the part sellers most often get wrong because they are pricing the house they love rather than the house a buyer is comparing. The rest is coordination: photography, showings, disclosures, inspections, deadlines and paperwork, done for you rather than by you.
How are showings handled?
Buyers come through with their own agents, on a schedule that is agreed with you in advance. You will not be asked to sit through them, and you can decline any that do not suit you.
What happens if my house does not sell?
We look at why, not just at the price. Sometimes it is the price, sometimes it is the presentation, sometimes it is a condition issue a buyer needs solved before they will commit. Then we agree on a change, and if the honest answer is that the market disagrees with us, I will say so.
Can I sell and stay in the house until I have somewhere to go?
Often, yes. A rent-back can be part of the negotiated terms, which means you sell first and stay for an agreed period afterward. It is negotiated in the contract rather than assumed, so it is worth asking about early.
What if I also need to buy my next house?
That is the normal version of this, and it is why I handle both sides. The two transactions have to line up, which usually means agreeing on the sale first and keeping your options open on the purchase. I work through that sequencing with you before you commit to anything.
WHEN YOU ARE READY
Find out what your house is actually worth.
Send the address and a couple of details. You get the number, the comparable sales behind it, and the honest answer about which route suits you. Nothing is committed by asking.