Determine your motivation for selling.

• Need more space
• Downsizing
• New Job
• Relocating
• Financial Concerns
• Liquidate Assets

Share this information with your real estate agent. By knowing your particular needs, your agent can set a realistic time frame for the process to proceed and save you a lot of frustration, time, and money.

Determine the most likely selling price for your house.

• Your agent will prepare a Comparative Market Analysis [active link to CMA def.]
• Analysis will take into account the following:
  • State of the local and general real estate market
  • The condition of your home
  • Recent sales of comparable properties
  • The time frame in which you need to sell
  • Any other factors which may affect the property's value
  • Net Proceeds to Seller/Selling Costs Breakdown

Your Marcus agent will develop a marketing plan for the sale of your home.

The plan may include, but not be limited to the following:

• Inputting into the Multiple Listing Service and affiliated Internet Websites
• Yard signs
• Broker Open Houses
• Sunday Open Houses
• Newspaper Advertising
• Advertising in industry related periodicals
• Internet Advertising
• Sending flyers to targeted markets
• The first 2 to 4 weeks should be the busiest. If no activity is generated during that period, the marketing plan should be revisited and possibly modified.
• Your Marcus agent will present to you the best marketing plan that will have the highest possibility of bringing not only the most buyers, but the most qualified buyers, to your doorstep.
• The marketing and advertising of property listed by Marcus & Associates, Inc. is typically conducted through several print and cyber media:
  • Multiple Listing Service
• Through the Multiple Listing Service, our listings are also shared with the Honolulu Board of Realtors, National Association of Realtors, Cyberhomes, AOL, Trulia, Zillow, Yahoo, just to name a few. [create active links for the previous websites]
  • Honolulu Star Advertiser
  • Pacific Business News
  • Virtual Tours
  • Brochures
  • Flyers and Fact Sheets
• The use of additional advertising and marketing resources will be discussed with clients having unique or specialty properties that may benefit from national or international exposure.

Prepare Exterior "Curb Appeal"

• Many buyers will decide whether to consider your home when driving to the curb. You should give special attention to the landscaping and exterior condition of your home.
• How your house looks will have an immense impact on how quickly it sells and how close to market value it sells for.
• Look at the property from a potential buyer's point of view. You only get one chance to make a good "First Impression".
• Exterior should look clean and freshly painted. This may require completely repainting the house.
• Grass and shrubbery should be neat and trimmed.
• Sidewalks should be swept and free of litter. Toys, etc. should be kept off front lawn.
• Windows and doors should be clean and in good repair. Gutters should be clean.
• Ask your agent for an objective and expert opinion on what needs to be done. Your agent can give you invaluable tips.
• At Marcus & Associates, Inc. we offer our clients Construction services through our in-home Construction Division.

Preparing the Interior of Your Home
The same careful attention should be given to the inside of your home as you give the exterior. Once buyers have entered your home, you will want them to see it at its BEST.

• Make your home appear as spacious as possible
• Electrical switches should function properly
• All lighting should have fresh bulbs
• Dripping faucets and leaky toilets should be repaired
• Doors should open smoothly

When an interested buyer decides they would like to buy the house, they will make an offer to purchase.

• The buyers with the help of their agent, will draft the offer using a Purchase Contract. This is the standard purchase agreement developed by the Hawaii Association of Realtors.
• The offer will be sent to your agent, who will review it and in turn present it to you.
• Your agent will go over the offer with you and discuss the pros and cons contained in the offer and whether it addresses your requirements.
• The Purchase Contract, though not limited to this list, should include the following:
  • A legal description of the property
  • The offering price
  • Down payment
  • Deposit amount
  • Financing arrangements
  • Inclusions (appliances, furniture, etc.)
  • Inspection rights and relevant contingencies
  • Who will handle the escrow and closing
  • The closing date

Most offers to purchase will require some level of negotiating to come to a "win-win" agreement.

• Your agent will review the written offer with you to make sure that you thoroughly understand what the buyers are offering and what they are asking in return. Your agent will be able to help you understand the issues and how they will effect you. It is your agents primary responsibility to protect your best interest throughout these negotiations.
• Some of the things that you may decide to negotiate on are:
  • The price
  • Financing
  • Closing costs
  • Closing Date
  • Contingency Timeframes (Inspection, Review of Disclosures/Documents)
  • Termite Contingencies
  • Encroachments
  • Occupancy time frame

Once you have an accepted contract, your Marcus agent will assist you with the following:

• Coordinate all the necessary contingencies that must be done to finalize the sale
• Keep you apprised of the buyer's progress in fulfilling his part of the contract which may include the following:
  • Buyer's financing
  • Buyer's home inspection
  • Review of Seller's Disclosure
  • Review of Subdivision/Condo Documents/Title Report
  • Appraisal of the property
  • Survey of the property
  • Pest & termite inspection
  • Final Walkthrough
• There are some sales that go smoothly and some that require a lot of work to get to the closing table. Until you get into it, you won't know which one you have on your hands. Either way, your agent will prove to be a valuable resource to you.
• Almost concurrent to all of the above happening, the title and escrow companies will be assuring that title to the property is in order and all the necessary transfer documents are ready for closing.

The signing of the conveyance documents usually occurs a few days prior to the actual transfer of ownership. Signing is usually done at the escrow company's office with an escrow officer.

• Your agent will be present at signing to help explain, along with the escrow officer, the process and forms to you and make sure that everything goes as planned.
• The buyer(s) and seller(s) normally sign separately.
• Closing occurs when the escrow company, after receiving the buyers down payment, loan proceeds and the fully executed documents signed by the sellers and buyers, files the documents with the State Bureau of Conveyances for recordation.
• The typical time frame from signing of closing docs to recordation is a minimum of 3 working days.
• Upon receiving notice of recordation from the Bureau, escrow will release the seller's proceeds to the seller.
• Title to the property is transferred to the buyer at recordation, Keys are delivered to the buyer. You should have been packed and moved out of the property prior to that date.
• Your agent can provide you with a checklist for moving so you won't overlook notifying the utility companies, Post Office, etc. of your move.