Sellers
We want to service all of your real estate needs for the rest of your life!
Because we work by referral, you have probably previously bought your home with us before or know someone else who has. Rest assured that we transfer our home buying expertise into a superb home selling experience for you as well. You WILL be taken care of. To begin we meet with you for about an hour to orient you to the home selling process. Together we will explore your goals and combine them with our market knowledge to help you reach them. We’re there for you through listing, showing, negotiations, moving and closing, ensuring your comfort and convenience along the way.
We’re not selling you a product at Socius; we’re offering you a life-time service, and our service doesn’t end with the transaction. Developing long-term relationships means serving your needs before, during, and after the sale – whether you are a buyer or seller. And as a home owner, you remain our valued client and gain the benefit of our unique home owner services – for life.
Call us at 512.452.5520 to schedule a listing appointment with an agent.
Step 1: Contact a Socius Realtor
Socius realtors are committed to understanding your needs and working diligently on your behalf throughout the entire selling process. We believe strongly in educating our clients to ensure their comfort and confidence as we progress through the transaction. We are familiar with the market and understand the importance of appropriately pricing your home to give you the competitive edge. Our services have been designed to assist you in selling your home for the optimum price, in the shortest amount of time, with the least possible inconvenience to you.
Step 2: The Orientation Meeting
When you meet with a Socius agent for the first time, we talk with you to help you identify your needs and requirements for selling your home. We gather information about your property and familiarize you with the transaction process. We combine our knowledge of the market with your goals to help you establish the best price, which is the most important factor in selling your home. We will help you determine how you would like to show your home, whether that is by lockbox any time, by appointment only, or somewhere in between. Further, we provide you with information on preparing your home for sale and explain how to avoid common closing delays, and discuss moving. You will also be introduced to our support staff whose presence allows us to give you the highest quality customer service available in real estate today.
Step 3: Listing Your Home
Next, as members of the Austin Board of Realtors, we will enter your home into the Multiple Listing Service. The Multiple Listing Service or MLS is how local real estate agents share data with one another and with their Buyers. Generally it is an area’s most comprehensive source for properties for sale. MLS listings include detailed information about your property. Besides address and offering price, a listing generally includes the number and size of rooms, annual property taxes, and local school information. Most include a curbside photo of the home.
Step 4: Showing Your Home
The next step is to show your home to the buying public. Realtors search the MLS daily for potential listings to match their client’s needs. Once they find a suitable property, they present the prospect to their clients and generally accompany them on a visual inspection of the property. Realtors typically gain access to your house by means of a lockbox, usually located near your front door, which contains a key to your house. Only certified Realtors with a digital “key” have access to the lock box. This digital key provides security to you and transmits valuable information to us about who has seen your home. We contact those who have seen your home for feedback and supply you with reports so that you have an understanding of how your property is being perceived. This information provides guidance for potential property changes or pricing adjustments that would facilitate selling your home.
Step 5: The Offer
When you have a home for sale, eventually a prospective buyer will “make an offer.” As the seller, you basically have three options: you can accept the offer, reject the offer or give a counter offer. A counter offer usually encourages a buyer to continue their negotiations. You may also receive multiple offers. Contingencies, move-in dates, and financing are all things to consider when weighing an offer. Understanding all of the elements of an offer may seem a bit overwhelming, you can rely on us to explain the offer in a language that you understand and to help you make the best decisions.
Step 6: Contract to Close: The Processing Period (a.k.a. Pre-Closing)
Once you’ve accepted an offer on your property, it becomes a “Contract”. From this point there is much work to be done to process the transaction, which spans about four to six weeks. There will probably be an inspection of your home by a professional who will determine the condition and integrity of your property for the buyer. The buyer’s mortgage company may choose to send out an appraiser who will assure the lender of your property’s worth. The title company will warranty that there are no liens or existing encumbrances which would inhibit a transfer of title to the buyer. The buyer may request repairs to be made during this time. We will guide you through and represent your best interest in repair negotiations. Should the need arise to make repairs we can recommend the best means and/or contractors to ensure the repairs are made with quality and cost efficiency.
Step 7: The Closing
Finally, the processing is over and it’s time to close. Generally, the buyer will do a “Final Walkthrough” Inspection of the house before closing to ensure that all the repairs have been made as negotiated. Closing takes place at the Title Company. Here we review the Settlement Statement (HUD 1), which lists all of the buyer’s and seller’s expenses. A warranty deed is given to the buyer and signed by the seller and any other documents are reviewed and signed. Once the process is complete, you will deliver the keys, the title company will record the legal documents and the money is yours!
