The Ultimate Guide to Selling Your Home.

Welcome to the Ultimate Guide to Selling Your Home in Southern California. Whether you're a seasoned seller or a first-timer, this guide is your go-to resource for a successful home sale. Let's dive in!

1. Choosing the Right Realtor

It is important to choose a realtor who you feel comfortable with and who you believe will best represent your interests. Realtors often have different areas of expertise, and it is important to find one that aligns with your goals.

2. Preparing Your Home for Sale

a. Pricing the Property: Before listing your property, it's crucial to understand its worth. Consult with an experienced realtor or a professional appraiser to get a comparative market analysis (CMA) to accurately price your home.

b. Repairs and Improvements: Address necessary repairs and consider making improvements that could increase your home's value. It is important to note that even minor repairs may end up costing you during the investigation period of escrow, as buyers look for seller credits to make repairs. An example of an improvement to increase your properties value could be something as simple as painting the walls a more neutral color.

c. Staging: Staging your home can make it more appealing to potential buyers. This might involve decluttering, rearranging furniture, and adding decorative elements. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), in 2021, 23% of buyers' agents reported that staging a home reduced its time on the market, with 31% stating it greatly decreased the time the home was listed!

3. Listing Your Home

a. Pricing: Set a competitive price for your home based on your realtor's recommendation and your own research. It is vital you are comfortable with the pricing of the property. There are ways to price a property to stand out and drum up more interest by leveraging the price of other local listings and tactics such as “charm pricing” (listing at just below a round number).

b. Marketing: Work with your realtor to develop a marketing strategy. This should include professional photography, listing your home on various platforms, and hosting open houses. Please refer to the text below this guide to see some of the examples of how we market our listings at Rodwell & Roodhuzyen.

c. Showing Your Home: Be flexible in allowing potential buyers to view your home. Ensure your home is clean and well-presented for each showing with personal items put away - lots of family photos and so on can actually deter buyers.

4. Negotiating Offers

a. Receiving Offers: Your realtor will handle and present to you offers from potential buyers.

b. Reviewing Offers: Consider each offer's terms, including the price, contingencies, closing timeline and any additional stipulations written into the contract. Discuss the pros and cons of each with your realtor.

c. Counteroffers: If necessary, your realtor can help you negotiate by making counteroffers to address your needs.

5. Opening Escrow

a. Inspection: The buyer will typically arrange for inspections such as a home inspection, termite inspection, sewer line scope and so on. Be prepared to negotiate further or provide extensions for further inspections if any of the reports uncover any underlying issues with the property.

b. Appraisal: If the buyer is financing the purchase, the lender will require an appraisal to confirm the home's value. If the appraisal comes in lower than the offer, you may need to renegotiate the sale price, conditions, or the buyer may need to provide additional cash.

6. Closing the Sale

a. Final Walkthrough: The buyer will do a final walkthrough of the home to ensure it's in the agreed-upon condition. This is typically within 5 days of the close of escrow.

b. Closing: You'll sign the final paperwork, typically at a title company or attorney's office. This will include transferring the property title and receiving the payment.

c. Post-Sale: After closing, you'll need to vacate the property by the agreed-upon date and leave the home in the condition stipulated in the contract.

7. Moving On

a. Moving Out: Plan your move, considering hiring professional movers to ensure a smooth transition (highly recommend!!).

b. Transition: Make sure to change your address, transfer necessary utilities, and tie up any loose ends!

8. Congratulations!

Congratulations on selling your home and enjoy the next chapter of your life.

Use this guide as your roadmap and consider choosing David & Lori at Rodwell & Roodhuyzen to sell your home!

If you have any questions, please fill in the box at the bottom of this page and we will reach out to you ASAP. Alternatively, reach out to us via one of our contact methods by clicking HERE. You can also find out more about who we are HERE.

Why sell with David & Lori?

  • Marketing

    Simply put, we will tailor a marketing strategy specific to your property, area and needs. There is no “one size fits all” approach as there are so many variables. It will be a custom approach to suit your goals. We are proud of our tailored solutions for our clients and are strong believers in “doing whatever it takes to get the job done”.

  • Online Marketing Strategies

    Utilize email campaigns targeting local Realtors and prospective buyers, while ensuring the property is listed on the MLS, Zillow, Redfin, and Realtor.com for maximum online exposure. Implement tailored social media ad campaigns featuring virtual tours, sponsored posts, and market statistics across platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Leverage Keller Williams, the world's largest residential real estate brokerage, for international marketing through their extensive global network.

  • Traditional Marketing Strategies

    Engage our Realtor partnership network to find potential buyers before the property's official market listing. Conduct frequent open houses with a dedicated team member or trusted partner available on both weekends and weekdays. Implement neighborhood mail campaigns, door knocking, and flyers to connect with local residents and promote the property. Also, present your property during our weekly brokerage team meetings to reach other local Realtors.

  • Pricing Your Property

    Pricing your property for a successful sale involves finding a balance between attracting buyers and maximizing value. As experienced Realtors, we will perform a thorough comparative market analysis (CMA), considering recent sales of similar properties in your area, without personal attachment bias. Our strategy is to set a competitive and realistic price upfront to attract motivated buyers and potentially multiple offers, aiming to generate maximum attention for your property from the outset. Remember, a well-priced property can increase interest and lead to a quicker and more favorable sale.

  • We listen

    We pride ourselves on our communication and honesty. We promise to always listen to your goals and answer with total honesty and your best interests at heart.

  • Experience

    Unlock the power of experience! Our team brings expertise to the table, spanning backgrounds in construction management, real estate investment, and have served as controller at Keller Williams. We know what buyers want and how to showcase your properties best features .

David Rodwell

Lori Roodhuyzen

David & Lori live in South Bay, Southern California, and have been involved in the Real Estate industry for decades in their own capacities, each holding a unique set of skills. We believe in a synergistic company approach for each of our clients, meaning you will have our entire team’s full attention from start to finish. Our team is well networked in the area and have cultivated close relationships with title companies, escrow companies, lenders, contractors, inspectors and tax professionals. We are also fortunate to have the backing of the world’s largest Real Estate brokerage, Keller Williams Realty.