This is the second step of our guide selling houses in Orlando, “Putting your house up for sale”. If you have not yet read the first “Ready to sell your home?”, guide, we suggest you do so before reading this one.

Once you are emotionally prepared to part with your house, and you are clear that after selling it you will get a good return on your investment, the next step is to work with an experienced real estate agent in selling homes in Orlando.

Work with a real estate agent

There is no obligation to work with a real estate agent to sell your home. You can sell your house on your own, promote it on your social networks or other digital platforms, or you can place a “sale by owner” sign in front of your home. Now, if you are looking to get the highest profitability, avoid making paperwork mistakes and that the property sells in the shortest time and at the highest possible price, it will be best to list it with an Orlando real estate agent.

Working with a real estate agent will give you the peace of mind knowing that you are advised by an expert with access to the premier listing platform for properties, MLS. Some of the benefits of working with a Realtor or real estate agent are:

• You will receive an analysis of the real estate market in your area with price comparisons of the latest houses sold and those currently for sale. This will help you set a competitive selling price for your property.
• Your agent will advise you on the adjustments you must make to your house to obtain the best sale price. It will guide you to avoid making unnecessary changes that do not increase the value of the property.
• One of the fundamental aspects to promote a house for sale are the photographs. Your agent will take professional photos that make the house look as attractive as possible.
• Your house will be listed on the MLS and different real estate platforms that will provide greater visibility of your property so that it lasts the shortest time possible in the market.
• Your agent will prepare “Open Houses” to attract interested clients and highlight the strengths of your property.
• If you do not have experience in negotiations, your agent will negotiate the offers they make to sell your house at the best price and will be in charge of managing all the documents required during the property sale process.

It is true that a real estate agent is essential for a successful sale, but it is even more important to work with the right agent, who has the experience you need. Some of the criteria you should consider when selecting a real estate agent are:

• That connects with you. You should work with someone with whom you feel comfortable, someone who transmits trust and connects with you, that both are on the same page.
• Availability. You need an agent who dedicates the necessary time to achieve the objective in the shortest possible time, someone who clarifies all the doubts you have during the process.
• Someone who make suggestions. In most cases the seller has little experience selling houses or has never sold a house. Therefore, it is necessary that the agent make suggestions to you regarding the sale price, house improvements, contingencies that are presented in the offers in order to select the best option. If the agent was just listing your property in the MLS and presenting you with the offers they make for the property, you wouldn’t be getting all the benefits of an experienced real estate agent.
• Service vocation. You need an agent who cares and works hard for your benefits, someone with the vocation to help others achieve their goals.

Choose a title company

Title companies are generally in charge of managing all the paperwork to close the transaction of buying and selling a property. In Florida, it is common for the title company’s procedures to be paid by the seller and it is the seller who chooses with which one he wishes to carry out the process of closing his house.

It is important that you quote with at least three title companies to know which one gives you the best prices. The title company will send you a “Net Sheet”, which is a document in which you will be able to observe all the costs that you must assume on the day of closing, such as:

• Closing costs
• Owner title insurance
• Lien Search
• Title Search
• Writing taxes (Doc Stamps)
• Current mortgage debt (if any)
• Real estate agent commissions
• Property tax apportionment
• Other expenses
• Estimated net income to seller

This document will also be very useful to identify what your estimated net income will be and negotiate with the buyer some of these costs in case your income is below expected.

With this we finish the second step of the guide to sell your house in Orlando. We invite you to continue reading the third step of this guide “selling the house“.

If this guide has been useful to you and you think it can serve other people who, like you, want to sell their house in Orlando, we invite you to share it on your social networks.