Whether this is your first time through the home sale process, or it’s been a few years, it’s important to know that a lot has changed in how top agents sell their clients’ homes.

By reverse-engineering the home sale process, you create a much better home selling experience and outcome, explains Mary Lee, a top agent with Keller Williams Real Estate in Bellevue and on Mercer Island. In 2005, Mary created the Ultimate Home Selling Success System™, which maximizes market exposure, streamlines the home sale process, and removes the common buyer contingencies.

The system includes 5 cutting-edge strategies:

Pre-Listing Home Inspection – The buyer’s home inspection contingency is one of the biggest hurdles in the home selling process, Mary explains. By getting your home pre-inspected before listing it, you will know the condition of your home up front, allowing you to put the home in good condition or price it accordingly.

Buyers typically feel more confident about making an offer on a home that has been pre-inspected and by disclosing the condition of the property, sellers establish trust and credibility with the buyer. (Think of the last time you purchased a car – the vehicle that had the 40-point inspection and was clean and detailed probably appealed to you the most).

“A pre-inspection will enable you to make repairs while you are in control (instead of giving the buyer control once they are under contract with you),” says Mary, who has successfully sold every one of her listings since 2005 without a buyer’s inspection contingency using this proven process.

Proper Preparation – Savvy sellers know that you have one chance to make a first impression, and that starts with your online presence. Top agents will invest in professional staging, photography and videography to showcase your home’s features. Over 40 percent of buyers on the Eastside are international buyers, who may be looking at your house online from another country, Mary notes.

Pricing – Sellers have several choices to determine value on their home, including online valuation tools like Zillow, tax-assessed value, an independent appraisal, or a price analysis by an experienced agent. “Pricing is part art and part science and a good agent will factor in recent sales in your neighborhood, condition, updates, views, lot size and other amenities of your home, and overall market conditions, including inventory levels and available competing properties,” Mary says.

Promotion – Your agent needs to have a comprehensive marketing plan that includes both print and online media strategies, including customized target marketing to buyers and top agents who have buyers in your home’s price range.

Expert Negotiation Skills – Besides market knowledge, a proven track record and a customized marketing plan that gets results, sellers want an agent who is a highly experienced negotiator. Agents who have the Certified Negotiation Expert (CNE™) designation, or Master Certified Negotiation Expert (MCNE™) designation have received advanced training in top negotiation strategies and are in the best position to help you achieve your desired goals. Fewer than 1% of agents in the country have these advanced designations.

To learn more about Mary, go to: www.whyworkwithmary.com.

To download a FREE Home Seller’s Guide, go to: https://tinyurl.com/Sellingin2018

Visit us on the web at www.maryleerealestate.com