Tips for Sellers   Select the best agent for you When selling your home, the key to choosing your agent is the one who you feel will work compatibly with you. Remember: You and your agent are a team. All the agents you might interview will present their resumes, professional accomplishments, market analysis and marketing plans. But the bottom line is how easy it will be to work with an agent, from negotiating complex situations that may arise, to adjusting marketing plans to fit your needs. Most importantly, your agent should not disappear during the selling process. Great agents will provide regular status reports on sales progress, such as levels of interest from brokers and clients, and how many visitors have attended your open houses. Prepare your home Your agent should provide a reasonable checklist for you of activities that will contribute toward obtaining your maximum listing price. Some items to consider before you begin showing your home: Improve the exterior. Never underestimate the power of curb appeal. The first thing visitors will see when they drive up to your house will be its exterior. Manicured lawns, trimmed shrubbery and flowers, and a nice paint job will do wonders for curb appeal. Organize inside. Eliminate clutter, which will hamper visitors' ability to move smoothly through your house. Store any excess furniture, and tidy up closets. Clean thoroughly. Make sure there are no odors, and that pets are not present for showings. If necessary, have carpets and blinds cleaned. Ensure that there is no obvious dust or dirt visible. Put things in working order. Visitors like to see pride of ownership, so caulking around the tub and sink areas, replacing broken light bulbs, and repairing broken door knobs and latches are important. Conduct inspections. Presenting potential buyers with pest, contractor, and other inspections is key to expediting the sales process. Doing so prior to accepting an offer eliminates any surprises and delays during escrow. Accept an offer After your agent presents you with all submitted offers, you will choose the one that makes the most sense. (Sometimes, the highest-priced offer may not be the best one.) You will have the opportunity to counteroffer, which means presenting new terms to an offeror who may or may not accept. After you've accepted an offer, you have a "ratified" transaction, and you're officially in escrow. The key seller responsibilities are: Disclosing all facts about your home of which you are aware Making your home available for appraisals and further buyer inspections Signing all forms in a timely manner The escrow process ends when buyers and sellers have fulfilled their conditions. This includes loan funding and inspection approval, and each party paying its respective closing costs when the final papers are signed at the escrow office. Escrow closes when money is successfully tranferred to you from the buyer, and the title officer records the sale in county records.