Seller's Guide

Everything you need to know about putting your home on the market, accepting an offer, and closing on your home.

A Step-by-Step First Time Seller's Guide

Putting your home on the market can be a stressful process, especially when you don’t know what to expect. Fortunately, with the help of an experienced team of real estate agents and this easy to follow guide, you can smoothly complete the process. Following these steps will help you prepare so you can get organized and sell your home for the best price possible.​​​​​​​

Bright living room with a tiled fireplace, white seating, and large windows.

Step 1: Understand Why You're Selling

What do you want to accomplish with the sale of your home? Do you want to make a certain amount of money that you can put toward a larger or nicer home? Do you need to sell it as soon as possible to facilitate a move to a new city or area? Once you understand your needs, you can better craft your offer. For example, if you need to sell quickly, you might want to price your home lower than if your goal is to make a certain profit margin. Make sure you convey these needs to your team of real estate agents once you choose one so they can adjust your selling price accordingly.

Bright white kitchen with a marble island, undermount sink, tall chrome faucet, and yellow blossoms.

Step 2: Determine Selling Price

Knowing how to price your home is one of the most important parts of the selling process. When you set a fair price in the beginning, you’ll get the most interest from other real estate agents and prospective buyers. Overpricing your home could lead to reduced interest, and underpricing leads to receiving less than what your home is worth. Working with a team of real estate agents is the best way to determine the right selling price for your home. A team of real estate agents with experience can determine what other comparable homes are selling for, evaluate the current market, and may even suggest a home appraisal.

Open-plan kitchen, dining, and living area with exposed beams, hardwood floors, and large windows overlooking the backyard.

Step 3: Start Preparations

If you’ve kept your home in showroom condition since you’ve lived in it, you’re in the minority of homeowners. Once you price your home, it’s time to start getting it ready to be shown to potential buyers. This includes getting rid of clutter, depersonalizing the space so that buyers can envision themselves in the space, making any small repairs, and doing a deep clean to make sure your home is in pristine condition.

Living room with a gray sectional, fireplace, and expansive windows overlooking a wooded lawn.

Step 4: Develop a Marketing Strategy

We will develop a marketing strategy that is perfect for advertising your home. This involves listing the home and then driving the right people to that listing through social media campaigns, agent-to-agent referrals, traditional media, or SEO advertising. Our team creates a marketing campaign that aims to get the most possible traffic to your listing in the first three weeks after becoming a client.

Contemporary kitchen with dark cabinetry, marble surfaces, a wide range, and brass fixtures.

Step 5: Evaluate Offers

Receiving an offer is an exciting part of the process, but it doesn’t mean the journey is over. We will evaluate each offer and make sure the party making the offer is prequalified or pre-approved by a mortgage lender and that their offer is acceptable to you. If the offer is too low, you can make a counter-offer or offer other ways to bridge the gap, such as covering some or all of the closing costs, making repairs, adjusting the move-in date, or leaving some appliances or fixtures for the new buyer.

White two-story house framed by mature trees, with a covered entry and broad green lawn.

Step 6: Accept an Offer

Once we deem the offer is acceptable, we will review the proposed contract to make sure it’s all in order and includes the necessary components such as deposit amount, down payment, financing, inspection rights and repair allowances, contingencies, settlement date, and a list of fees and who will pay them. When both parties have agreed to the term, a final contract will be prepared by your team of real estate agents.

Modern kitchen with a marble island, wood cabinetry, and large windows overlooking a pool and greenery.

Step 7: Get Ready to Close

You have accepted an offer and are now very close to the end of your selling journey. But first, you and the buyer must make a list of what needs to be done before closing. In some cases, your home may need to be formally inspected, surveyed, and appraised. In other cases, major or minor repairs will need to be made before the house can close. We will head up efforts to develop and execute this list, get each action item paid for by the correct party, and make sure everything is in order by the closing date. A few days before the closing date, we will call the company closing the transaction to make sure everything is ready to go. If you haven’t done so already, you also need to make arrangements to move out of the home so the new buyer can take possession.

Home entrance with a dark paneled wood door, brass hardware, and matching potted shrubs.

Step 8: Close

You’ve reached the last step in the seller’s process. When you close on a home you are selling, you are legally transferring ownership of the property to the new buyer. We will meet with the company closing the transaction to sign the final paperwork and go over any issues that have not yet been taken care of. During this time, you can also make plans with your team of real estate agents to handle final details such as canceling utilities, cable, and lawn or trash services, changing the name on accounts that the new owner is retaining and ensuring the new owner has instructions for all appliances that will remain in the home.

Congratulations!

Once you have sold your home, you’re free to take the next step on your journey. Whether this is relocating to a new city, moving into a larger home, or downsizing and enjoying your life as empty-nesters, knowing all your selling responsibilities have been taken care of will help you achieve peace of mind for your new path.

Our Testimonials

See why our clients love working with us.
Peter F.

Peter F.

Carmen McElhaney was my seller's agent. She did an excellent job, was very professional, and was always available. Carmen goes above and beyond to get the closing done. It was a real pleasure to work with Carmen, and I can high...
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Raquel M.

Raquel M.

I had an amazing first-time home-buying experience! Reilly took all the stress of home buying off my hands and maintained consistent communication throughout the entire process. I could not recommend her enough.
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K. Hernandez

K. Hernandez

Reilly Gnewuch was so amazing and responsive from the start! Thank you for your help with our new home!
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Itzel O.

Itzel O.

If you’re looking for a broker team that truly feels like family, is constantly learning and growing, and a broker who is always available to support you, then Premier Haus Realty is the place to be.
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Karla M.

Karla M.

Excellent service. The agents are highly knowledgeable, professional, and very capable. Truly a great brokerage to work with.
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Rubi L.

Rubi L.

The name says it all. Premier Haus Brokerage is unmatched, fully committed to its agents, and offers exceptional training and guidance at every step.
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Richard F.

Richard F.

I've used Jaime Fallon for my last 5 home purchases throughout Houston and Katy, TX. She professionally stages the homes, does all the interior renovation work with her team of contractors before we list, and sells them faster ...
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Kayla F.

Kayla F.

Jaime helped me find a property on short notice! Excellent realtor!
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Chelsea T.

Chelsea T.

Michelle helped me find and rent a townhouse in the Heights, and she was so helpful from start to finish! I appreciated how proactive she was in finding options and booking showings that aligned with my budget and needs. Michel...
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Brandon M.

Brandon M.

Working with Maura was an amazing experience from start to finish. She was professional, knowledgeable, and always made herself available whenever I had questions throughout the home-buying process. She made everything feel smo...
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Jasmine G.

Jasmine G.

Working with Maura was such a great experience from start to finish. She was kind, easygoing, and incredibly helpful throughout the entire process. What really stood out was how smooth everything felt; honestly, buying our home...
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James & Gaby N.

James & Gaby N.

Corine Rincon is a pleasure to work with and a true professional. Gaby and I appreciated her great communication, organization, and dedication to her clients throughout the transaction. Corine kept everything on track, was proa...
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Carmen P.

Carmen P.

Marina is a wonderful agent. From the beginning, she was very kind, prompt, professional, communicative, and dedicated to my husband and me. Marina is very knowledgeable, and if there is something she isn’t sure about, she is q...
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Buyer

Buyer

Maura's thoroughness, attention to detail, and knowledge are unmatched. From the first phone call to closing, a beat was never missed. I am grateful for all of the effort and presence throughout the entire process. If you're lo...
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Alexis G.

Alexis G.

Maura helped my husband and me sell and buy. Both transactions were smooth sailing! We’ve had bad experiences with realtors before, and she made it so easy and less stressful. If she didn’t have the answer, she would always mak...
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Kristen B.

Kristen B.

Marina helped sell a home and buy another home. She was professional, diligently working with our needs and advising our whole journey. She helped us understand the process and negotiated a great deal. The drone video she made ...
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Marissa N.

Marissa N.

We had an awesome experience working with Airlia to buy our first home. She was super friendly, patient, and really took the time to understand what my husband and I were looking for. We’re pretty particular, but she totally na...
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Diane B.

Diane B.

What a great experience it was working with Robin at Jorgensen Realty Group. She really went above and beyond. I cannot recommend her enough. You will be well taken care of. She was there from the beginning until the very end.
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James N.

James N.

Jacqueline is a phenomenal real estate agent who brings dedication, expertise, and a sincere passion for helping her clients succeed. She is attentive, detail-oriented, and always takes the time to ensure her clients feel infor...
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Richard H.

Richard H.

Jason Ferris is a superior agent, and I highly recommend him for several reasons: First, he found a creative solution with a buyer that helped our deal succeed. Second, he provided quality contractor recommendations to prepare ...
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Modern two-story home with a recessed balcony, stone facade, wood accents, and gated front yard.

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Whether you're buying, selling, developing, or investing in Greater Houston, Premier Haus Realty brings strategic insight, market expertise, and a collaborative approach to every opportunity. We pair personalized representation with transparent communication and precise execution, delivering a refined real estate experience designed around your goals from start to finish.

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