A Roadmap to Selling your Condo

Your Road Map to a Safe & Successful Sale

If you’re thinking of selling, no doubt you have a myriad of questions.

What’s my home worth?

Should I use an agent or go it alone?

How do I make my home attractive to buyers?

And, of course, the big one: How do I get the most for my home? This resource guide will help.

We know selling your home is a journey, and the more informed you are about what to do and expect along the way, the more successful your home sale will be.

Ideally you want that journey to end with your home selling quickly and for the best possible price.

This resource guide will get you there. Just think of me as your personal tour guide along the way, here to answer any questions you may have. Let the journey begin. Enjoy!

Theresa Baird Broker

647-298-0997

tbaird@tbaird.com

tbaird.com

Choosing the Best Agent for You

Most sellers use a real estate sales professional and for good reason. A skilled agent can ensure your home sells quickly and for top dollar, all while making the entire process seamless and as stress-free as possible.

Other reasons to consider using a real estate agent:

1. PRICING IS A REAL ART

The biggest factor in determining how quickly your home sells will be the price, and deciding that price is harder than it seems. It takes market expertise, experience and skill as even 1% more for your home can mean thousands to your bottom line.

2. NEGOTIATING MATTERS

Negotiating is not just presenting an offer and seeing what happens. It requires impeccable communication skills, finesse and fearlessness to achieve your best result. This requires a professional.

What to look for in an agent.

HIGHLY SKILLED, REAL ESTATE AREA EXPERT

On the pulse of all local market activity and have intricate knowledge of active and past inventory. They keep you informed and are by your side every step of the way.

3. MAR K ETING IS COMPLEX, MULTI-PRONGED

Marketing a home today is well beyond a lawn sign and MLS® In fact, the most successful marketing plans involve a targeted, multi-pronged approach to ensure your home is not only beautifully displayed but also visible, literally everywhere!

4. SAFE SHOWINGS ARE #1

Sellers face a unique set of challenges today with COVID-19 especially when it comes to in-person showings. We adhere to a strict set of protocols to ensure the safety of our sellers, buyers and visiting agents, as described in Step 5.

5. THE PAPERWORK IS DAUNTING

If you think doing your own taxes is a challenge, try navigating the paperwork for a real estate transaction. A great agent will dot the i's, cross the t's, ensure no deadlines are missed and your interests are protected.

When choosing an agent, make sure they meet this profile. It makes all the difference.

MARKETING GENIUS

They know exactly how to set the ideal price for your property, so that it sells quickly and for top dollar. They also know how to promote your listing effectively, to attract the most qualified buyers.

SKILLED NEGOTIATOR

Negotiating requires expertise and skill, period. Great agents have mastered this art and bring confidence and calm at offer time. They guide you through the negotiation process helping you understand what to include, what to give up and most importantly, when to walk away if reasonable terms cannot be reached.

SOMEONE WHO MAKES THINGS EASY

Not only to handle the minutia of paperwork, but your agent should recommend reputable movers, contractors, and other professionals you need. Your agent does the heavylifting so you can sit back and the enjoy the process.

Pricing Smart Preparing Your Home to Wow

First, it is important to understand that only the market can determine the ultimate value of your home. That said, choosing the optimal list price is essential to ensuring you get top dollar! Setting a list price for your home is no easy task but it's a critical one.

Depending on market conditions, too low, you risk not getting as much as you possibly can. Too high, you risk losing buyers, not to mention the fact that overpricing simply helps competitive homes sell faster.

To complicate this, your home is an emotional asset. It’s hard to see it objectively as a “product” for sale.

Finding the optimal price is an art that great agents spend their careers mastering.

Pricing today requires a combination of market expertise, an exhaustive study of similar homes for sale, previous sales and some old-fashioned street smarts.

Pricing your home right from the start will result in the highest exposure, more showings, more offers and ultimately the highest price for your home.

15% Too High Risk losing $ 37,500 to $67,500 on the sale of the home.

15% Too Low

Fewer qualified buyers bother to see the home.

Once you've set the price, your next step in the journey is preparing your home to wow buyers from the moment they drive up.

This is more important than you might think. REALTORS® repeatedly find that people cannot visualize the potential of a home. They have to see it. That means that how your home shows now is how people see themselves in it. They can’t see past the chips, leaks, clutter and stains – in fact, they tend to focus even more on those things.

You can, however, dramatically improve how your home shows with a few quick and easy fixes.

The 3 R's of Prepping Your Home for Sale

1. REMOVE

Get rid of as much clutter as possible. Give it away, sell it at a garage sale, put it in storage, but just get it out of the house. You want your home to look spacious and tidy.

2. REPAIR

*Home for sale in the $250,000 - $500,000 price range.

Chipped paint, cracked tiles, squeaky hinges, loose handles, leaky faucets. Fix everything you can. If you need a handyperson or contractor, we can help!

3. RENEW

Clean, clean and clean again. It's that important. You want your home to look guest ready. Organize each room so that it looks like a showcase. A fresh coat of paint can go a long way to dramatically improving the look as well.

Sound overwhelming?

Here's the good news: Everything you remove, clean or repair helps to sell your home faster and for a better price. So it's like getting paid to do it!

Staged homes sell 49% faster and for 7 - 11% more money.*

*Source: NAR

Marketing Your Home for Results

Marketing is not only our passion, but it’s our area of expertise with customized marketing campaigns for each home designed to create buzz, expand exposure, invoke emotion and captivate buyers’ attention online and offline.

Here are few things you can expect from us when it comes to marketing your home.

PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY, DRONE VIDEO AND 2D, 3D FLOOR PLANS

First impressions are critically important especially today with over 95% of properties being viewed online first. From breathtaking photos, aerial views and popular 2D and 3D floor plans - our listings are showstoppers that generate more in-person showing requests than most.

WOW FACTOR LISTINGS

Our listings are not only visually appealing, but they also leave no question unanswered when it comes to what buyers want to know. The location and type of home will determine which sites we upload your listing to. This will ensure maximum local, out-of-area and international exposure to hundreds of thousands of agents and buyers.

Our 10 Step, Safe

Home Selling Process

Step 1 Safe onsite inspection before preparing for our presentation to sell your home.

SOCIAL MEDIA ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS

While strategically targeting the right demographic for your home, we carry the same great visuals to our Facebook, Instagram and YouTube ad campaigns to garner social views and more eyes on your listing.

PROACTIVE OUTREACH

Using email, text, phone and social channels - we actively tap into our ongoing network of active buyers as well as local and out-of-town agents to find all potential buyers.

PRINT MARKETING

From local postcard announcements and door hangers to magazine quality feature sheets, everyone in your community will know about your listing.

VIRTUAL AND VIDEO OPEN HOUSES

These are a great way to showcase your home to both agents and potential buyers instantly and safely.

For a deeper dive into exactly what we would do to get your home sold fast and for top dollar, let’s get together, virtually or in person.

Step 2 Virtual or in person presentation and e-signing to get started.

Step 3 Safe staging preparations for photography/video needs.

Step 4 Listing goes live, multipronged marketing campaigns commence!

Step 5 Safe showing protocols in place with all buyers/agents pre-screened, onsite instructions.

Step 6 Offer(s) start to arrive. We meet virtually or in person to review and sign back digitally.

Step 7 It’s Sold! We take care of condition/contingency removal, inspections, the deposit and paperwork to your lawyer.

Step 8 Legal documents prepared for your signature to finalize the transfer of ownership and pay off any mortgages/ liens on title.

Step 9 Start packing! Need help with moving boxes, movers, junk removal, anything that needs fixing? We're here to help!

Step 10 Closing day or moving day! We’ll handle key deliveries, cleaning and anything else you need to make your moving day as smooth as possible.

Congratulations!

Safe & Successful Showings

These are unprecedented times and we recommend whenever possible, that our sellers move out during the active listing phase to limit contact and expedite the sale.

If this is not possible, it is best that you are not present for showings for safety reasons, but also because buyers want to be free to look around and discuss your home. Here are a few of our showing protocols and recommendations.

PRE-QUALIFICATION OF ALL BUYERS

Step one, before anyone views your home in person, is a virtual viewing and pre-qualification to ensure the potential buyer is qualified to buy.

PRE-SCREENING

Once potential buyers are pre-qualified and want to view your home, each person entering is pre-screened based on the current COVID-19 Health Guidelines to ensure they are not required to be in quarantine or isolation.

HOME TOUR SAFETY KITS

We stock a supply of home tour safety kits for each listing that includes hand sanitizer, gloves and masks for onsite visitors.

TOUCHLESS VIEWINGS

We recommend you leave all interior doors open, lights on in each room, key kitchen/pantry cupboards open as we;; as closets, to limit contact on surfaces and door handles..

FLEXIBILITY IS KEY

We understand showings are inconvenient and we will do everything possible to limit unnecessary traffic. However, we do recommend that you be as flexible as you can, even allowing for short notice visits. Remember, the buyers will be qualified and most eager to buy).

MAKE YOUR HOME INVITING

Ever notice how model homes are always neat, tidy and impeccably decorated? That's because the more inviting your home is, the more likely a buyer is to fall in love with it. Keep lights on, windows open if weather is appropriate for fresh air. Consider baking a pie, putting on the fireplace and lighting candles. Create an ambiance! It all makes a difference.

If you have any questions about the showing process, please reach out. I am here to make this process stressfree.

Negotiating Expertise

When an offer comes in — perhaps multiple offers - this is where negotiating expertise counts to ensure you achieve the highest price and best terms.

Depending of course on market conditions, chances are, an offer will be higher or lower than your asking price. Don’t be concerned or offended, it’s normal.

In fact, the best way to think about an offer is as a starting point to a conversation.

Things to keep in mind when negotiating:

COUNTER-OFFERS ARE NORMAL

Expect some back and forth. They offer, you counter and eventually come to an agreement.

PRICE ISN’T THE ONLY THING

You can negotiate on price, offer conditions, assets included. Don’t get stuck on one thing.

Momentum is key in negotiations

MOMENTUM IS THE SECRET

Things happen fast at this stage. That’s why having a skilled agent to represent you is vital.

I will walk you through the details of the offer or offers, make recommendations on how to proceed, and keep the process moving forward until we have success on your terms.

Once you accept the final offer, the buyer provides a deposit to be held “in trust” until conditions are met and the transaction is final and title is transferred.

If there are conditions to be met, usually within a specific time frame, I will handle all of these details and ensure a waiver is signed and your sale is firm awaiting the closing day.

Calculating Your Bottom Line

Once an offer is firm, your journey is not over. There is still paperwork to be done and calculations to be made, however, we are here to help.

Let’s calculate how much you keep.

Here are a few typical closing costs for you to consider.

LEGAL | TITLE FEES

You will require a lawyer or title company to represent you and manage the legal details of closing. They are responsible for ensuring the successful transfer of title of your home to the new buyers. Title must be free and clear of all mortgages, liens which will be paid out by your legal

representation on closing.

MORTGAGE PAYOUT

We strongly recommend discussing your mortgage options before listing to determine your best course of action. Your mortgage will need to paid off or transferred to another property you purchase so that title can transfer free and clear to the new owners. It’s best to check with your lender to determine the exact cost to transfer (port) and pay off your mortgage. Some lenders charge a discharge fee to remove the mortgage from title, and it is possible there is a penalty for repayment based on your current mortgage terms.

UTILITIES, MORTGAGE INTEREST, PROPERTY TAX & OTHER ADJUSTMENTS

Be sure to cancel your home services and utilities as necessary and arrange to have any final bills forwarded to your new address.

The lawyer/title company will ensure that any overpayment or deficiencies on rent, condo fees, mortgage interest, utility

deposits and property taxes will be adjusted for on closing.

MOVING COSTS

Moving costs vary based on location and the amount of possessions being moved. If you’re moving yourself, you should factor gas, rental vehicles and moving supplies.

Use the Calculating Your Net Proceeds worksheet that follows to estimate your bottom line.

Calculating Your Net Proceeds

Meet Theresa Baird

Broker

After over 20 years of selling real estate, Theresa Baird is known and loved by her clients to be able to deliver exceptional service. Theresa prides herself on being able to communicate with her clients. Clients are always impressed by her quick replies and consistency to always answer her phone. Theresa’s aim is to make every client feel like they are the only client – even though she is typically working with 10 or more at a time.

Theresa is always eager to learn more and share her knowledge with clients and other real estate agents through coaching sessions. Negotiating offers is Theresa’s favourite part of her job and works to put the most amount of money in her client’s pockets. Fine tuning the closing on transactions to take that stress from her clients is always top of mind.

When not selling real estate, Theresa enjoys spending time with her husband Bob at their Mississauga home, their Northern Cottage or their winter home in Florida. She enjoys spendingtime with her two grandchildren Jack and Morgan.

What Our Clients are Saying

“Thank you “Theresa Baird Team for totally taking over and assisting in the preparation of our condo at “The Regatta” to go on the open market. With us living out of the country, we were so pleased that you took control of having our home painted, coordinated and chose all new lighting, totally staging our place and then selling it for us. We couldn’t have selected a better team to work with and we were thrilled with the results you got for us. We will happily refer youto all our friends..”

Christiane and Dave

“Well, we are still busy packing. How is it this is such an endless job! And it’s been crazy over the last two days. So sorry haven’t reached out sooner - but a HUGE THANK YOU! Our dream house is beyond our dream house. I can’t get over how great the place makes us feel - I am instantly at home. And it only proves how important and impactful your environment is.

Yesterday when we were there we saw a coyote in the background. Then we saw a rabbit - thank goodness it was in that order. I’ll be putting my desk together today and can’t wait to have that view for work.

So thank you again, from the bottom of our hearts. We were a little nervous when we weren’t finding anything that made us go wow - and then questioned, yikes are we doing the right thing. Oh my goodness - did we ever do the right thing!”

Irene and Matt

An Expert By Your Side

As you’ve discovered, selling your home can be an exciting and rewarding journey‒ when you’re informed and do things right from the start.

This is where I hope to help.

I’ll provide you with a complimentary market evaluation of your home, a detailed look at what I would do to get your home sold and of course answer any other questions you may have.

Also, by having this initial conversation, you are under no obligation to hire me as your agent.

So let's talk. I'd love to show you how I can sell your home fast and for the best price!

With gratitude,

647-298-0997

tbaird@tbaird.com

tbaird.com

REALTY GROUP

THERESA BAIRD

647-298-0997

tbaird@tbaird.com

tbaird.com

Disclaimer: This document is not intended to solicit buyers or sellers currently under contract with a brokerage. All opinions expressed and data provided herein are subject to change without notice. The information is provided solely for informational and educational purposes and is not intended to provide, and should not be construed as providing individual financial, investment, tax, legal or accounting advice. Professional advisors should be consulted prior to acting on the basis of the information contained in this document. I/We assume no responsibility for errors or omissions in the content contained herein.