After you have made the decision to put your Kingston area home on the market, you want to ensure that it shows its best to get maximum value. Consider what can be fixed and renovated in your home so it looks as appealing as possible to prospective buyers. Your Kingston Realtor® will help by suggesting any improvements you can make to showcase your home and make it photo ready. These may include deep cleaning, de-cluttering, painting and so on.

Deciding on a listing price is not a perfect science. The value of your home is determined by what buyers are spending for similar homes in your local neighbourhood at that particular time. Your Kingston Real Estate Agent will analyze current market conditions and look at comparable listings and sales, while taking into account any unique selling factors of your property. They will then suggest a price range for listing based on this research and your particular goals.

Your agent will develop a comprehensive marketing plan for your home using a variety of methods and platforms to provide exposure to as many buyers and agents as possible. This will likely include advertising on the local MLS® system, arranging for high quality photos and video/virtual tours, setting up social media ads and so on. It is in your agent’s best interest to sell your home quickly and for the highest return so you can be rest assured that you are in good hands.

During the listing period, there will be several showings booked by buyers and their agents. It is important for you to keep your home looking its best so that prospective buyers see what your property has to offer. Your local real estate agent should provide you with feedback from these showings and use this information to give you direction and improve anything for future showings.

Once you receive an offer on your property your agent will review with you in detail the clauses and conditions that make up the bulk of the offer and then you have three options on how to proceed: Accept, Reject or Counter. Your Realtor® in Kingston will guide you in making the right decision and negotiate on your behalf in order to secure the best possible price and terms to meet your goals.

In this market, offers are typically subject to conditions set by the buyer, such as obtaining a successful home inspection and/or securing financing on the property. During this conditional period, the buyer and their agent will do their best to complete these tasks and if all goes well with the results, they will sign a Notice of Fulfillment, making the deal firm and binding.

You are nearly at the finish line – all that is left are closing tasks. First, remember to notify relevant institutions of your new address: Banks, Credit Card Companies, Canada Post, Insurance, etc. Within a week of closing, your lawyer’s office should be in touch to set up a time for you to sign documentation, provide keys and so on. Shortly before closing, the buyer’s agent will likely arrange a final walkthrough of the home to ensure that everything is functional and there are no issues needing to be addressed. If all goes well, funds will be transferred on closing day and the keys or lockbox code will be provided to the buyer. 

Congratulations, your home is SOLD!