Selling in Boston,
listed to closed.

I come see the home the way a buyer would, and we talk about your timeline, your next move, and what you need this sale to do for you.

Front door first, flaws and all. You'll get my honest read on the home, what buyers will love and what they'll hesitate over. That candor is cheaper now than at price-reduction time.

We also work out the order of things: whether you need to sell before you buy, where you'll live in between, and what date works for moving out. Those answers shape the closing date we ask buyers for.

We decide the asking price, based on what similar homes nearby have actually sold for, and you sign a listing agreement.

A comparative market analysis lines your home up against recent sales nearby, adjusted for condition, floor level, outdoor space, parking, all of it. Not what neighbors are asking; what buyers have paid.

Then strategy: price to spark competition, or price at the number and hold. Different homes, different markets, different answers. I'll show you the reasoning, not just the figure, and you make the call.

Once we agree, you sign a listing agreement: how long we work together, how I'm paid, and how the home will be marketed.

We get the home ready to show: small repairs, paint, decluttering, and staging, plus the paperwork Massachusetts requires.

Most homes need less than owners fear: paint, light fixes, decluttering, and staging choices that let rooms read at full size. I'll give you a short list ranked by what returns its cost, and tell you plainly what isn't worth doing. The goal isn't a renovation. It's removing every easy reason for a buyer to hesitate.

This is also when we gather the paperwork. Homes built before 1978 need the Massachusetts lead-paint notice for buyers. Homes on a septic system need a Title V inspection. Condos need the association's documents ready for buyers. And we tell buyers the truth about known problems: hiding a known defect is the fastest way to lose a sale, or worse, end up in court after it.

Professional photos are taken, the listing goes live on the MLS, and it appears everywhere buyers search.

Professional photography is non-negotiable; it's the first showing. The listing goes on MLS PIN, the database every local agent uses, and from there it appears on the websites buyers browse, alongside my own outreach to agents working with active buyers.

The listing copy sells the story, not just the square footage: the morning light, the block, the reason you bought it.

Buyers come to see the home, at private appointments and open houses, and I report back what they say.

We make the home easy to see; restrictive showing windows quietly cost sellers offers. First weekends carry the most energy, and we plan around them. You'll usually step out during showings so buyers feel free to look and talk.

You'll get real feedback after showings, unfiltered. If the market is telling us something about price or presentation, you'll hear it from me first, along with what I recommend doing about it.

Buyers submit written offers, we compare them and negotiate, and you accept one. In Massachusetts, a signed offer is a binding contract.

Offers differ on far more than price: deposits, contingencies, how the buyer is paying, the closing date, and how likely that buyer is to actually reach the closing table. The highest number is not always the strongest offer.

We'll compare them side by side and negotiate terms deliberately. With several offers, that includes using competition without losing the best buyer. Once you sign, the deal is binding, so we read every line first.

The buyer inspects the home, we handle any requests, and both attorneys finalize the full contract, called the Purchase & Sale Agreement.

The buyer's inspection usually happens within the first week. They may ask for repairs or a credit; we decide together what's reasonable, and I negotiate it. Most requests are settled in a day or two.

About two weeks after the offer, your attorney and theirs finalize the Purchase & Sale, and the buyer adds to their deposit, bringing it to around five percent. Massachusetts closings run through attorneys, and a good one protects your dates and your deposit terms.

Two seller-side requirements to handle early: the smoke and carbon-monoxide certificate from your fire department and, for homes on septic, a passing Title V inspection. Condo sellers also order the association's certificate showing fees are paid. All of these are painless when scheduled ahead.

You move out, the attorneys complete the paperwork, your mortgage is paid off, the deed records, and your proceeds are sent to you.

Before closing, the home should be empty and broom clean, with everything the contract says stays left in place. The buyer does a final walkthrough to confirm it. Many sellers sign the deed ahead of time with their attorney, so you may not even need to attend.

At closing, your mortgage is paid off from the proceeds, and Massachusetts collects its deed excise tax of $4.56 per $1,000 of the sale price in most counties. Property taxes, water and sewer, condo fees, and any heating oil left in the tank are divided between you and the buyer up to the closing date. The deed records at the Registry of Deeds, and the sale is done.

What lands in your account is the sale price minus your payoff, commission, excise tax, and closing items. You should know that number before you list, not after.