Help me sell my home: a step-by-step plan for Sarasota sellers

Selling a home here comes down to a handful of steps done in the right order: a price based on real sales, a home that shows well, marketing that reaches buyers where they look, and a contract that gets to closing without surprises. If you’re thinking “someone just help me sell my home,” start with one call or our home value form. We’ll send a written pricing opinion, usually within 24 hours, and a plan for everything after it.

Here is that plan for a house or condo in Sarasota or Manatee County.

Selling your Sarasota home, from first call to closing

1. 1

   Day 1

   First call

   Your timing, your goals, the home and anything you already know it needs.

2. 2

   Usually within 24 hours

   Written pricing opinion

   A price range from recent sales near you, plus an estimate of what you would net.

3. 3

   Before launch

   Walkthrough and prep plan

   What to fix, what to skip and what to gather, with vendors if you need them.

4. 4

   Launch week

   Photos, video and the MLS

   Professional photos and video, then live on Stellar MLS and shared with our audience.

5. 5

   While listed

   Showings and feedback

   Scheduled showings, agent feedback and a weekly look at what buyers are doing.

6. 6

   Offer in hand

   Offers and negotiation

   Price, terms, financing and timing compared side by side before you answer.

7. 7

   Under contract

   Inspections, appraisal and approvals

   Repair requests, the appraisal and any association approval kept on schedule.

8. 8

   Closing day

   Closing

   You sign with the title company and the sale is recorded.

What happens on the first call?

We talk about you before we talk about the house. When do you need to move? Are you buying another home, here or somewhere else? Is the home empty, lived in or rented? Is there a mortgage, an association, or anything you already know needs work?

Then we ask about the home itself: updates and when they were done, roof and AC age, view, water, the lot, and anything unusual a buyer will ask about. Your answers shape the pricing opinion, so the more you tell us, the closer the first number lands.

How do you price my home?

By hand, from real sales. We look at recent closed sales in your building, street or community, what’s for sale and under contract now, and how long similar homes are taking to sell. Then we adjust for what actually moves price here: view, water access, updates, the lot and the association. You get it in writing, with a range and an estimate of what you’d net after closing costs. That net figure is an estimate, not a promise.

Online estimates often miss on exactly the homes we see most here, like condos with a view and anything recently updated. We explain why in what’s my Sarasota home worth?

What should I do to get the home ready?

Less than most sellers expect. We walk through the home with you and sort the list into three piles: fix it, skip it, or disclose it. Small things that show up in photos and inspections usually make the cut. Big projects often don’t, unless the home won’t sell or insure without them.

The other part of prep is paperwork. Buyers and their insurance agents ask about the roof, AC, wind mitigation and flood zone early, so we help you gather receipts, permits and reports before you list. Our full guide to what’s worth fixing is getting a Sarasota home ready to sell.

How do photos, video and marketing work?

Professional photos and video come first, with aerial shots when the location calls for it. Most buyers decide from the photos whether to see a home at all, so we take the time to get them right: lights on, rooms set, and the view or the yard where it belongs in the order.

Then the home goes live on Stellar MLS, which shares listings with the major home search sites and other agents’ websites. We also share our listings on Instagram at @floridalifeluxury, with our email lists of local buyers, agents and past clients, and with agents across Wagner Realty’s offices. See more on how we market homes.

How do showings work?

Agents request a time, we confirm it with you, and buyers see the home with their agent. If you’re living there, we keep showings to windows that work for you. If the home is empty, a lockbox and a set schedule keep things simple. If there’s a tenant, we schedule showings with notice under the lease and Florida law.

After showings, we collect feedback from the buyers’ agents and look at the numbers each week: views online, showing requests, and what similar homes are doing. If the home isn’t getting showings, or gets showings but no offers, that tells us something different in each case. We cover what each pattern usually means in why isn’t my Sarasota home selling?

How do you handle offers?

We go through every offer with you, line by line. Price is one part. The rest matters just as much: cash or financing, how much the buyer is putting down, the inspection period, the closing date, and any requests for credits or repairs. A slightly lower offer with fewer conditions can be the stronger one.

If there’s more than one offer, we lay them out side by side so you can compare them on the same terms. If you counter, we tell you what the buyer’s agent is likely to push back on, so there are fewer rounds.

What happens between contract and closing?

This is where a sale can stall, so we keep a calendar of every contract deadline and stay ahead of it.

• Inspections. Most buyers have an inspection period. If the inspector finds something, the buyer may ask for a repair, a credit or a lower price. We help you weigh each request against what it would cost to say no.
• Appraisal. If the buyer is financing, their lender orders an appraisal. If it comes in low, there are options, and we talk them through with you and the buyer’s agent.
• Insurance. The buyer needs a policy they can bind before closing. Having your roof and wind mitigation records ready helps here.
• Association approval. Many condos and HOAs here approve buyers before closing. We get the application moving early.
• Title and closing. The title company checks the title, prepares the closing statement and handles the money at closing, including paying off your mortgage and sending your proceeds.

What did this look like for a seller we worked with?

[NEEDS RICHARD: a real example of a recent sale from first call to closing (no names or address): the type of home and area, one thing you changed in prep or marketing, and one problem you solved under contract]

Should I sell, or rent it out instead?

If you’re not sure selling is the right move, we can show you both numbers. Because we also manage rentals, we can put a likely sale price next to an annual rent range, and a seasonal range if the home fits. Choose “Comparing both” on the home value form.

What’s the next step?

Get a real price first. Fill out our home value form and we’ll send a written pricing opinion, usually within 24 hours, with an estimate of what you’d net. Or call Richard at 941-800-8891 and we’ll start with the first call.