Selling your home or property is a multi-step process. Great care needs to be given to each step to ensure that you get maximum satisfaction from the sale. These steps include: 1.Establishing existing property value. 2. Identifying potential value-increasing improvements. 3. Listing and marketing the property. 4. Negotiating. 5. Post-negotiation and inspections. 6. Contract development, signing and closing. The easiest way to understand what these steps mean to you and our property is to submit a Mortimer e-request below for a one-on-one consultation which will take you through these steps and provide a no obligation Market Analysis and Sotheby’s International Realty Marketing Proposal. A request by phone may also be made by calling Edward Mortimer at 203.496.4571.


If you prefer to review the steps without an immediately consultation, they are outlined below. The steps of determining value and value enhancement possibilities can only be achieved with a one-on-one consultation.

The Process of Selling Your Home

Establishing the Value of Your Home
The first step in the home sale process is establishing the current market value and appropriate listing price for your home. The best way to determine this is to have a MortimerGroup broker/agent complete a complimentary Competitive Market Analysis. This analysis will establish a recommended asking price for the home and also provide a realistic selling price. The determination of both the market price and market value is based on this analysis which takes into account: 1. The overall appearance of the home/property. 2. How the home/property compares to similar homes/properties for sale and have sold in the recent months. 3. The current supply and demand for homes in a similar category. 4. The current market trends and conditions.

Improvement Recommendations to Increase Market Value and Marketability
As part of the complimentary market evaluation, the MortimerGroup will also offer recommendations for improvements that will help to enhance the value of the home when it is listed for sale. Such enhancements can range from simple cleaning and painting to more elaborate renovations. In either case, the justification for any sort of work will be presented at the time of the market evaluation. Any seller should try to make the most of his or her equity investment. In addition to helping a seller potentially generate additional dollars for the home or property, these improvements can also make the home/property more appealing in the market-place, shortening the time it might take to make a sale.

Listing the Home for Sale and Marketing the Property
Listing a home or property at the right time of the year is just as critical as establishing the correct listing price and making home/property improvements. While in recent years the Greenwich real estate market place has become almost a 12-month-a-year market, the “spring market” is still the best time to sell. The word “spring” can be a misnomer since the “spring market” really starts in February and runs into early July.

Once listed the overall time it might take to sell a property can vary greatly. But the overall average between 60 days and to 90 days. Just as important as choosing the correct time to list the property is making sure it is marketed correctly and effectively. The MortimerGroup and Sotheby’s International Realty will give you the most effective, pro-active marketing plan so that the sales goal is achieve in a timely, gratifying manner. (See about site)

Negotiations and Inspections
Once a buyer expresses interest in buying your home, an offer to purchase is made. Typical terms call for a 60-day closing with a 10-percent deposit at the contract signing and the balance at the closing. Very often with multiple bidding situations buyers will have no financing contingency and may close in a matter of two-to-four weeks. Depending on the property type and buyer, a building inspection and other inspections of the physical property or legal status will be presented as contingencies to the contract. These contingencies will be property tests that may include a building inspection, pest inspection (for termites, carpenter ants and rodents), a radon test, a water test and a lead paint test. If the property has a well, septic system, swimming pool, tennis court, or buried oil tank, they will likely be examined to ensure their integrity and uncover any potential liabilities they may pose.

Accepted Offer and Contract
Once the seller and buyer of a property have reached a conceptual buy/sell agreement, such agreement is reduced to writing in the form of An Offer-to- Purchase document. This document is not a binder or sales contract, just a written review of the terms of the conceptual agreement (a.k.a: the accepted offer document).

Once the Offer-to-Purchase is executed, it goes to the seller’s attorney who drafts a sales contract. On receipt of the Offer-to-Purchase from the seller’s broker/agent, the seller’s attorney drafts the sale contract, reviews it with the seller to confirm the terms and conditions and sends it to the buyer’s attorney.

The buyer’s real estate attorney communicates directly with the seller’s attorney to work out the legal language and any problems so that both parties are comfortable with the terms and conditions of the contract. Provided there are no problems with the inspections and the legal work, the buyer and attorney meet to review the contract, make sure all terms and conditions are in order and sign the contract. With the signing the buyer also deposits with his or her attorney a deposit check (or wire transfer) covering 10 percent of the purchase price. The attorney delivers both to the seller’s attorney. The seller’s attorney then meets with the seller, the seller signs the contract and the deal is complete.

The Closing
Once the deal is complete nothing need be done until a week or two before the closing when utility transfer orders need to be made as part of the final preparations for completing the purchase. The seller “calls in” the utility disconnect and the buyer “calls in” the reconnect order.

The day of the closing, the buyer completes a walk-through of the property to ensure everything included in the sale is inside the house or at least on the premises. After the walk-through the buyer proceeds to the closing location. That may be the lender’s offices, the mortgage-holder’s offices or the offices of the attorney for either the buyer or the seller.

At the closing the buyer and seller complete the transfer of the deed, the exchange of money and the transfer of keys to the property. Both the seller and buyer’s attorney give their respective clients a closing package containing all vital record, including the property deed, a copy of your title insurance policy, the closing statement, tax related forms and a copy of your mortgage note, if any.