The Process, Step-by-Step

Why Should You Choose Our Professionals?

You may opt to sell your property independently or select the great agents at Gordon & Long Real Estate LLC. We will respect your choice to sell on your own. We will provide the basics to help you, in-turn, our goal is to earn your business as your dedicated Realtor, if you decide to list your property. When hired, we will employ the most effective marketing and advertisingstrategies for your property, plus, contacting our current and past clients.  Best of all, feature your property on this #1 Website you are currently viewing: www.gordonlong.com

We Promise to:

1. Be Available by Mobile phone 7 days a week plus evenings (when most Buyers are looking). Simply, we will be easy to contact and won’t ignore you!

2. Take the ethical responsibility of fairly negotiating contractual terms very seriously.  It is our job to find a win-win agreement that is beneficial to all parties involved.

3. Employ a diverse range of marketing and advertising strategies

4. Always take the time to listen to your goals and clarify your needs and genuinely be concerned about the outcome of your unique situation and process.

What Is The Market Like?

When you work with us, you can be sure that you will have our knowledge, expertise and negotiating skills at work for you to arrive at the best market prices and terms.  We will keep you up-to-date on what is happening in the marketplace and the price, financing, terms and conditions of competing properties.

What Is Your Property Worth?

Without a professional agent, most independent property sellers tend to overestimate the value of their property.  You can avoid this pitfall by consulting with one of Our Real Estate Professionals.

Prepare To Sell.

The following are a couple of factors to keep in mind when listing your property for sale:

1.  Curb Appeal.  
Keeping your landscape pristine, and adding creative touches to your yard, such as colorful annuals, will create an immediate impact on passers-by and potential buyers.2.  Property Repairs.
Simple upgrades such as window repairs, polishing the doorknobs, and a fresh coat of paint in the most frequently used rooms will instantly brighten up the property.

3.  Cleanliness and Staging.  
Keep your property uncluttered, sweet-smelling and well-lit from top-to-bottom. De-personalize items such as, excessive family photo’s, hobbies, collections and religious items.  Pay attention to details:  put away the kitty litter, place a vase of fresh flowers near the entryway, pop a batch of cinnamon rolls in the oven, have your carpets cleaned.  Your agent will scan the property before it is listed for sale and share thoughts with you on the staging of your property.

4. Seller Disclosure.  
We are familiar with the legal procedures involved in disclosures and are ready to help you complete the Disclosure Statement (required by Pa law) and suggest home improvement measures before placing your property on the market in order to maximize your Price.

5.  Showtime.  
Presenting your property to potential buyers is a job that we will take care of for you. Buyers feel more comfortable discussing the property with the agent, if you are not there. Moreover, your agent will know what information will be most useful in representing your interests when speaking with prospective buyers.

Accepting an Offer.

Sales Agreement w/Deposit:

An effective agreement is a legal arrangement between a potential purchaser and the property’s seller.  Our Agents are required to inform the Seller of all offers, verbal or in writing, even if they are unreasonable.  The offers Earnest Money (initial and additional deposit) is held by the Selling Brokers escrow account pending the fulfillment of conditions or contingencies in the effective agreement.

Loan Approval and Appraisal:

We suggest that you accept buyers who have a lender’s pre-approval, approval letter, or written loan commitment, which is a better guarantee of loan approval than a pre-qualification or no documentation from a lending institute.  Expect an appraiser from the lender’s company to review your property and verify that the sales price is appropriate.

The Price Is Not Always Right:

“The higher the price, the better the offer.”  Do not let yourself be fooled by this popular misconception.  Price is not always the determining factor when accepting an offer for several important reasons: the initial offer is usually not final, and there are a number of terms and conditions that may influence the final outcome of a price.  Cash is king” and removes many problems! You can trust our professionals to help you thoroughly evaluate every proposal without compromising your marketing position.

Inspection and Appraisals:

Most buyers will have the property inspected by a licensed property inspector within the timeframe that was agreed upon in the effective contract to purchase.  If the agreement is conditional upon financing, then the property will be appraised by a licensed appraiser to determine the value for the lending institution via third party.  This is done so that the lending institution can confirm their investment in your property is accurate.  A buyer of a commercial property may also have a complete environmental audit performed and/or soil test, if required by the lending institution.

Negotiating.

You may even have to deal with multiple offers before ratifying the one you judge to be the most suitable for you – and as your agents, we will guarantee a thorough and objective assessment of each offer to help you make the right choice.

Contingencies.

A contingency is a condition that must be met before a contract becomes legally binding.  For instance, a buyer will usually include a contingency stating that their contract is binding only when there is a satisfactory home inspection report from a qualified inspector.

Before completing his or her purchase of your property, the buyer goes over every aspect of the property, as provided for by purchase agreements and any applicable addendums.  These include:

Depending on the outcome of these inspections, one of two things may happen:

How do you respond objectively and fairly to the buyer when a renegotiation is demanded, while acting in your best interests?  This is when a professional listing agent can make a real difference in the outcome of the transaction.  Along  with various property sales in the past, our agents have the Support of their Broker, Richard Longat all times. Your listing agent will be your guide in this crucial decision.

The Title Agent.

Either a title company or an attorney will be selected as the closing agent, whose job is to examine and insure clear title to real estate.  After researching the complete recorded history of your property, they will certify that 1) your title is free and clear of encumbrances (eg. mortgages, leases, or restrictions, liens) by the date of closing; and 2) all new encumbrances are duly included in the title.

Closing Day.

If you have come this far, this means that it is almost time for a congratulations, but not yet.  Do not forget to tie up these loose ends.

Cancel Home Services and Utilities.

Home services (newspaper, snow plowing, mail) and Utilities (Electric, Gas, Water). Note: Tell the Utility to transfer(not shut-off) on day of closing because, if closing is delayed you may be without heat or electric to sump pump.  Provide the buyer with phone numbers of the above.

Be Prepared.

We are ready to assist you should an unforeseen glitch pop up, even at this last stage. If something at the property breaks down or the buyers’ loan does not pull through on time, there is no need to worry. We have encountered these problems before so we know how to handle them efficiently and in a stress-free manner.

Final Walk-Through.

We attempt to keep this as a formality, the final inspection takes place the day before, or day of closing.  The buyer visits the property to verify that all is in working order, everything is the same as when the buyer last viewed the property, and that there are no extra items left behind or missing (per agreement).

Closing Day Location.

The closing agent will furnish all parties involved with a settlement statement, which summarizes and details the financial transactions enacted in the process. The buyer(s) will sign this statement and then you will sign as well as the closing agent, certifying its accuracy.  If you are unable to attend the scheduled closing, then arrangements can be made depending on the circumstances and the notice that we receive.  If you are receiving funds from the transaction, you can elect to either have the funds wired electronically to an account at your financial institution, or have a check issued to you at the closing.  The seller should arrange to have all property keys and any other important information for the new purchaser at the closing, so that the purchaser may receive these items at this time.