510.559.1444, ext. 34         kathie@kathieberg.com

The Selling Process

Selling a house begins and ends with you, the seller. My first priority, when formulating a marketing plan is to understand your particular reasons for selling, and then devise a promotion and sales strategy to best meet your goals and aspirations.

We begin by examining the condition of the market, by looking at relevant recent sales, and by going over competing listings. We order inspections, assess the condition of the property and determine a suitable listing price. We undertake repairs or upgrades that are necessary, and devise ways of staging the property for maximal aesthetic impact.

We list your property on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). I work to promote your property through print advertising (the Chronicle, the Montclarian, the Berkeley Voice, etc.) and over the internet (realtor.com, kathieberg.com, etc.) and through my extensive personal contacts in the real estate community. We hold Brokers’ and Sunday Open Houses, follow-up with agents who have showed your house to their clients, and set a date for reviewing offers.

I advise you on the various offers that you receive; we consider the different components of each offer – the price, the terms and conditions, the contingencies, the financial stability of the buyers – and I help you determine their relative strengths and weaknesses.

Once an offer is accepted, we go into contract. The buyer and her agent order inspections; if these inspections yield findings that require adjusting the price or the conditions of the sale, I undertake negotiations on your behalf. A title company begins escrow procedures, and a considerable amount of paperwork is exchanged between the buyers, the sellers, their agents and the title company. I work to ensure that the process moves smoothly and escrow closes as planned.

I accompany you to the signing at the Title Company; once all the paperwork is signed, funds are transferred to your bank and the property is officially recorded to the new buyer by the County clerk.

Selling a home is frequently characterized as an inherently stressful activity: it doesn’t have to be. If the agent has done her job well - priced the home correctly, marketed it appropriately, shown clarity in presenting the strengths and weaknesses of the property, and – most importantly – customized the whole process to the needs of the specific seller, a great deal of the stress can be eliminated.

In my 25+ years in real estate, I have had a great deal of experience in buying and selling properties, in staging homes, in interpreting technical reports and disclosures, in being able to foresee and preempt problems. I’ve seen buyers markets and sellers markets, sold houses that were pristine and others that were challenging, listed in coveted neighborhoods and also in marginal areas, and always found ways to listen to sellers, understand their interests, and create ways to realize their objectives.

I look forward to working with you.