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Your Step-by-Step Seller's Guide to a Smooth Sale

Everything you need to know about putting your home on the market, accepting an offer, and closing on your home.

A Step-by-Step First Time Seller's Guide

Putting your home on the market can be a stressful process, especially when you don’t know what to expect. Fortunately, with the help of an experienced agent and this easy to follow guide, you can smoothly complete the process. Following these steps will help you prepare so you can get organized and sell your home for the best price possible.​​​​​​​

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Step 1: Understand Why You're Selling

What do you want to accomplish with the sale of your home? Do you want to make a certain amount of money that you can put toward a larger or nicer home? Do you need to sell it as soon as possible to facilitate a move to a new city or area? Once you understand your needs, you can better craft your offer. For example, if you need to sell quickly, you might want to price your home lower than if your goal is to make a certain profit margin. Make sure you convey these needs to your real estate agent once you choose one so he or she can adjust your selling price accordingly.

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Step 2: Determine Selling Price

Knowing how to price your home is one of the most important parts of the selling process. When you set a fair price in the beginning, you’ll get the most interest from other real estate agents and prospective buyers. Overpricing your home could lead to reduced interest, and underpricing leads to receiving less than what your home is worth. Working with a real estate agent is the best way to determine the right selling price for your home. An agent with experience can determine what other comparable homes are selling for, evaluate the current market, and may even suggest a home appraisal.

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Step 3: Start Preparations

If you’ve kept your home in showroom condition since you’ve lived in it, you’re in the minority of homeowners. Once you price your home, it’s time to start getting it ready to be shown to potential buyers. This includes getting rid of clutter, depersonalizing the space so that buyers can envision themselves in the space, making any small repairs, and doing a deep clean to make sure your home is in pristine condition.

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Step 4: Develop a Marketing Strategy

I will develop a marketing strategy that is perfect for advertising your home. This involves listing the home and then driving the right people to that listing through social media campaigns, agent-to-agent referrals, traditional media, or SEO advertising. My team creates a marketing campaign that aims to get the most possible traffic to your listing in the first three weeks after becoming a client.

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Step 5: Evaluate Offers

Receiving an offer is an exciting part of the process, but it doesn’t mean the journey is over. I will evaluate each offer and make sure the party making the offer is prequalified or pre-approved by a mortgage lender and that their offer is acceptable to you. If the offer is too low, you can make a counter-offer or offer other ways to bridge the gap, such as covering some or all of the closing costs, making repairs, adjusting the move-in date, or leaving some appliances or fixtures for the new buyer.

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Step 6: Accept an Offer

Once I deem the offer is acceptable, I will review the proposed contract to make sure it’s all in order and includes the necessary components such as deposit amount, down payment, financing, inspection rights and repair allowances, contingencies, settlement date, and a list of fees and who will pay them. When both parties have agreed to the term, a final contract will be prepared by your agent.

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Step 7: Get Ready to Close

You have accepted an offer and are now very close to the end of your selling journey. But first, you and the buyer must make a list of what needs to be done before closing. In some cases, your home may need to be formally inspected, surveyed, and appraised. In other cases, major or minor repairs will need to be made before the house can close. I will head up efforts to develop and execute this list, get each action item paid for by the correct party, and make sure everything is in order by the closing date. A few days before the closing date, I will call the company closing the transaction to make sure everything is ready to go. If you haven’t done so already, you also need to make arrangements to move out of the home so the new buyer can take possession.

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Step 8: Close

You’ve reached the last step in the seller’s process. When you close on a home you are selling, you are legally transferring ownership of the property to the new buyer. I will meet with the company closing the transaction to sign the final paperwork and go over any issues that have not yet been taken care of. During this time, you can also make plans with your real estate agent to handle final details such as canceling utilities, cable, and lawn or trash services, changing the name on accounts that the new owner is retaining and ensuring the new owner has instructions for all appliances that will remain in the home.

Congratulations!

Once you have sold your home, you’re free to take the next step on your journey. Whether this is relocating to a new city, moving into a larger home, or downsizing and enjoying your life as empty-nesters, knowing all your selling responsibilities have been taken care of will help you achieve peace of mind for your new path.

What Clients Say

Hear from Adrianna’s Clients

Discover how Adrianna’s clients describe working with her—and why they return and refer again and again.

"Working with Adrianna has been one of the best decisions we made in our home-buying journey. She’s incredibly knowledgeable about the Alexandria market. My fiancée and I had high expectations and some non-negotiable criteria, and Adrianna delivered on both—finding us a townhome we absolutely love. She also helped my parents find their perfect condo, communicating with them and guiding them through open houses over FaceTime and across timezones, proving she can juggle multiple deals with grace and precision. What truly sets Adrianna apart is the way she makes you feel like family. She’s warm, responsive, and incredibly thoughtful—always going the extra mile to ensure every detail is handled with care. At the end of the process, she surprised us with beautifully curated care packages filled with local goods, making an already exciting process feel even more special. Even after closing, she’s stayed in touch and helped coordinate everything from renovation projects to cleanings. Adrianna is a rare find in the real estate world, and we feel lucky to have worked with her and to call her a friend. We can’t recommend her highly enough."
"Working with Adrianna has been one of the best decisions we made in our home-buying journey. She’s incredibly knowledgeable about the Alexandria market. My fiancée and I had high expectations and some non-negotiable criteria, and Adrianna delivered on both—finding us a townhome we absolutely love. She also helped my parents find their perfect condo, communicating with them and guiding them through open houses over FaceTime and across timezones, proving she can juggle multiple deals with grace and precision. What truly sets Adrianna apart is the way she makes you feel like family. She’s warm, responsive, and incredibly thoughtful—always going the extra mile to ensure every detail is handled with care. At the end of the process, she surprised us with beautifully curated care packages filled with local goods, making an already exciting process feel even more special. Even after closing, she’s stayed in touch and helped coordinate everything from renovation projects to cleanings. Adrianna is a rare find in the real estate world, and we feel lucky to have worked with her and to call her a friend. We can’t recommend her highly enough."
Lorenz T.
"We found our dream home thanks to Adrianna, and we could not be more grateful. Navigating the home-buying process while living overseas could have been incredibly stressful, but Adrianna made it seamless. She coordinated multiple showings on our behalf, offered honest and thoughtful feedback on each property, and arranged pre-inspections that came with detailed, well-organized reports—giving us complete confidence in our decisions even from afar. What truly set Adrianna apart, though, was her strategic mindset and exceptional negotiation skills. Thanks to her guidance and advocacy, we were able to purchase our home for $50,000 under asking price—a result we never imagined possible in such a competitive market. She’s sharp, professional, responsive, and genuinely cares about her clients. Adrianna exceeded every expectation we had and turned a complex process into a joyful one. We’ve worked with other agents before, but she is in a league of her own. I cannot recommend her highly enough—she is simply the best in the business."
"We found our dream home thanks to Adrianna, and we could not be more grateful. Navigating the home-buying process while living overseas could have been incredibly stressful, but Adrianna made it seamless. She coordinated multiple showings on our behalf, offered honest and thoughtful feedback on each property, and arranged pre-inspections that came with detailed, well-organized reports—giving us complete confidence in our decisions even from afar. What truly set Adrianna apart, though, was her strategic mindset and exceptional negotiation skills. Thanks to her guidance and advocacy, we were able to purchase our home for $50,000 under asking price—a result we never imagined possible in such a competitive market. She’s sharp, professional, responsive, and genuinely cares about her clients. Adrianna exceeded every expectation we had and turned a complex process into a joyful one. We’ve worked with other agents before, but she is in a league of her own. I cannot recommend her highly enough—she is simply the best in the business."
Luis M.
"Our move at the end of 2024 was completely unexpected but absolutely serendipitous in so many ways. One of those moments of serendipity came when my husband and I asked Adrianna to guide us through the home-buying, -selling, and moving process. She made the whirlwind of it all feel like a cool breeze on a hot summer day. Adrianna is the best in the business, she loves her job, and she treats each client like they her only one (when in reality, she's juggling them all gracefully behind the scenes). She made our new home dreams come true in the best neighborhood in Alexandria, VA, and I would never hesitate to ask for her help again."
"Our move at the end of 2024 was completely unexpected but absolutely serendipitous in so many ways. One of those moments of serendipity came when my husband and I asked Adrianna to guide us through the home-buying, -selling, and moving process. She made the whirlwind of it all feel like a cool breeze on a hot summer day. Adrianna is the best in the business, she loves her job, and she treats each client like they her only one (when in reality, she's juggling them all gracefully behind the scenes). She made our new home dreams come true in the best neighborhood in Alexandria, VA, and I would never hesitate to ask for her help again."
Suzie O.
"As first-time homebuyers and new to the Del Ray and Alexandria area, we truly couldn’t have asked for a better experience than the one we had with Adrianna. She went above and beyond to help us find the perfect home to grow our family. From day one, Adrianna was so responsive, incredibly patient (we had lots of questions!), and so kind. She made the whole process feel easy, exciting, and honestly—fun. We’re so grateful we got to work with her. Along the way, she didn’t just become our go-to real estate expert—she became a friend, and now, she feels like part of our family."
"As first-time homebuyers and new to the Del Ray and Alexandria area, we truly couldn’t have asked for a better experience than the one we had with Adrianna. She went above and beyond to help us find the perfect home to grow our family. From day one, Adrianna was so responsive, incredibly patient (we had lots of questions!), and so kind. She made the whole process feel easy, exciting, and honestly—fun. We’re so grateful we got to work with her. Along the way, she didn’t just become our go-to real estate expert—she became a friend, and now, she feels like part of our family."
Sophia A.
"Adrianna Vallario was our trusted agent for the purchase of our dream home and the sale of our cherished first home (in the same neighborhood) in Alexandria. It was a whirlwind of a process, but Adrianna was steadfast and calm. But, she also knew what it would take to get our offer accepted and how to sell our house quickly - each sale with a 3 week closing! Though we never want to move again, if we need an agent, there’s no one else better!"
"Adrianna Vallario was our trusted agent for the purchase of our dream home and the sale of our cherished first home (in the same neighborhood) in Alexandria. It was a whirlwind of a process, but Adrianna was steadfast and calm. But, she also knew what it would take to get our offer accepted and how to sell our house quickly - each sale with a 3 week closing! Though we never want to move again, if we need an agent, there’s no one else better!"
Kara Shuster K.
"I have worked with Adrianna for over 2 years. She is the most trustworthy, patient, and thoughtful realtor and a true expert in the Alexandria neighborhoods. She successfully found me and my fiancé our dream townhome, and my in-laws a condo, all within our timeline and according to our very high standards! She cares about her clients and stays in touch with them well beyond the sale to help with renovation projects, cleanings, and anything else needed. I could not recommend anyone more."
"I have worked with Adrianna for over 2 years. She is the most trustworthy, patient, and thoughtful realtor and a true expert in the Alexandria neighborhoods. She successfully found me and my fiancé our dream townhome, and my in-laws a condo, all within our timeline and according to our very high standards! She cares about her clients and stays in touch with them well beyond the sale to help with renovation projects, cleanings, and anything else needed. I could not recommend anyone more."
Arianna T.
"My wife and I used Adrianna for our purchase in Rosemont. We had little intention of moving quickly or committing to any agent at the time. However, after our first meeting with her, we were completely sold on her services. Adrianna and the Jen Walker team found a home off-market with no competition, which is unheard of in this market and location. From initial exploratory meeting to closing table in about 75 days. What more does anyone want from an agent? Stress-free purchase! Thank you, Adrianna!"
"My wife and I used Adrianna for our purchase in Rosemont. We had little intention of moving quickly or committing to any agent at the time. However, after our first meeting with her, we were completely sold on her services. Adrianna and the Jen Walker team found a home off-market with no competition, which is unheard of in this market and location. From initial exploratory meeting to closing table in about 75 days. What more does anyone want from an agent? Stress-free purchase! Thank you, Adrianna!"
Nicholas B.
"Adrianna was an absolute superstar! Her in-depth knowledge of the local market, responsiveness, strong community connections, and excellent negotiation skills made a huge difference. She provided us with thorough information every step of the way. I highly recommend working with her."
"Adrianna was an absolute superstar! Her in-depth knowledge of the local market, responsiveness, strong community connections, and excellent negotiation skills made a huge difference. She provided us with thorough information every step of the way. I highly recommend working with her."
Tom L.
"Adrianna went the extra mile for my fiancé and I! As first-time home buyers, we were unfamiliar with the process and really appreciated Adrianna’s expertise. She was a great listener to what our wants or needs were and opened our minds to different neighborhoods. She was also extremely personable and made buying such a fun experience, even in a tough market. It’s almost bittersweet that we have already found the perfect place for us, as we will seriously miss getting to work with Adrianna!"
"Adrianna went the extra mile for my fiancé and I! As first-time home buyers, we were unfamiliar with the process and really appreciated Adrianna’s expertise. She was a great listener to what our wants or needs were and opened our minds to different neighborhoods. She was also extremely personable and made buying such a fun experience, even in a tough market. It’s almost bittersweet that we have already found the perfect place for us, as we will seriously miss getting to work with Adrianna!"
Caroline S.
"My partner and I are so incredibly thankful for Adrianna. This market is crazy but she found us a house that was perfect for us and within our budget (which is honestly a unicorn). As first time homebuyers, it was especially great having Adrianna because she was super responsive to all our questions and because of her experience in the field, could point us towards additional resources. She made the whole process feel less overwhelming and she truly did feel like a trusted ally during the process. We would definitely recommend her to anyone going through the home-buying process and would reach out to her again if down the road we decided to sell."
"My partner and I are so incredibly thankful for Adrianna. This market is crazy but she found us a house that was perfect for us and within our budget (which is honestly a unicorn). As first time homebuyers, it was especially great having Adrianna because she was super responsive to all our questions and because of her experience in the field, could point us towards additional resources. She made the whole process feel less overwhelming and she truly did feel like a trusted ally during the process. We would definitely recommend her to anyone going through the home-buying process and would reach out to her again if down the road we decided to sell."
Eliza O.
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