FAQ

Frequently Ask Questions on How To Sell Your Home as For Sale By Owner with Dombroski Real Estate

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Before You List:

What do I need to do before I list my property?

Answer: We have a simple checklist of items to complete before you list. Please visit your seller dashboard to find out more.

How do I order?

Answer: Select the package that you feel is right for the service level you want to start the listing process. You’ll be guided through each step to make sure your listing is the way you want it.

What is “Flat Fee Real Estate?”

Answer: Flat Fee Real Estate charges a low flat fee up front to list your property instead of huge commissions at the end for essentially the same services.

Can I still sell my property on my own?

Answer: YES! If YOU find the buyer for your property, we’ll write up the contract and take care of both you and your buyer to save even more money!

What is the MLS?

Answer: Firstly, It’s the #1 way for sellers to sell their home. Practically, it’s the electronic database that only Realtors have direct access to and has the most accurate, up-to-date information. The last thing to remember is that there are numerous MLS’s in existence. Each one serves your local area.

Where does my contact information appear in the listing?

Answer: We put your information everywhere we are able to. That’s going to be the primary showing contact, and in the Private/agent remarks. There are some places that the MLS prohibits personal information from being placed, such as the public marketing remarks.

Are there any hidden fees?

Answer: Nope! Nothing is hidden about our fees and our process. You pay for the services you want, and you don’t pay for what you don’t want.

What does escrow do?

Answer: Escrow is a neutral 3rd party that handles the money and the deed. They make sure that the right amount of money is deposited into escrow, and they ensure the deed is free and clear of encumbrances.

What do real estate agents do?

nswer: Real Estate agents are responsible for contract negotiation, ensuring a smooth transaction, everyone follows the contract, disclosures are complete, and acting in the best interest of the party they represent.

During the Listing:

How do I change the status of my property?

Answer: Log in to your seller dashboard. Then, click edit listing

Some of what I wrote in the property description doesn’t appear on my listing. What’s up with that?

Answer: Each MLS has rules about what we can and can’t put in the public marketing description. Mostly, it’s things like discriminatory language, but it does include things like your personal contact information. Also, each MLS limits the number of characters, so excess words may have been trimmed for the description to fit.

I don’t see my property online! Help!

Answer: Online websites get their information from the MLS. Each website refreshes their data at different times. Sometimes it can take up to 48 hours. If it’s beyond 48 hours and you still don’t see your property on a website, please reach out to us so that we can locate the problem and correct it.

Selling my property is harder than I thought it would be. Can you do more than just list my property on the MLS?

Answer: YES! We offer a wide variety of services, and can help you every step of the way. We have contract coaching, negotiation, lockboxes and more. You can upgrade your service level at any time.

I don’t see my name/contact information on XYZ website?

Answer: Most MLS’s prohibit personal contact information from being in the public remarks. This is the paragraph that gets posted to internet websites. In addition, 3rd party websites make their money by selling leads to buyer’s agents. For this reason they may prohibit the posting of personal information.

How can buyers contact me?

Answer: You are free to conduct your own marketing, and your own open houses. In addition, the sign on the front of the house will have a direct extension that rings your phone to talk to live buyers!

How do Buyer agents contact me?

Answer: Buyer’s agents look to the MLS to get their information. Your personal contact information is posted in the private remarks, and the showing contact information. Sometimes, the buyer’s agent reaches out to us, and in that case we give them your contact information so they can reach you directly.

My listing looks different than I thought it would. Help!

Answer: Every website is going to have a little different layout. Sometimes, information doesn’t make the jump from the MLS to a specific website. If you have a question, please feel free to reach out to us.

I see some wrong information on my listing. How do I correct it?

Answer: Email [email protected] the URL of what you are looking at, and what information is incorrect and we’ll hunt down the problem.

I sent in a request for an edit, but I don’t see anything changed yet.

Answer: The MLS is what we control directly, and updates when the change is completed. Each public-facing website updates at different times. Sometimes it can take 24 hours for a specific website to update.

I’ve got an offer on my property, and I don’t know what to do next.

Answer: First, that’s awesome that you got an offer! YAY! Second, we have 2 options for you: Coaching or Full Service contract negotiation. Login to your seller dashboard and select the upgrade that you feel is right for you!

How do I fix the pictures on my listing?

Answer: Sometimes the 3rd party websites don’t display everything correctly from the MLS, and that includes pictures. Let us know which website isn’t cooperating, and we’ll do our best to fix the errors.

I took new pictures, how do I put them in the listing?

Answer: Log in to your seller dashboard and click Manage pictures. Edit and change what you need to, and we’ll be notified that new pictures are ready to be posted!

How do I show the property?

Answer: We use the “ShowingTime” online appointment calendar system for you to manage your showings. Your information will also appear in the showing remarks section of the MLS. Our recommendation is to rent one of the Realtor lockboxes for your area to facilitate showings. Even if you’re home all the time, it allows you to leave your home secured and the buyer to walk & talk freely with their agent without feeling pressured. You can order a lockbox by logging into your seller dashboard and selecting the upgrade option.

Can I cancel my listing?

Answer: Yes. If you are not in contract with anyone, you may cancel your listing at any time by logging onto your seller dashboard and changing your status to cancel. Please note, canceling your listing will not prevent you from paying a legally earned commission.

Can’t I just tell you what I want over the phone?

Answer: Unfortunately, no. Because we deal in contracts, real estate, and legal permissions, every request to change something MUST be in writing.

During The Contract/Pending:

I’m in contract with a buyer, and the buyer’s agent is saying something that I don’t agree with.

Answer: Remember, the buyer’s agent works for the buyer and the buyer’s best interest, not you. If you need contract or negotiation help, that’s included in your coaching or full-service options. To upgrade log in to your seller dashboard and select the upgrade option.

I’ve got a buyer without an agent, can you write up the paperwork for me?

Answer: Yes! Most people think “escrow will write everything up”, but that isn’t quite the case. Escrow will write up some very simple instructions about the sale, but it is not as detailed as the Realtor forms. Also, escrow doesn’t do anything with disclosures, which protect both you and the buyer.

How do I get forms?

Answer: Forms are included with our coaching or full-service options. Login to your seller dashboard and select the upgrade option that is right for you.

Closing/After:
How do I close out my property on the MLS?

Answer: Log in to visit your seller dashboard and update the status to closed. We also need a copy of the final closing statement from escrow to verify all information for the MLS. You can email that to: [email protected]

How do I remove the lockbox from the door when I’m done with it?

Answer: There are instructions that came with your lockbox when it was shipped. If you lost/discarded those instructions you may reference them by logging into your seller dashboard.

1) If you have a “supra” box (the big blue one), only a realtor can remove it. Make sure you coordinate with your buyer’s agent to remove the box using the shackle code. Please contact us for this code.

2) If you have a “sentrilock” box (the one with the keypad on the front), please contact us for the homeowner shackle release code.

Where do I send the Lockbox back to?

Answer: Our mailing address is: Dombroski Real Estate 1150 E Herndon #114, Fresno, CA 93720

How do I give you a review?

Answer: You can review us on Zillow here: zillow.com/reviews/write/?s=X1-ZUxt9v8baz8b2h_1zmzs