Real Estate Advice for Sellers

The Selling Process

Here's our step-by-step guide to selling your property in the Triangle area.

Your home is your haven where memories are made.

When you have made the decision that the time is right to make a move, you want to work with a professional REALTOR® with cutting edge tools, local market knowledge in your specific neighborhood, along with a deep roster of service providers to work side by side with you to prepare your home to shine among the competition. We work together to create personalized marketing plan and timeline that works for you to prepare, stage, and market. Pat works with her team to ensure your home is in pristine condition during pre- listing prep. We understand where to strategically invest in updates that will provide the highest return on investment. We analyze the most up to date local market data coupled with a deep dive into current market conditions to best position your home.

1
PRICING - WHAT IS MY HOME WORTH?
2
STAGING
3
SELLERS MARKET
4
BALANCED MARKET
5
BUYERS MARKET
6
DO I NEED TO SELL FIRST?
7
INSIGHT
8
MARKETING
9
PRINT MATERIALS
10
VIRTUAL TOURS
11
SOCIAL MEDIA
12
OPEN HOUSES AND EVENTS

PRICING - WHAT IS MY HOME WORTH?

Pricing your home largely depends on what type of market we will be listing in. If it's a buyer's market, consider a conservative pricing approach, if it's a seller's market, more aggressive. We study active listings to see what homes we'll be competing with. Buyers tend to compare your home to these homes.

STAGING

Staging a home for sale is essential in showcasing its best features to buyers. It involves arranging furniture and decor to create an inviting atmosphere that helps buyers envision themselves living in the space.

SELLERS MARKET

Arises when demand exceeds supply. Since there are fewer homes available, Sellers are at an advantage.

BALANCED MARKET

Supply and demand are about equal. Typically, a six month supply of inventory signals a more balanced market.

BUYERS MARKET

Occurs when supply exceeds demand. Homes stay on the market longer since there are more homes to choose from.

DO I NEED TO SELL FIRST?

This is one of the trickiest questions to answer when it comes to selling your home. On the one hand, you probably want to know you've got someplace to go before the new owners are moving into your current home. On the other hand, buying before your current home is sold might mean you're responsible for two mortgage payments.

INSIGHT

Staged homes sell for 1 to 5% MORE than vacant homes according to NAR stats from Listing Brokers. That means more $$ in your pocket.

MARKETING

Marketing your home for sale is essential to attract buyers and increase its visibility in the market. A strong marketing campaign, including social media, generates interest and urgency, leading to a faster, more successful sale.

PRINT MATERIALS

With beautifully designed brochures, high-quality flyers, and eye-catching postcards, we leave a lasting impression on potential buyers.

VIRTUAL TOURS

Buyers have complete control while they walk through your home from the comfort of theirs.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Our followers LOVE to shop online and that means a lot of interested eyeballs on your home!

OPEN HOUSES AND EVENTS

Our curated events are more than just open houses; they're opportunities for potential buyers to envision themselves in your space. Picture cozy agent walkthroughs where we highlight the unique features of your home and invite feedback prior to listing. Our well attended open houses for neighbors and the public create a warm community atmosphere.

By leveraging cutting-edge marketing techniques, we aim to captivate potential buyers and elevate your home's presence in the market by telling a compelling story around what makes your home special. Get ready to see your property shine as we create a compelling story around your home in print, our IDX sharing your listing to hundreds of real estate websites, email marketing to a curated list of high performing agents and compelling social media posts that resonate with discerning buyers. Your home is extraordinary, and our marketing plan will ensure it stands out in the crowd.
Your listing will be enhanced with it’s own unique website where detailed descriptions, photos and videos highlight your home’s features as well as the surrounding community. We include a personalized ‘seller’s scoop’ section where you can provide reasons that you have loved living in the home and highlights of the community.
Our curated events are more than just open houses; they're opportunities for potential buyers to envision themselves in your space. Picture cozy agent walkthroughs where we highlight the unique features of your home and invite feedback prior to listing. Our well attended open houses for neighbors and the public create a warm community atmosphere. These events aren't just about showcasing your property; they're about crafting memorable moments that leave a lasting impression.

Support Team

Professional Stagers

Stunning Photography

Service Providers
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Why Staging Matters?

Staging your home for sale is essential to showcase its best features to buyers. It involves much more than simply arranging furniture and decor. A beautifully staged home creates an elevated setting with open and airy spaces that invite buyers to envision themselves living in the space.

As part of our Listing strategy, we provide professional staging for our clients’ to ensure an intentional, cohesive presentation paying close attention to highlighting your home’s unique features captured in stunning professional photography and videos.

Staged homes sell for 1 to 5% MORE than vacant homes according to NAR stats from Listing Brokers. That means more $$ in your pocket.

High quality prep, staging and a stunning visual presentation is why our listings consistently outpace the competition for a speedy sale at top dollar.

Why Work With Pat

1
Pat’s Indomitable Spirit
Pat’s indomitable spirit, positive attitude and resilience in the face of any market conditions has driven her to become one of the most successful listing agents in the Triangle Area. Over the last 20+ years, Pat has honed her knowledge and skills around what makes a compelling listing to attract the most buyers and results in robust closed sales. She has scores of satisfied clients who have returned for multiple real estate transactions and happily recommend her to family, colleagues, and friends. We offer a calm, low stress environment built on high trust client relationships. Pat brings a wealth of knowledge and a winning strategy to provide direct, practical guidance for her clients as we navigate what can be a complicated process.
2
When It Comes Time to Sell Your Home and Begin a New Chapter
When it comes time to sell your home and begin a new chapter, it can be an emotional journey. Rest assured that together we will help you navigate to a satisfying conclusion by providing expert advice and resources every step of the way with a clear timeline, regular communication that suits your preferences and constant monitoring of market conditions in order to make strategic adjustments to navigate any market shifts. Pat will also help you identify your new home space with attention to how your needs and preferences have evolved and shifted over time.
3
My Unwavering Belief
My unwavering belief in the potential for success in every transaction is coupled with a genuine investment in translating my clients’ aspirations into a tangible reality. By embracing challenges with a creative mindset, I navigate the intricacies of the listing process with finesse, ensuring that no obstacle stands in the way of achieving our shared goals. This commitment goes beyond the closing table, it’s about building lasting relationships where my clients know they can call on me for their future home ownership needs and I’ll be there for them.

Sellers FAQs

Such a great question! The spring market is always a popular time to sell but that doesn’t mean it won’t be just as profitable in any other season. In our current market environment with very low inventory and interest rate fluctuation, buyers are open to make a move any time of year when the right home comes along.

Selling your home can be one of the most challenging events in your lifetime. When interviewing real estate agents to help you with the selling process, be sure to ask these important questions:

  • Are you a full time licensed REALTOR®?
  • What do you think my home is worth?
  • How will you market my home?
  • What can I do to increase the value of my home?
  • On average, how long does it take you to sell a house?

A Comparative Market Analysis (or CMA) is a report that we prepare to help determine the accurate value of your home. We analyze data points of 3-4 similar properties in your area that have been recently listed sold. This deep dive into market data gives us insight into what your home may sell for in today's market. Our CMA will take an in depth look at features that make your property unique or aspects that are either better in your home or make your home less desirable when compared to other properties that have sold. These things will affect the value of your home. It is important to price your home well, and we not only utilize the CMA data in establishing a pricing recommendation, we also evaluate current market conditions. We look at the number of other active listings that will be competing with yours and consider where to position your list price to stand out among the competition. We may see that a certain price band receives more showings and attracts more buyers. Having a home that is priced right will ideally attract a variety of buyers which is why a CMA is so important. We will prepare an in-depth report for your home.

Complete transparency here...it depends. I know that’s not the specific ‘I’ll sell your home in 3 days’ type of answer you want to hear, but we want to provide you with accurate insight and realistically your home could sell in 3 days or it could take 10 or even a couple of month. There are many factors that influence how fast your home will sell and we will walk you the current market landscape when you decide the time is right to list your home.

There are a few different ways to sell your property and purchase a new home at the same time. Your financial situation will determine which route you take to make it happen. The first scenario would be to buy your new home before selling the old property. Depending on your risk tolerance and desired outcome, we would come up with an aggressive strategy to help you sell your property and buy a new home in the same timeline.

On average, you can expect to pay roughly 5-8% of the sale price. Your costs as a seller will generally cover things like pre-inspection, home repairs, landscaping, professional cleaning, moving costs, attorney fees to prepare seller documents, and pro-rated taxes. Sweat equity is essentially work that you put in yourself—without paying any contractors—to increase the value of your home. Some examples would be re-painting all the rooms or DIY landscaping work to update your home.

The cost of staging a home really depends on the size of your home, your budget and timeline. Staging a home can cost anywhere from $500 to $10,000; however, when you sell your property with Pat Dillon Real Estate, we offer home staging support as part of our concierge-level services.

The Due Diligence Period is a provision in our NC Offer to Purchase that specifies a negotiated time period for the buyer to perform a thorough analysis of the home and to investigate any other factors that are important to them in the purchase. If they are obtaining a loan, they will process their application and the lender will order an appraisal. The buyer pays a non refundable fee to the seller for this negotiated time period, a separate fee from the earnest money deposit which is held in the trust account of the closing attorney. The buyer may terminate the contract up until 5 PM on the negotiated date without penalty.

For all resale properties in North Carolina, sellers are required to complete a datailed residential property disclosure that outlines specific details about the property, the community, and the surrounding area along with answers to identify any known issues or un-permitted spaces. We will provide you with the form in your listing packet!

Here’s what you should expect the inspector to look for during the home inspection: HVAC issues, (i.e., gas or carbon monoxide leaks) Electrical hazards, Plumbing issues (i.e., leaks in kitchens and bathrooms) Attic insulation and ventilation, mold, mildew, Roof issues (i.e., missing shingles, overflowing gutters) Structural damage in walls and ceilings (i.e., cracks in the drywall) Foundational issues (i.e., sloped flooring) 

Typically, the buyer(s), buyers agent, lender and closing attorney attend closing in North Carolina. As the sellers, you are welcome to attend the closing if you wish, but you will be able to sign all your closing documents with your agent in advance of the closing. Your listing agent will ensure that the paperwork and keys to your home will be delivered to the new owners. Congratulations! It’s time to celebrate!!

Roberto & Meghan B.
Marc L.
Paula B.
Ben Z.
Lisa B.
Pat L.
Dennis & Amy G.
What My Client Say

Yes and yes to Pat Dillon! After closing on the sale of our home last week my husband and I concur that Pat really knows what she is doing! She was straight-forward, professional, and extremely knowledgable of the market for selling our home in Chapel Hill. She knew the right date to list, which renovations we needed, and even helped us stage our home without breaking the bank. We didn't recognize our house! As an attorney myself I was also impressed by her negotiating skills. We were happy that our house sold quickly and for higher price than we expected! I truly credit Pat with this.

— Roberto & Meghan B.

What My Client Say

Pat exceeded our expectations! At a time when the market had already slowed down, houses were taking weeks to months to sell, and offers were below asking, by following Pat's advice and expertise, we received a full-price offer, on the 2nd day on the market. All of Pat's upgrade suggestions were on target and her decorating recommendations were perfect. We made back way more than the cost of all the flooring, bathroom, kitchen, and exterior upgrades that we implemented based on her advice. Pat's professionalism shined throughout. She responded promptly to all our questions, no matter how detail-oriented. I strongly recommend you utilize Pat's experience - she will definitely deliver for you!

— Marc L.

What My Client Say

We have known Pat for many years and she has assisted our family twice with buying/selling in the last few years. Pat worked very hard on our behalf and we were very pleased with the outcomes. The market is so difficult right now and she was patient and understanding as we navigated today's ever-changing market. Pat helped to guide our family, sharing her knowledge and expertise with us so we could make the best possible decision. She negotiated skillfully which directly resulted in a financial gain for us. Additionally, we trust Pat. She has your back and will do the best she possibly can for you. We highly recommend her.

— Paula B.

What My Client Say

Pat is one of a kind. She helped us buy our house two years ago and most recently sold the home. Our experience could not have been more pleasant. She knows the triangle area better than anyone. She is extremely professional yet very down-to-earth and welcoming. Constant check-ins, helpful tips and reminder and her overall process and timelines were so helpful. Her attention to detail on our house listing was impeccable and some of her recommendations we put in place helped us secure an incredible offer before the house even hit the market! We also had some pretty tough parameters in terms of timing and moving out dates and Pat kept us on course the entire way. She takes a lot of the stress out of this process but also helped us learn a lot along the way. Pat is the best of the best. You find a better agent.

— Ben Z.

What My Client Say

Pat is an absolute consummate professional. She helped get the house to its absolute best and it paid off when the offers came in. Her recommendations for upgrading certain things were spot on. I recommend her without reservation. Her knowledge of the area, the proper audience for your home, and pretty much everything real estate was so on target. And beyond her amazing skills as an agent, she is just a wonderful person. I also later purchased a townhome with her expert help. She knew how quickly things were moving, the correct strategy to win the bid, and a great institutional knowledge of the best properties that exceeded my expectations. Pat is truly an amazing agent for both buying and selling property.

— Lisa B.

What My Client Say

Pat worked with me to sell my townhouse and build a new home. I cannot imagine that there are many realtors out there who could be more professional, knowledgeable, or available to their clients. Pat helped stage my townhouse on my budget and knew exactly when and how to market it for a fast and very successful sale. I was anxious about building a new home, but Pat allayed my fears and stress with her availability, resources, and assistance from start to finish. She was with me every step of the way. Anytime I would have a question or concern, she would say, "Let me handle that for you." She even went to the Design Center with me and lent me her "eye" for design, which proved invaluable. (I can give her some credit for my backsplash, which I love!) She filled in the blanks for me when I didn't understand the more minute details of a new home purchase, and she took the time to explain what I didn't understand. Pat is so passionate about her work, and it shows. I'm so grateful for all she has done for me, and I highly recommend her.

— Pat L.

What My Client Say

Pat Dillon did a fantastic job as our realtor for the past 2 years. She met with us early on to understand what our objectives were and advised us every step of the way to achieve our goals. Pat helped us find out about the available homes in the neighborhood in which we were interested and even got us early access to tour some of them before they were even put on the market. Her contract negotiation skills were extremely useful in getting our bid to be accepted over others against which we were competing. We were so thrilled when we finally closed on our dream home. Pat then helped us quickly sell the home we were leaving. Her accurate assessment of the market helped us list with the winning price, whereas other available homes in our neighborhood had been priced too high. The result was a full-price offer within 48 hours of listing, and we owe this to Pat’s expertise in pricing, staging, negotiating, and an end-to-end understanding of real estate. I could not imagine a better partner to help us through such an important investment decision, and we were thrilled with how both parts of our move turned out. I now refer to Pat as ‘The Disney World of Realtors’ because she isn’t just selling homes she is selling happiness

— Dennis & Amy G.

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Contact Details


PAT DILLON REAL ESTATE
(919) 368-4068
[email protected]

704 Slash Pine Dr
Cary NC 27519

308 W Main St Ste A
Durham NC 27701

Hours
8 AM - 6 PM