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Home Seller’s Glossary: 20 Real Estate Terms to Know

Under 3. Tips for Sellers


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Written on June 15th, 2020

Whether you live in Surrey, Delta, Langley, Vancouver, or any of the surrounding areas, selling a home might feel a bit complicated. 

As a top-rated South Surrey Real Estate Agent, I make it my mission to guide clients through this process:

  • preparing the property for sale
  • marketing the listing
  • negotiations 
  • paperwork

Please reach out to me if you have questions or need advice on the Fraser Valley or Metro Vancouver Real Estate Markets.

In the meantime, check out RE/MAX Canada’s top terms that Sellers should know. 

You can read the full article from RE/MAX blog

You can read my Buyers Glossary post here

20 Real Estate Terms for Sellers

Asking Price

Asking Price is the price that the seller has agreed to list their property for.

The asking price is different from the selling price, which is the final price that has been agreed upon by the buyer and seller.

Balanced Market

In a balanced market, there is an equal balance of buyers and sellers in the market.

This means reasonable offers are often accepted by sellers, and homes sell within a reasonable amount of time and prices remain stable.

Bridge Financing

Bridge Financing is a short-term loan designed to “bridge” the gap for homebuyers who have purchased their new home before selling their existing home.

This type of financing is common in a seller’s market, allowing homebuyers to purchase without having to sell first.

Buyer’s Market

In a buyer’s market, there are more homes on the market than there are buyers.

This gives the limited number of buyers more choice and greater negotiating power.

Homes may stay on the market longer, and prices can be stable or dropping.

Chattels

Chattels are unattached items in the home that can be removed without doing any damage to the property.

An example is curtains – but not the curtain rods since they are physically attached to the home.

Chattels are usually not included with the home purchase unless specified in the Agreement of Purchase and Sale.

Closing

Closing is the final step in the home selling process.

At the end of the closing period, once all offer conditions outlined in the Agreement of Purchase and Sale have been met, ownership of the property is transferred to the buyer.

The keys are exchanged on the closing date outlined in the offer.

Conditional Offer

When the sale of the home hinges on predetermined conditions, such as “conditional on financing” or “conditional on a satisfactory home inspection.”

If the conditions are not met, the buyer can back out of the deal.

Counter-offer

When the original offer to purchase a home is rejected by the seller, the seller can counter-offer.

This is usually accompanied by things like adjustments to the price or terms of the purchase, such as the closing date.

Curb Appeal

Curb Appeal is defined as the appeal of a home when viewed from the curb.

Curb appeal includes the home’s exterior, front yard, and anything else that’s visible from the street.

Current Market Assessment

A CMA (Current Market Assessment) is provided by your real estate agent during the listing process.

This service is complimentary.

This report helps determine the asking price of the home by using current housing market information such as supply and demand, seasonality, and home information like location, age, and square footage.

Dual Agency

Dual agency is when one real estate agent (or real estate brokerage) represents both the homebuyer and the seller in a real estate transaction.

There are limitations and requirements around dual agency, which differ by province.

Fixtures

Fixtures are items that are physically attached to the home and require tools to remove.

Fixtures are included as part of the purchase.

Examples of fixtures include:

  • ceiling lights
  • cabinet hardware
  • appliances.

If the seller plans to take any fixtures with them when they move, sellers are advised to either remove them prior to listing the home or be sure to specify the fixtures in the Agreement of Purchase and Sale.

FSBO

FSBO is an acronym for “For Sale By Owner,”

This means the seller hasn’t retained the services of a real estate agent or broker to assist with the sale of their home.

By virtue of the FSBO, the seller will avoid paying the real estate agent’s commission fee, which is split between the listing and buying agent.

Home Value Estimator

A home value estimator is a tool, typically found online, that helps home sellers estimate the value of their property.

The result is an estimate.

This will be different from a detailed property assessment provided by a Realtor.

Home Warranty

This is a type of warranty that protects the homeowners against future problems with the home for a determined period of time.

A home seller may choose to get a home warranty when listing their property, which can increase its appeal to homebuyers.

List-To-Sale-Price Ratio

The list-to-sale-price ratio is the difference between the listing price of a home and the final selling price

This is usually expressed as a percentage.

If the list-to-sale-price ratio is more than 100%, that means the home sold over the asking price.

If it is below 100%, that means the home sold below the asking price.

Listing Agent

The listing agent represents the home seller and their best interests in the transaction.

On the flip side, the buyer’s agent represents the homebuyer.

MLS

The Multiple Listing Service, commonly referred to as MLS, is a real estate selling system operated jointly by real estate Boards and Associations across Canada.

Offer

An offer is a legal agreement to purchase a home.

An offer can be conditional on a number of factors, commonly conditional on financing and a home inspection.

If the conditions are not met, the buyer can cancel their offer.

Porting

Transferring your mortgage (and the existing interest rate and terms) from one property to another.

Seller’s Market

In a seller’s market, there are more buyers than there are homes for sale.

With fewer homes on the market and more buyers, homes sell quickly in a seller’s market.

Prices of homes are likely to increase, and there are more likely to be multiple offers on a home.

Multiple offers give the seller negotiating power, and conditional offers may be rejected.

Staging

Preparing a home for sale to appeal to a wide range of homebuyers.

The staging process often includes decluttering, depersonalizing, deep-cleaning, and minor updates such as painting and rearranging furniture.

Virtual Deals

The home-buying process completed by means of technology in place of face-to-face contact.

Some common technology tools include 360 home tours and video showings, video conference calls, e-documents, e-signatures, and e-transfers.

Need more info on South Surrey Real Estate?

If you have additional questions or would like to know more about South Surrey Real Estate or the surrounding areas, please contact me.