The sign and photographs mark the public start of a listing. After that, a seller needs useful feedback, clear activity reports and someone following the inspection, appraisal and closing work.
What the seller should expect
Before launch, the work includes pricing, preparation, measurements, disclosures and presentation. After the listing goes live, the seller should receive written updates on activity, feedback and the decisions that follow.
Before anything is public
Before a listing goes public, the work includes pricing, deciding which repairs to address, measuring the house, preparing disclosures and identifying title questions. Photography should be scheduled when the house is ready and the light suits the rooms being shown.
The scan, and what it is for
I scan every listing. It is part of taking a listing, every listing, every time, and it is never billed separately. The floor plan and the walkthrough are embedded in the MLS listing, which means a buyer three states away can understand how the house is arranged before deciding whether to get on a plane, and a buyer down the road can stop wondering whether the second bedroom is really a bedroom.
That matters most for the houses that do not photograph the way they live: the ones with an addition, a split level, a room that only makes sense when you see what it opens onto. I spent 25 years in commercial interiors across six markets before this, which is mostly training in reading how a building is actually used rather than how it looks in a frame.
The first ten days
During the first ten days, review the initial response: showings, return visits, feedback and the relationship between online activity and attendance. Those observations can help identify questions about price, condition and presentation, without treating any one count as a diagnosis.
Showings but no offers is a price problem or a condition problem. No showings at all is usually a price problem or a photograph problem, and those two get confused constantly.
What happens when it does not sell
When a listing has not sold, review the activity and comparable properties before choosing a response. The options may include adjusting price, improving condition or changing the listing timetable. The seller should understand the costs and likely trade-offs of each.
After it is under contract
After an offer is accepted, the inspection response, appraisal, lender conditions and title work still need attention. The seller should know who is handling each item, when it is due and whether it could affect the planned closing.
What you should be able to see
- A written weekly update whether or not there is news, because no news is information too
- Showing feedback passed on unedited, including the parts that sting
- The activity numbers, not a summary of the activity numbers
- A named date for the pricing conversation, set before you need it rather than after
Agree on those four reporting items during the listing appointment so the seller knows what to expect after launch.
What the sale does to your taxes belongs to your CPA. What you are obligated to disclose, and what a contract lets you do when the other side does not perform, belongs to an attorney. What you will qualify for on the next house belongs to your lender.
I will tell you when a question has crossed that line rather than guessing at it.
How the marketing itself is built is on the listing marketing page, and what to do to the house before the photographs are taken is in the note on preparing for the photographer.
This note describes a working process. It is not legal, tax or financial advice, and nothing here is a promise about the outcome of any particular sale.