Seller guide

Protect yourself when selling

Selling a home is one of the biggest financial moves you'll make. A few smart steps up front keep your sale on track, your home safe during showings, and your money protected all the way to closing.

Before you list

Set yourself up to sell

Price it right

Every seller wants top dollar, but a home priced above the market tends to sit. Recent sales of comparable homes nearby are the best guide.

Gather your paperwork

Buyers ask for a survey, the seller's disclosure, termite letter or bond, utility costs and HOA dues. Having them ready makes decisions faster and shows you have nothing to hide.

Know your numbers

You'll need to pay off your mortgage and any liens at closing. If you think the sale may not cover what you owe, tell us early. Short sales →

  • Compensation is negotiable. In Georgia, who pays the brokers and how much is always negotiable. Some buyers ask the seller to cover their agent's fee, often because their loan program (like VA) doesn't let them pay it, or because they can't add it to their loan.
  • "Coming Soon" has trade-offs. Your home may not be shown to buyers yet. If an offer comes in, we must present it to you, but your home hasn't had full exposure to the market, so you may want to wait.
  • Known title issues like an old lien or a boundary question are easier to fix the earlier they come up.

Fair housing

You can't refuse to sell or treat a buyer differently because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability or familial status, and REALTORS® also won't discriminate based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Please don't ask your agent to.

Disclosures

When in doubt, disclose

Georgia sellers must disclose hidden defects they know about that a buyer wouldn't find with a reasonable inspection. Selling "as is" doesn't change that.

Put disclosures in writing and attach them to the contract, usually with the Seller's Property Disclosure Statement. If something changes before closing, like a new leak, update the disclosure.

If the home was built before 1978, you must give the buyer a federal lead-based paint disclosure before they sign. Lead paint guide →

Be upfront about problems

A wet basement, past termite damage, settling, or older materials like aluminum wiring or polybutylene pipes: buyers fear the unknown far more than the known.

Disclosing or fixing an issue lets buyers price it in. Discovering it during inspection often makes them walk away.

Showings

Ready to show, and safe

Clean & clearClean, decluttered and easy to show on short notice sells faster.
Lock up valuablesPut away medications, keys, checkbooks, jewelry and anything you'd hate to lose. Remove fixtures you're taking with you.
Agents onlyDon't let anyone tour without an agent. A lockbox tracks who has entered your home.
Plan for petsCrate or board them, and leave a note saying where they are. Some buyers with allergies won't enter a home with pets.

Buyers often take photos or video during showings to remember the home or share it with family, so assume anything visible may be photographed.

Under contract

A contract isn't a closing

  • Only written offers count. Georgia real estate contracts generally must be in writing. A buyer who won't put an offer in writing usually isn't serious.
  • Read every page before you sign. Verbal promises outside the contract generally aren't enforceable.
  • Meet every deadline. Start agreed repairs early so you don't fall into breach.
  • Deals can fall through. Buyers can often walk away during due diligence or if a contingency fails. Unless you can carry two homes, don't lock into your next purchase until your sale closes.
  • Keep a full copy of everything you sign.

Get the full guide

We'll email you the Georgia REALTORS® brochure Protect Yourself When Selling Real Property, free.

Protect your proceeds

Watch out for wire fraud

Criminals hack or imitate email accounts of lenders, closing attorneys and real estate agents, then send fake wiring instructions that look real. Once money is wired to them, it's very hard to get back.

Be especially suspicious of any follow-up email saying the account number has "changed."

Before you send or receive a wire

  • Call the company to confirm the instructions
  • Look up their phone number yourself; never use the number in the email
  • Never trust a second set of instructions without calling

Thinking about selling?

Let's plan your sale.

We'll walk you through pricing, disclosures and timing, and answer your questions with no obligation.

Talk to an agent
Selling with us

Good to know: this is a general overview, not legal advice, and it may not apply to every property. Consult the professionals of your choice.

We're real estate agents, not attorneys. Nothing on this page is legal advice. Laws change and every situation is different, so always consult an attorney about your specific situation. Attorneys you can contact: Weissman PC · Blasingame, Burch, Garrard & Ashley, P.C.