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Seller's Guide

A Step-by-Step First Time Seller's Guide

Putting your home on the market can be a stressful process, especially when you don’t know what to expect. Fortunately, with the help of an experienced team of real estate agents and this easy to follow guide, you can smoothly complete the process. Following these steps will help you prepare so you can get organized and sell your home for the best price possible.​​​​​​​

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Step 1

Understand Why You're Selling

What do you want to accomplish with the sale of your home? Do you want to make a certain amount of money that you can put toward a larger or nicer home? Do you need to sell it as soon as possible to facilitate a move to a new city or area? Once you understand your needs, you can better craft your offer. For example, if you need to sell quickly, you might want to price your home lower than if your goal is to make a certain profit margin. Make sure you convey these needs to your team of real estate agents once you choose one so they can adjust your selling price accordingly.

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Step 2

Determine Selling Price

Knowing how to price your home is one of the most important parts of the selling process. When you set a fair price in the beginning, you’ll get the most interest from other real estate agents and prospective buyers. Overpricing your home could lead to reduced interest, and underpricing leads to receiving less than what your home is worth. Working with a team of real estate agents is the best way to determine the right selling price for your home. A team of real estate agents with experience can determine what other comparable homes are selling for, evaluate the current market, and may even suggest a home appraisal.

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Step 3

Start Preparations

If you’ve kept your home in showroom condition since you’ve lived in it, you’re in the minority of homeowners. Once you price your home, it’s time to start getting it ready to be shown to potential buyers. This includes getting rid of clutter, depersonalizing the space so that buyers can envision themselves in the space, making any small repairs, and doing a deep clean to make sure your home is in pristine condition.

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Step 4

Develop a Marketing Strategy

We will develop a marketing strategy that is perfect for advertising your home. This involves listing the home and then driving the right people to that listing through social media campaigns, agent-to-agent referrals, traditional media, or SEO advertising. Our team creates a marketing campaign that aims to get the most possible traffic to your listing in the first three weeks after becoming a client.

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Step 5

Evaluate Offers

Receiving an offer is an exciting part of the process, but it doesn’t mean the journey is over. We will evaluate each offer and make sure the party making the offer is prequalified or pre-approved by a mortgage lender and that their offer is acceptable to you. If the offer is too low, you can make a counter-offer or offer other ways to bridge the gap, such as covering some or all of the closing costs, making repairs, adjusting the move-in date, or leaving some appliances or fixtures for the new buyer.

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Step 6

Accept an Offer

Once we deem the offer is acceptable, we will review the proposed contract to make sure it’s all in order and includes the necessary components such as deposit amount, down payment, financing, inspection rights and repair allowances, contingencies, settlement date, and a list of fees and who will pay them. When both parties have agreed to the term, a final contract will be prepared by your team of real estate agents.

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Step 7

Get Ready to Close

You have accepted an offer and are now very close to the end of your selling journey. But first, you and the buyer must make a list of what needs to be done before closing. In some cases, your home may need to be formally inspected, surveyed, and appraised. In other cases, major or minor repairs will need to be made before the house can close. We will head up efforts to develop and execute this list, get each action item paid for by the correct party, and make sure everything is in order by the closing date. A few days before the closing date, we will call the company closing the transaction to make sure everything is ready to go. If you haven’t done so already, you also need to make arrangements to move out of the home so the new buyer can take possession.

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Step 8

Close

You’ve reached the last step in the seller’s process. When you close on a home you are selling, you are legally transferring ownership of the property to the new buyer. We will meet with the company closing the transaction to sign the final paperwork and go over any issues that have not yet been taken care of. During this time, you can also make plans with your team of real estate agents to handle final details such as canceling utilities, cable, and lawn or trash services, changing the name on accounts that the new owner is retaining and ensuring the new owner has instructions for all appliances that will remain in the home.

Congratulations!

Once you have sold your home, you’re free to take the next step on your journey. Whether this is relocating to a new city, moving into a larger home, or downsizing and enjoying your life as empty-nesters, knowing all your selling responsibilities have been taken care of will help you achieve peace of mind for your new path.

OUR TESTIMONIALS

"Jacqueline did a wonderful job in showing us the forecast of new builds in the neighborhood we were focused on. She was very straightforward and honest in offering her perspective and knowledge on the street/builder/lot details, as well as negotiating the aspects that were important for our family. She made herself available and present through negotiations and the entire escrow process (which lasted 4 months since we purchased a spec house before it was finished!) She was wonderful to work with and has years of experience and knowledge of the Pacific Palisades. Jacqueline has amazing relationships, years of knowledge and dominance with the spec builders in the Palisades and was a pleasure to work with."
"Jacqueline did a wonderful job in showing us the forecast of new builds in the neighborhood we were focused on. She was very straightforward and honest in offering her perspective and knowledge on the street/builder/lot details, as well as negotiating the aspects that were important for our family. She made herself available and present through negotiations and the entire escrow process (which lasted 4 months since we purchased a spec house before it was finished!) She was wonderful to work with and has years of experience and knowledge of the Pacific Palisades. Jacqueline has amazing relationships, years of knowledge and dominance with the spec builders in the Palisades and was a pleasure to work with."
Buyer
"Jackie helped us purchase our home in 2020 after working with us for 3-4 years and showing us many, many options. She is thoughtful and relentless when you let her know what you are looking for. She has good relationships with builders and knows the pulse of Los Angeles and specific"
"Jackie helped us purchase our home in 2020 after working with us for 3-4 years and showing us many, many options. She is thoughtful and relentless when you let her know what you are looking for. She has good relationships with builders and knows the pulse of Los Angeles and specific"
Buyer
"Amazing! Stuck with us all the way through and was always a pleasure to work with. I felt she was calm, lovely, got to know our needs as a family, and worked hard to find us the best place! Even got us the best housewarming ever. A trampoline for the kids! She is the best!"
"Amazing! Stuck with us all the way through and was always a pleasure to work with. I felt she was calm, lovely, got to know our needs as a family, and worked hard to find us the best place! Even got us the best housewarming ever. A trampoline for the kids! She is the best!"
Buyer
"Jacqueline is an absolute pro. Top of her game. She has helped us sell and buy numerous homes around LA. I’d trust no one else with my real estate needs. Best in the west!"
"Jacqueline is an absolute pro. Top of her game. She has helped us sell and buy numerous homes around LA. I’d trust no one else with my real estate needs. Best in the west!"
Buyer
"I listed and sold my home in the Pacific Palisades with Jacqueline and her team. My wife and I were very impressed by her knowledge and the way she guided us through negotiations, and not only got us a price above asking, but also great terms. Kristen and Jacqueline were not only always available but also responded quickly to any questions we had and provided advice to help ensure the selling process went as smoothly as possible. We highly recommend working with the Chernov team."
"I listed and sold my home in the Pacific Palisades with Jacqueline and her team. My wife and I were very impressed by her knowledge and the way she guided us through negotiations, and not only got us a price above asking, but also great terms. Kristen and Jacqueline were not only always available but also responded quickly to any questions we had and provided advice to help ensure the selling process went as smoothly as possible. We highly recommend working with the Chernov team."
Buyer
"We had a great experience with Jacqueline and her team and would highly recommend her. She has incredible knowledge of the local market and helped us quickly purchase a house in Brentwood, even in this crazy market. Her extensive relationships with other brokers were a huge help, and she showed us the right homes and ensured our offer was accepted. Her team was organized, and communication was easy, making the escrow process move smoothly. I would highly recommend her to others."
"We had a great experience with Jacqueline and her team and would highly recommend her. She has incredible knowledge of the local market and helped us quickly purchase a house in Brentwood, even in this crazy market. Her extensive relationships with other brokers were a huge help, and she showed us the right homes and ensured our offer was accepted. Her team was organized, and communication was easy, making the escrow process move smoothly. I would highly recommend her to others."
Buyer
"Buying your first home is supposed to be stressful — but with Jacqueline, it somehow felt easy. From the moment she responded to a random text intro and offered to show us an off-market opportunity (without even knowing us), we knew we were in good hands. Jacqueline has a sixth sense for the Santa Monica market — part real estate whisperer, part strategist, part therapist (for us, not the house). She guided us through every step of the process with confidence, clarity, and genuine care. When she told us we had to move fast, she wasn’t exaggerating. We toured the home and made an offer that evening. If we hadn’t listened, we wouldn’t be living in our first home today. The real magic, though, was how she and her incredible team pulled everything together under intense time pressure. From roofing, HVAC, plumbing, gas lines, electrical, mold, to pool engineering — she had the right third-party inspectors lined up and full reports delivered within a week. Her team, especially Jamielynn, kept everything organized and moving. She also introduced us to a top-tier banker who got our loan approved and closed faster than we imagined possible. In a tight market like this, you need someone with sharp instincts, strong relationships, and the ability to execute quickly and cleanly. Jacqueline is that person. She made the process smooth, efficient, and enjoyable from start to finish. We highly recommend her."
"Buying your first home is supposed to be stressful — but with Jacqueline, it somehow felt easy. From the moment she responded to a random text intro and offered to show us an off-market opportunity (without even knowing us), we knew we were in good hands. Jacqueline has a sixth sense for the Santa Monica market — part real estate whisperer, part strategist, part therapist (for us, not the house). She guided us through every step of the process with confidence, clarity, and genuine care. When she told us we had to move fast, she wasn’t exaggerating. We toured the home and made an offer that evening. If we hadn’t listened, we wouldn’t be living in our first home today. The real magic, though, was how she and her incredible team pulled everything together under intense time pressure. From roofing, HVAC, plumbing, gas lines, electrical, mold, to pool engineering — she had the right third-party inspectors lined up and full reports delivered within a week. Her team, especially Jamielynn, kept everything organized and moving. She also introduced us to a top-tier banker who got our loan approved and closed faster than we imagined possible. In a tight market like this, you need someone with sharp instincts, strong relationships, and the ability to execute quickly and cleanly. Jacqueline is that person. She made the process smooth, efficient, and enjoyable from start to finish. We highly recommend her."
Buyer
"Jacqueline and Max recently helped us both sell our home and buy a new house. They were both extremely diligent and patient with us working through what ended up being a fairly complicated process and somehow managed to make the entire thing enjoyable. Most importantly, they performed beyond our expectations, helping sell our house for more than we hoped for while finding us a perfect new home. My wife and I actually met Jacqueline and Max while popping into one of their open houses and found them to be the most genuine and knowledgeable realtors we have met. At the time, we were only lightly considering a move and really only if we found the right opportunity. Unlike other realtors we had met, Jacqueline actually listened and understood our timelines and goals and was able to show us a number of options to consider, both on and off the market. We ended up loving one of the properties - a home that was in the very early stages of construction. She helped us work with the seller to incorporate a number of design changes so that we’ve gotten exactly what we wanted. The sale of our existing house and buying our new house couldn’t have gone any smoother and we couldn’t be happier. Jacqueline and Max were patient and understanding with our needs and are experts on the market and hard workers, everything you could ask for in a realtor. We’d happily recommend them to anyone considering buying or selling a home."
"Jacqueline and Max recently helped us both sell our home and buy a new house. They were both extremely diligent and patient with us working through what ended up being a fairly complicated process and somehow managed to make the entire thing enjoyable. Most importantly, they performed beyond our expectations, helping sell our house for more than we hoped for while finding us a perfect new home. My wife and I actually met Jacqueline and Max while popping into one of their open houses and found them to be the most genuine and knowledgeable realtors we have met. At the time, we were only lightly considering a move and really only if we found the right opportunity. Unlike other realtors we had met, Jacqueline actually listened and understood our timelines and goals and was able to show us a number of options to consider, both on and off the market. We ended up loving one of the properties - a home that was in the very early stages of construction. She helped us work with the seller to incorporate a number of design changes so that we’ve gotten exactly what we wanted. The sale of our existing house and buying our new house couldn’t have gone any smoother and we couldn’t be happier. Jacqueline and Max were patient and understanding with our needs and are experts on the market and hard workers, everything you could ask for in a realtor. We’d happily recommend them to anyone considering buying or selling a home."
Buyer
"We have been looking for a home for our family for two years without much success until we met Jacqueline. She understood what we were looking for and was ready to help us make it happen. Jacqueline showed us several homes to understand what was important to us. Within weeks, she reached out with a new property she found, that she felt was exactly what we wanted, and had us visit that very same day. We knew we found our home. Thank you to Jacqueline and her professional team for enabling our family settle in to our next chapter seamlessly. We are so grateful!"
"We have been looking for a home for our family for two years without much success until we met Jacqueline. She understood what we were looking for and was ready to help us make it happen. Jacqueline showed us several homes to understand what was important to us. Within weeks, she reached out with a new property she found, that she felt was exactly what we wanted, and had us visit that very same day. We knew we found our home. Thank you to Jacqueline and her professional team for enabling our family settle in to our next chapter seamlessly. We are so grateful!"
Buyer
"Jacqueline represented me as the buyer of my new forever home in LA. I am truly amazed by how knowledgeable, personable, and astute she is. I can tell that she goes out of her way to look out for her client's best interests and demands only the best for them. Being a formidable negotiator, she manages to get exactly that. I would have Jacqueline represent me again in any deal in a heartbeat."
"Jacqueline represented me as the buyer of my new forever home in LA. I am truly amazed by how knowledgeable, personable, and astute she is. I can tell that she goes out of her way to look out for her client's best interests and demands only the best for them. Being a formidable negotiator, she manages to get exactly that. I would have Jacqueline represent me again in any deal in a heartbeat."
Christopher L.
"We had a great experience with Jacqueline and team and would highly recommend her. She has incredible knowledge of the local market and helped us quickly purchase a house in Brentwood even in this crazy market. Her extensive relationships with other brokers was a huge help and she showed us the right homes and ensured our offer was accepted. Her team was organized and communication was easy making the escrow process move smoothly. I would highly recommend her to others."
"We had a great experience with Jacqueline and team and would highly recommend her. She has incredible knowledge of the local market and helped us quickly purchase a house in Brentwood even in this crazy market. Her extensive relationships with other brokers was a huge help and she showed us the right homes and ensured our offer was accepted. Her team was organized and communication was easy making the escrow process move smoothly. I would highly recommend her to others."
Eric E.
"Jacqueline and her Team have been a total Joy to work with - she is now my go to broker for all of my real estate needs! She has been everything I ever wanted from a professional broker and more, having had less than stellar results and experiences withs some of her competitors. I wish I had started working with her years ago. We listed our $7MM house with her and from the get go everything was done on time, professionally, and with enthusiasm and energy. She treated the sale of our home like it was her own and I always felt like Jacqueline had my back. From keeping regular open houses to hosting Caravans and even doing personalized private showings I was always impressed with how far she and her Team would go to market our home. She was also very responsive to calls, emails or texts and was always in touch. I never felt neglected and never felt like she pushed me off to one of her associates. I can not recommend Jacqueline more, for either selling or buying, as I have now used her for both and am glad that she is my broker in this very tough and competitive Los Angeles market since she brings the right balance of negotiating prowess, local knowledge and client attentiveness. A+."
"Jacqueline and her Team have been a total Joy to work with - she is now my go to broker for all of my real estate needs! She has been everything I ever wanted from a professional broker and more, having had less than stellar results and experiences withs some of her competitors. I wish I had started working with her years ago. We listed our $7MM house with her and from the get go everything was done on time, professionally, and with enthusiasm and energy. She treated the sale of our home like it was her own and I always felt like Jacqueline had my back. From keeping regular open houses to hosting Caravans and even doing personalized private showings I was always impressed with how far she and her Team would go to market our home. She was also very responsive to calls, emails or texts and was always in touch. I never felt neglected and never felt like she pushed me off to one of her associates. I can not recommend Jacqueline more, for either selling or buying, as I have now used her for both and am glad that she is my broker in this very tough and competitive Los Angeles market since she brings the right balance of negotiating prowess, local knowledge and client attentiveness. A+."
Nicola V.
"Jacqueline was wonderful to work with and her team very accommodating and professional. She helped us to acquire a great property and we and very thankful for all her hard work to acquire our new home."
"Jacqueline was wonderful to work with and her team very accommodating and professional. She helped us to acquire a great property and we and very thankful for all her hard work to acquire our new home."
Elizabeth G.
"Jacqueline and her team were wonderful. They were easy to work with and very knowledgeable about the whole buying process. They only showed me homes that met my criteria and gave me honest advice. They were on top of everything that needed to be done for the purchase of our dream home. They were present for all showings and inspections and made me feel comfortable throughout the process. I highly recommend Jacqueline and her team."
"Jacqueline and her team were wonderful. They were easy to work with and very knowledgeable about the whole buying process. They only showed me homes that met my criteria and gave me honest advice. They were on top of everything that needed to be done for the purchase of our dream home. They were present for all showings and inspections and made me feel comfortable throughout the process. I highly recommend Jacqueline and her team."
Masae Y.
"I listed and sold my home in the Pacific Palisades with Jacqueline and her team. My wife and I were very impressed by her knowledge and the way she guided us through negotiations and not only got us a price above asking but also great terms. Kristen and Jacqueline were not only always available but responded quickly to any questions we had and advice to help ensure the selling process went as smoothly as possible. We highly recommend working with the Chernov team"
"I listed and sold my home in the Pacific Palisades with Jacqueline and her team. My wife and I were very impressed by her knowledge and the way she guided us through negotiations and not only got us a price above asking but also great terms. Kristen and Jacqueline were not only always available but responded quickly to any questions we had and advice to help ensure the selling process went as smoothly as possible. We highly recommend working with the Chernov team"
Adam B.
"AMAZING!!!!! stuck with us ALL THE WAY THROUGH and was always a pleasure to work with. I felt she was calming, lovely got to know our needs as a family and worked hard to find us the best place!! even got us the best house warming EVER..a trampoline for the kids!!!! she is the BEST!!!!!"
"AMAZING!!!!! stuck with us ALL THE WAY THROUGH and was always a pleasure to work with. I felt she was calming, lovely got to know our needs as a family and worked hard to find us the best place!! even got us the best house warming EVER..a trampoline for the kids!!!! she is the BEST!!!!!"
Lauren W.
"Jackie helped us purchase our home in 2020 after working with us for 3-4 years and showing us many many options. She is thoughtful and relentless when you let her know what you are looking for. She has good relationships with builders and know the pulse of Los Angeles and specifically the Palisades. She is scrappy and works hard to get you in the right situation at the right price. She also put up with me, so she and Kristin deserve another star for that."
"Jackie helped us purchase our home in 2020 after working with us for 3-4 years and showing us many many options. She is thoughtful and relentless when you let her know what you are looking for. She has good relationships with builders and know the pulse of Los Angeles and specifically the Palisades. She is scrappy and works hard to get you in the right situation at the right price. She also put up with me, so she and Kristin deserve another star for that."
Brian L.
"Jacqueline did a wonderful job in showing us the forecast of new builds in the neighborhood we were focused on. She was very straight forward and honest in offering her perspective and knowledge on the street/builder/lot details as well as negotiating the aspects that were important for our family. She made herself available and present through negotiations and the entire escrow process (which lasted 4 mths since we purchased a spec house before it was finished!) She was wonderful to work with and has years of experience and knowledge of the Pacific Palisades. Jacqueline has amazing relationships, years of knowledge and dominance with the spec builders in the Palisades and was a pleasure to work with."
"Jacqueline did a wonderful job in showing us the forecast of new builds in the neighborhood we were focused on. She was very straight forward and honest in offering her perspective and knowledge on the street/builder/lot details as well as negotiating the aspects that were important for our family. She made herself available and present through negotiations and the entire escrow process (which lasted 4 mths since we purchased a spec house before it was finished!) She was wonderful to work with and has years of experience and knowledge of the Pacific Palisades. Jacqueline has amazing relationships, years of knowledge and dominance with the spec builders in the Palisades and was a pleasure to work with."
Peter F.
"Jackie Chernov is a top notch agent. She’s professional, courteous and gets the job done. She and her team are extremely responsive, efficient and push for the best sales price. I would highly recommend her services."
"Jackie Chernov is a top notch agent. She’s professional, courteous and gets the job done. She and her team are extremely responsive, efficient and push for the best sales price. I would highly recommend her services."
Seller
"Jacque helped us navigate a beautiful new house purchase in the Alphabet Streets in Pacific Palisades during unprecedented times. Her knowledge of the neighborhood landscape and upcoming supply/demand were very helpful. She and her team were great!"
"Jacque helped us navigate a beautiful new house purchase in the Alphabet Streets in Pacific Palisades during unprecedented times. Her knowledge of the neighborhood landscape and upcoming supply/demand were very helpful. She and her team were great!"
Chuck K.

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