Working Together to Sell Your Home
Selling your home is a partnership. These seller questions explain how we prepare, communicate, and work together from listing day through possession.
Click or tap a question to see the answer.
What can we expect from each other during the listing?
Selling your home is a team effort. Flat Rate Realty Group provides marketing, clear communication, honest advice, offer guidance, and help coordinating deadlines and closing. Your preparation, timely responses, and participation help us keep the sale moving with fewer surprises. Ask questions whenever you need clarification.
What if I only want to sell at a particular price?
Tell us your goals, timing, and pricing expectations before we list. If you are exploring the market and would only consider selling at a specific price, we welcome that conversation. We will explain our recommendations and review each offer's price, financing, concessions, contingencies, and timing with you. Decisions about accepting an offer or adjusting your price remain yours, subject to agreements already signed.
How quickly should I respond to messages and showing requests?
Please respond to calls, texts, emails, and document requests within one business day. Offers and contract deadlines may need a faster response, and we will identify urgent items. Read documents carefully and ask questions before signing. We will agree on your preferred showing notice before listing; please respond to showing requests as soon as possible so buyers can confirm their plans. Tell us about travel, scheduling restrictions, or times when you will be unavailable.
Which paperwork should I complete before an offer arrives?
Whenever possible, we send applicable property disclosures, water disclosures, square footage disclosures, and closing instructions ahead of time. Complete your portions promptly and honestly, based on what you actually know. Ask for guidance rather than guessing, and tell us if you discover a new issue or information changes. Preparing early helps us respond efficiently when an offer arrives.
How should I prepare for photography and the 3D tour?
Have the home fully cleaned and ready before the photographer arrives. Turn on lights, replace burned-out bulbs, open blinds as appropriate, make beds, clear countertops, and put away laundry, trash cans, pet supplies, and unnecessary clutter. Tidy the landscaping and move vehicles out of the driveway when practical.
Secure pets and keep occupants outside the areas being photographed. Allow at least 30 minutes of uninterrupted access for the 3D scan; larger homes and the full photography appointment may take longer. The camera captures views in every direction, so people moving through the home may appear in the tour. Follow the photographer's directions. Put away personal paperwork, medications, valuables, and anything you do not want visible in public photos or the tour.
How should I prepare the home and pets for showings?
Keep the home clean, orderly, and ready for scheduled visits. When practical, turn on lights, open blinds, tidy surfaces, and address noticeable odors. Safely secure dogs, cats, and other pets or arrange for them to be away, and share pet instructions in advance. Buyers should be able to tour comfortably without worrying about an animal escaping. Whenever possible, give buyers space to explore with their agent.
What yard care and landscaping are expected?
During the listing period and through possession, keep grass mowed, weeds controlled, bushes reasonably trimmed, and landscaping tidy as seasonally appropriate. Remove fallen branches, pet waste, litter, and debris. Keep patios, decks, and outdoor living spaces clean. Water as needed while following local restrictions. If you move out early, arrange continued yard care for showings, inspections, and the final walkthrough.
What should I do about snow, ice, and ongoing maintenance?
Keep entrances, sidewalks, walkways, and driveways accessible. Arrange snow and ice removal before scheduled visits during winter weather. Continue routine maintenance and notify us promptly about leaks, damage, equipment problems, or other changes so we can help address them before they become last-minute complications.
Should electricity, water, gas, and heat stay on until closing?
Yes. Keep utilities and heat operating through closing, or through possession if your agreement requires it. Service is needed for inspections, the final walkthrough, and protecting the home from freezing or other damage.
Contact providers ahead of time to coordinate the transfer with the buyer's start date. Avoid a disconnection that leaves the property without service, especially over weekends or holidays when restoration may take several days. If you move early, maintain an appropriate indoor temperature and check with our team before scheduling any shutoff.
When do you need inspection repair invoices and receipts?
Send invoices, receipts, and required supporting documentation as soon as each agreed repair is completed. Our requested deadline is at least three days before closing, or earlier if required by your contract or inspection agreement. Send completed items as they become available rather than waiting for every repair to be finished.
We can recommend contractors and service providers we trust. Arrange completion within your agreed deadlines. If work remains incomplete or scheduling becomes a concern, tell us immediately and provide the expected completion date so we can help address delays and share documentation with the buyer's agent.
What areas must be accessible for inspections?
Keep clear access to the attic, crawl space, electrical panel, furnace, water heater, and other systems the inspector needs to evaluate. Provide access to locked areas as arranged, secure pets, and keep utilities operating. Let us know ahead of time about any access limitations.
What if I want to keep an appliance, chandelier, or other fixture?
Tell us before photography and listing if you intend to keep a chandelier, appliance, mounted fixture, or another item buyers might expect to stay. We can discuss how to identify exclusions in the listing and written agreements. Once under contract, follow the agreed inclusions and exclusions and speak with us before removing or replacing anything.
What if I move out before the sale is complete?
Arrange regular property checks, continued utilities and appropriate heat, yard care, and seasonal snow removal. Leave access available for scheduled showings, inspections, repairs, and the final walkthrough. Give us a reliable contact and tell us promptly if a maintenance or access issue develops.
How clean should the property be when I move out?
Plan your move around the possession date and time in your contract, which may differ from closing. Our expectation is a home that is broom-swept, vacuumed, and free of trash and belongings not included in the sale, consistent with your agreement.
Remove unwanted furniture and items from garages, storage areas, and outdoor spaces. Arrange moving, cleaning, and hauling in advance. We help coordinate the final steps; removing your belongings and unwanted items remains your responsibility.
What should I do with extra keys, mailbox keys, remotes, and codes?
Gather all house and extra keys, mailbox keys, garage remotes, and community access devices included with the sale. Label keys and write down the mailbox location or number, applicable access codes, and helpful operating instructions.
Coordinate with our team to leave these securely inside the home or bring them to the title company for the agreed handoff. Keep necessary access available for the final walkthrough. Share property access information securely; do not leave personal account passwords.
Is there a fee if I cancel, end the listing early, or let it expire?
A $250 marketing fee applies if your listing is canceled, terminated early, or expires, as outlined in your signed listing agreement. It helps cover marketing costs such as photography, the 3D tour, and advertising. We will release the property photos to you for later use or to market the property as a rental. We will explain the applicable terms before you commit.
Your signed agreements govern transaction requirements and deadlines. Our team will help you understand the next steps for your sale.
Frequently Asked Questions
Get to know our full-service approach to buying and selling in Colorado.
Are you a full-service real estate brokerage?
Yes. Flat Rate Realty Group provides full-service real estate representation. Sellers receive help with pricing, property marketing, showings, offers, negotiations, contract deadlines, and closing coordination. Buyers receive help with their home search, showings, offers, negotiations, and the steps toward closing. Our listing fee structure does not turn your sale into a do-it-yourself listing. We review the services for your transaction with you in your written agreement.
Will I work with the same agent throughout the process?
Yes. We are a family-owned brokerage and work together as a team, but your main point of contact will remain the same agent throughout your transaction. You also have the support of our team and are welcome to speak with another team member whenever you prefer.
How will I receive showing feedback and updates on my listing?
Our showing service automatically requests feedback from showing agents through repeated phone, email, and text follow-ups. Our team also follows up directly, and we work to share feedback with you as soon as it becomes available. Feedback depends on the showing agent responding, so it may not be available after every showing.
We aim to review your property activity and contact you at least once every 9 to 10 days with an update. When there are more showings, new feedback, or other developments, we contact you more often. During quieter periods with no new information, updates may be spaced further apart. You are always welcome to reach out with questions.
What marketing is included when I sell my home?
Our listing services include professional photography, MLS and online marketing, a property webpage, professionally designed signs and flyers, and showing coordination. One open house is included, and drone footage is available for select properties. Ask us about the preparation and marketing plan for your home.
Will you help with negotiations and the steps through closing?
Yes. Our team helps review offers, negotiate price and terms, manage contract deadlines, coordinate inspection-related steps, and prepare for closing with the other professionals involved. You have an agent to guide you through the transaction.
Can you help if I am moving to Colorado from another state?
Yes. We can discuss your preferred areas, budget, and moving timeline, and use video tours or virtual showings to help you evaluate homes remotely. Contact the team to plan your search before you arrive.
What do I need before you show me homes?
Lender preapproval and a signed buyer's agent agreement are required before home showings. We will explain representation, compensation, and any available buyer rebate before you move forward. Read about our buyer services and rebate program.
How can you offer lower listing fees and still provide full service?
Our family-owned team works from home and uses mobile offices, which helps keep our overhead low. A steady volume of home sales keeps our team busy, while technology simplifies communication and many steps in the selling process. These efficiencies allow us to offer lower listing fees while providing full-service support, personal guidance, and teamwork throughout your sale.
Do all of your agents cover the same areas?
Yes. Our agents cover the same service areas and share their knowledge as a team. If another agent has more experience with a particular area, property, or question, we work directly with that agent to give you the most informed guidance we can. Your main agent remains your point of contact, with the team supporting you. Our goal is to work in partnership with you throughout your home-selling process.
Do you offer a free consultation?
Yes. We offer free consultations through Google Meet, over the phone, or in person. Choose whichever option works best for you. We can discuss your goals, answer your questions, explain our services and fees, and walk through the next steps. Using technology to make meetings and communication simpler is one of the ways we keep our operating costs and listing fees lower.
Do I have to list my property at your recommended price?
No. It is your property, and the listing price is your choice. We will work with the price you choose, but we strongly recommend considering our pricing recommendation when deciding how to position your home on the market.
Our $250 marketing fee helps protect the costs we invest in marketing your property if the listing is canceled or expires. It is not an additional fee for choosing a different listing price.
Is there a fee if my listing is canceled or expires?
Yes. A $250 fee applies if your listing is canceled or expires. This fee helps cover marketing costs, including photography, the 3D tour, and advertising. We will release the property photos to you so you can use them at a later date or to market the property as a rental.
When do I pay the commission?
The commission is paid at the time of closing.
How do I get started?
Tell us whether you are buying, selling, or doing both, along with your location and timeline. We will discuss your goals and the next steps. Sellers can request a personalized price analysis or use our instant home value tool.