Jess McDonough's Seller's Roadmap

Why work with me?

The right agent will pay for themselves by providing you with full-scale service, taking the guesswork out of selling your home so that you can look forward to what’s next.

Beyond simply listing your home for sale, I will work hard to put together a marketing plan that could include things like staging, professional photos and video, 3D walk-throughs, and more.

As a Neighbors agent, I’m well-connected to local professionals who will help present your home in its best light to attract the highest quality potential buyers and strongest offers.

The selling process

01

Initial meeting

02

Listing preparation

03

List it

We will discuss your goals and timeline. Once I’ve been able to visit the property, I’ll follow up with a marketing plan and recommended listing price based on recent comparable sales.

This can include performing needed repairs or cosmetic upgrades. I’ll schedule any necessary vendors, such as stagers, landscapers, or photographers.

Once live in the local multiple listing service (MLS), your home will appear on sites like Redfin and Zillow. I’ll field all inquiries, schedule showings, and coordinate any open houses. 04

Receive offers

05

Go Pending

06

Inspections

How this process plays out will largely depend on current market conditions, but you can trust me to be informed and have advice for courting the strongest offer in any season of selling.

We will review the offers together. Price is important, but other terms can also have a huge impact on your bottom line. Once we accept an offer, we’re officially pending!

The buyer’s agent will navigate a number of inspections, which could include a whole home inspection, a sewer scope, radon test, and/or a scan for a buried oil tank. 07

Repairs

Once the buyer has completed their inspections, they’ll likely ask for specific repairs or a concession in lieu of repairs like a price reduction or closing cost credit. I will advise you on what’s reasonable (or not), and how we should respond.

08

Appraisal

If the buyer is financing the purchase of the home, their lender will require a licensed appraiser to come and inspect the property. They will confirm its value and make sure it is safe to occupy.

09

Sign and close

The escrow company will record the sale with the county, pay off your remaining mortgage balance (if any), and deposit the proceeds into your bank account. Congrats, you’re done!

Keep in mind

Selling homes isn’t rocket science, but there is a formula.

Homes that sell the quickest and for the most money are usually clean, bright, vacant, and staged. This point may be best summarized with the saying “you’ve got to spend money to make money.” That said, I’ll be advising you on how you can make your property shine without spending too much time or money.

With pricing, sometimes less is more.

In a seller’s market, we’ll be aiming to price slightly below market price. Our best chance of success will come from having as many potential buyers tour your home as possible within the first week. This higher demand is our best opportunity to leverage multiple offers with the best price and terms. If the market is cooler, or your home has some other challenges, I might advise pricing slightly higher and waiting for the right buyer.

You only get one first impression.

These days, buyers are quick and discerning about their home search. We don’t want to scare them away with bad photos, bold paint colors, a lack of critical information, or, of course, by being priced too high. The longer a home sits on the market, the less likely we are to have showings. Some buyers will assume there’s something wrong with the house and simply skip it. Price reductions can help attract more buyers, but we’re much less likely to have buyers competing (or writing compelling terms in their offer).

The market dictates everything.

It is important to present the best possible version of your home for listing, because from that point on, we’re largely at the mercy of the market. I will be working to attract the strongest offer possible and advising you every step of the way, but how much buyers are willing to pay and their tolerance for risk will largely be dictated by larger forces like interest rates and the overall health of the economy. But fear not, I’ve seen it all and am here to guide you through it!

Net sheet

Estimate your selling costs and proceeds:

Sales Price: $

ESTIMATED EXPENSES:

Painting $

Cleaning $

Staging $ Repairs $

Commission $

Title & Escrow $ $ $

ESTIMATED PAYOFFS:

1 st Mortgage $

2 nd Mortgage/HELOC

Estimated Net to Seller: $

NOTES:

HereTogether Oregon POLICY & ADVOCACY WORK

The housing affordability and homelessness crisis in the PDX Metro region impacts all of us and requires collective action. HereTogether engages 250+ organizations, businesses, and leaders from every corner of the community to solve homelessness by spotlighting best practices, identifying roadblocks, and advocating for results to build a Portland region where everyone has a safe place to call home.

We have partnered with HereTogether since 2020, supporting the coalition through donation matches and inkind donations of marketing, photography, and promotional materials. Learn more at heretogetheror.com

CHARITABLE GIVING

Taking Ownership PDX

To address historic and systemic racism within Portland and Portland real estate, Taking Ownership works with an emphasis on enabling Black homeowners to age in place, generate wealth, and simultaneously deter predatory investors to deflect the gentrification process.

To date, our agents have collectively donated more than $60,000, supporting fixes and renovations of nearly 100 homes belonging to local families. If you’d like to learn more about Taking Ownership PDX and how to get involved, please visit their website, takingownershippdx.com

Jess McDonough

Principal Broker

(503) 990-5025

jess@jessmcdonough.com

Buying or selling a home can be a wonderful experience. It can also be incredibly stressful. I like to think of my approach as one part therapist and one part personal coach, shepherding clients through this high-stakes emotional and financial roller coaster.

Choosing to work with me means that you’ll always have someone in your corner, ready to listen and provide steady counsel in challenging situations. I will point out risks, hazards, and resale considerations, help you visualize the awesome potential in some aesthetically underwhelming homes, and guide you in prepping your home to shine its brightest. And, most importantly, I will be your fiercest advocate every step of the way.

You’ll always have me in your corner.