Selling a home here is about much more than putting a property on the market. My role is to help you understand your home’s value, prepare it properly, position it against the competition and create a marketing strategy designed to attract strong, qualified buyers. This guide walks through how I approach each step for rowhomes, twins, single-family homes, condominiums and co-ops, with the source attached to every rate and every statute.

Pricing: block by block, and building by building

One of the most important decisions you will make is the list price. Two homes only a few streets apart can have very different values, and two condominiums in the same building can differ by floor, exposure, views, layout, balcony, parking and monthly fees. A number that is right for one block, or one stack in a building, can be wrong for the next.

When I prepare a pricing recommendation, I review recent sales, the homes a buyer can buy instead of yours today, current market conditions and the features that make your home different. For a rowhome that means the specific block, the condition of the roof and masonry, outdoor space, parking, light and layout. For a condominium it also means recent sales inside the building, the monthly fees, the association’s finances and what the building offers compared with the buildings a buyer is touring the same weekend.

Why “price high and see what happens” backfires

Some sellers want to start high and simply see what happens. Today’s buyers have tremendous access to information. When a property appears overpriced, they may not make a lower offer. They may simply move on. The first few weeks on the market are when a new listing gets the most attention from buyers and their agents, and a price that keeps them away during that window is hard to recover from with a reduction later.

The goal is not simply to list your home, but to position it correctly from the beginning. If you want a starting point before we meet, you can request a valuation on my what’s my home worth page, and I will follow up with an analysis of your block or your building rather than an automated estimate.

Preparation: where to spend, and where not to

Preparation can make an enormous difference. I personally walk through the property with you and recommend where to spend money and, equally important, where not to spend money.

The work most worth doing is usually the work that removes a buyer’s objection before it forms or helps the home photograph and show well: fresh paint in neutral colors, a deep clean, small repairs a buyer would otherwise write into an inspection response, decluttering and staging. The work to be careful with is the large project a buyer would rather choose for themselves, such as a full kitchen renovation in a style that may not match their taste. In older Philadelphia homes, I also look at the items buyers and inspectors focus on, such as the roof, masonry, plumbing, electrical systems, sewer lines and HVAC, because knowing about them before listing is better than learning about them in a negotiation.

If painting, repairs, cleaning, staging or other improvements would help, I can connect you with trusted contractors, cleaners, stagers and other professionals and help coordinate the process, whether you are living in the home or have already moved.

Compass Concierge

The cost of preparation is often the obstacle. Compass describes its Concierge program as a way to have the cost of home improvement services fronted, with zero due until closing. The services Compass lists include staging, painting, flooring, deep cleaning, decluttering, landscaping, cosmetic renovations, HVAC and roofing repair, among others. Compass states that the funds are repaid when the home sells, when the listing agreement is terminated by either party, when 12 months pass from the Concierge start date, or when the lender otherwise suspends the loan, whichever occurs first; that the loans are provided by Notable Finance, LLC, not by Compass; that eligibility is not guaranteed and is subject to credit approval; that fees or interest may apply depending on the state; and that program terms may vary by market. Compass also states that it offers no guarantee of results. I will walk you through the current terms for Pennsylvania before you decide. You can read more on my Compass Concierge page.

Presentation and a marketing plan for your home

Presentation and marketing are equally important. Professional photography, video, floor plans, staging, property websites, social media, targeted marketing and exposure to both consumers and the real estate community can all play a role. Every property is different, so I create a marketing approach specifically for your home rather than simply placing it on the MLS and waiting for a buyer.

That plan starts with who is most likely to buy it and what they care about. A buyer relocating from New York or Washington, DC, often shops online first and needs the listing to answer questions about the block, the building and the commute to 30th Street Station before they book a trip. A condo buyer wants the floor plan, the view and the building’s amenities to be clear from the first photo. A rowhome buyer wants to see the light, the outdoor space and the condition of the systems. People still make decisions based on how a home feels and whether they can picture themselves living there, and presentation is how that happens.

Selling a condominium or co-op

If you are selling a condominium, there are additional considerations. Buyers and their agents may closely examine condo fees, reserves, assessments, insurance, building finances, rules and recent sales within the building. I help anticipate these questions and prepare the information buyers may need before it becomes an obstacle to a sale.

The Pennsylvania resale certificate

Pennsylvania law puts this preparation on a schedule. Under the Uniform Condominium Act, 68 Pa.C.S. 3407, a unit owner reselling a unit must furnish the purchaser, before the contract is signed or otherwise before conveyance, a copy of the declaration (other than the plats and plans), the bylaws, the rules or regulations of the association, and a certificate that includes, among other items:

• the monthly common expense assessment and any unpaid common expense or special assessment currently due from the seller;
• any other fees payable by unit owners;
• capital expenditures proposed by the association for the current and next two fiscal years, and the amount of reserves for capital expenditures;
• the most recent regularly prepared balance sheet and income and expense statement, and the current operating budget;
• any judgments against the association and the status of pending suits;
• the insurance coverage provided for the benefit of unit owners;
• whether the executive board knows of alterations to the unit that violate the declaration, or of violations of governmental requirements or hazardous conditions;
• any right of first refusal or other restraint on resale.

The association must furnish the certificate within ten days after the unit owner’s request. Until the certificate is provided, and for five days after, the purchase contract is voidable by the purchaser, unless conveyance happens first. The statute also protects the seller in two ways: a seller is not liable to the buyer for erroneous information the association provides in the certificate, or for the association’s failure or delay in providing it on time. The practical lesson is simple. I ask for the certificate early, often before we list, so the buyer’s review period starts as soon as possible and any surprise in the budget or the reserves is something we know about first.

The Seller Disclosure Law ties into this. For a condominium, the seller’s disclosure statement covers the seller’s own unit, and section 3407 controls what must be disclosed about the common elements.

Selling a co-op

A cooperative is different because the buyer is purchasing shares in a corporation and a proprietary lease rather than a deeded unit, and the co-op board typically reviews and approves the buyer before the sale can close. Each building sets its own application requirements, review process and timing, so I ask for the building’s current application package and its requirements at the start and plan the sale timeline around them. For cooperatives governed by Pennsylvania’s Real Estate Cooperative Act, 68 Pa.C.S. 4409 sets out resale disclosures similar to the condominium certificate, and the Seller Disclosure Law points to it for the common elements. Whether and how that section applies to a particular building is a question for the settlement attorney.

If you are curious how buyers evaluate a building from the other side of the table, my guide to buying a condo or co-op in Center City Philadelphia covers what they will ask.

The financial side: estimating your net proceeds

Before listing, I help you understand the financial side of selling. We review estimated closing costs, transfer tax, mortgage payoff, commissions and other potential expenses so you have a clearer picture of your estimated proceeds before your home goes on the market.

Philadelphia Realty Transfer Tax

The City of Philadelphia lists the current Realty Transfer Tax at 3.578 percent for the City plus 1 percent for the Commonwealth, a combined 4.578 percent, applied to the sale price or assessed value of the property plus any assumed debt. On an arm’s length sale, the City’s formula is the actual consideration multiplied by .04578. The City states that the tax is usually split evenly between the buyer and the seller, but that this is not a legal requirement, and that the City has the right to collect the full tax from either party. In practice, the split is negotiable and is written into the agreement of sale, so it belongs in the conversation about any offer.

Your net proceeds worksheet

Every line below is filled in with your own numbers, from your own documents. I prepare this estimate with you before we list and update it when an offer arrives.

Evaluating offers: price is only one part

Once an offer arrives, price is only one part of the decision. Financing, inspections, appraisal, settlement date, contingencies and the buyer’s overall qualifications can all affect the strength of an offer. I help you evaluate the entire offer and negotiate with your priorities in mind.

A slightly lower offer with strong financing, a short inspection period and the settlement date you need can be worth more to you than a higher offer that depends on several things going right. Throughout the transaction I remain very hands on, from negotiating inspections and working through appraisal issues to communicating with attorneys, title professionals, contractors and other parties, and I stay involved through settlement.

Selling from out of town

Many of my sellers are no longer in Philadelphia when their home goes on the market, whether they have relocated for work, moved closer to family or are selling a home they inherited. I handle out-of-town sales from start to finish. I walk the property, coordinate cleaners, contractors and stagers, oversee photography, manage showings and keep you informed at every step, so you are never guessing what is happening at the property.

Early in the process we also plan the details that matter at a distance: who has keys and access, how utilities are handled until settlement, and how you will sign your documents. The title company can explain the options for signing if you will not be in Philadelphia on settlement day, and it helps to ask early. If you are buying in Philadelphia while selling elsewhere, or the other way around, my guide to buying a home in Philadelphia covers the purchase side.

Seller disclosure in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania’s Real Estate Seller Disclosure Law, 68 Pa.C.S. 7301 and following, requires a seller of residential real estate to disclose to the buyer any material defects with the property known to the seller, by completing all applicable items in a property disclosure statement. A signed and dated copy must be delivered to the buyer before the seller and buyer sign the agreement of sale.

The form, promulgated by the State Real Estate Commission, calls for disclosures on subjects that include the seller’s expertise in construction-related fields, when the seller last occupied the property, the roof, basements and crawl spaces, termites and pests, structural problems, additions and remodeling, water and sewage, plumbing, heating and air conditioning, electrical, included appliances, soils, drainage, boundaries and sinkholes, hazardous substances, condominiums and other homeowners associations, legal issues affecting title, and storm water facilities.

My advice is to complete the form carefully and early, with the house in front of you, and to ask me or your attorney when you are unsure how to answer.

You should not navigate the sale alone

Most seller concerns come down to three things: price, cost and timing. My job is not to talk anyone into selling. It is to give you the market knowledge, strategy and honest guidance to make the right decision for you, and then to stay hands on from preparing the home through settlement. I serve as your Philadelphia real estate resource before, during and after the transaction, with a network of trusted professionals available whenever you need one.

If you would like to see the most common mistakes sellers and buyers make in this city, from pricing off a neighbor’s sale to assuming every condo building is the same, read what people get wrong about Philadelphia real estate.

Frequently asked questions