Selling a home involves much more than putting it in the MLS and waiting for a buyer.
Before you ever get to that point, there are usually questions to answer. What should you fix, and what is not worth spending money on? What could your home realistically sell for? How long might it take? What will selling cost? How does selling fit with where you are going next?
The answers are not the same for every homeowner.
Your property, your goals, your timeline and the market you are selling in all matter. A good selling strategy starts by understanding those things first.
Your Goals Come First
No two sellers have exactly the same circumstances.
You may need to sell within a particular timeframe because of where you are going next. You may have plenty of flexibility. You could be downsizing, relocating, selling an investment property, moving closer to family or trying to coordinate the sale of your current home with another purchase.
Sometimes the first question is not even how to sell. It is whether selling makes sense right now.
That is why I do not start by handing every seller the same checklist.
I want to understand what you are trying to accomplish, what is important to you, where you are going next and whether there are circumstances surrounding the sale that we need to plan around.
Once I understand those things, I can gather the information you need, answer your questions and explain the options available so you can make decisions about your property and your move with your actual goals in mind.
Focus on What We Can Control
There are parts of the real estate market neither you nor I can control.
We cannot change interest rates, buyer demand or how many competing homes come onto the market.
What we can do is pay attention to those things and focus on the parts of the sale that can be influenced.
I will provide information and recommendations to help you make informed decisions about things such as preparation, pricing, presentation and terms.
The market does not always give sellers the answer they hoped for. My job is not to pretend otherwise. It is to help you understand what is happening, answer your questions and discuss the options available to you.
Before You Spend Money, Let’s Look at the House
One of the first questions sellers ask me is what they should do to their home before putting it on the market.
My answer is usually: let me see it before you start spending money.
We will walk through the property and talk about what buyers are likely to notice, what may be worth addressing and what probably is not worth your money.
Sometimes I will recommend a repair. Sometimes getting an estimate or more information is the better first step. And sometimes I will tell you I would not spend the money.
Depending on the property and what we know about it, I may also recommend a pre-listing inspection. Not every seller needs one. There are situations where learning about an issue before listing can give you more time to investigate it and decide how you want to handle it.
We will also look at the smaller things that affect how a home presents in photographs and in person.
The goal is not to make your home perfect. It is to give you good information so you can decide where your time and money are best spent before the home goes on the market.
What Is Your Home Actually Worth?
Online home-value tools can be helpful when you are curious about your home’s estimated value or want to follow your equity over time. I offer Homebot for exactly that reason.
When you are seriously considering selling, we need to go further.
An automated valuation has not walked through your house. It does not necessarily know the difference between two similarly sized homes when one has been extensively updated and the other has not. It may not fully account for a view, usable acreage, privacy, a shop, barn, ADU, equestrian setup or other features buyers may consider when comparing properties.
I look at recent comparable sales, current competing homes, market activity, condition, location and the individual characteristics of your property.
We also need to look at what buyers will see when your home comes on the market. They are not choosing your house in isolation. They are comparing it with the other choices available to them at that time.
That is why two homes with similar square footage, bedroom counts and bathroom counts can still have very different market values.
I will explain what I am seeing in the data, how I believe buyers are likely to compare your property with the competition and my recommendation for positioning it in the current market. You will have the information behind the recommendation, not just a suggested list price.
Helping Buyers See and Understand Your Property
Good real estate marketing is not about checking as many boxes as possible.
It is about giving the right buyers enough information to notice the property, understand it and decide whether they want to see it.
Professional photography is important because buyers often meet your home online before they ever see it in person. A floor plan can help someone understand a layout that photographs alone do not explain. Video can give buyers a better sense of how rooms connect. Drone photography or video may be especially useful when acreage, a view, location or the relationship between different parts of a property matters.
Depending on the home and the people we are trying to reach, the marketing plan may also use a property website, YouTube, social media, email marketing, Google Business Profile exposure, reverse prospecting, buyer-agent outreach, direct mail, open houses, broker outreach, paid advertising or staging.
Not every home needs every one of those things.
A five-acre horse property should not automatically be marketed exactly like an in-town home. A property with an ADU may have features and possibilities that need to be clearly explained. A water-view property may benefit from different visuals than a condo.
The question is not how many marketing services can be added to a list. It is which ones make sense for your property and help buyers find and understand what you are selling.
Once Your Home Is Listed
Getting the home on the market is not the end of the strategy.
Before we list, we will talk about how showings will work and anything we need to plan around, including pets, work schedules, children or other circumstances that make access more complicated.
Whenever reasonably possible, having the home ready and making it available for buyers to see can help. At the same time, you still live there. We need a showing plan that works in the real world.
After showings, I request feedback when it is available and keep track of what we are hearing. Not every buyer or broker provides feedback, and one comment from one buyer does not necessarily mean something needs to change. What we are looking for are useful patterns.
I will also keep you informed about what is happening with competing properties. Are new homes coming onto the market? Are competing homes reducing their prices? Which properties are going pending? Are buyers seeing the home but not making offers? Are we getting fewer showings than expected?
If the market starts giving us information worth paying attention to, I will bring it to you, explain what I am seeing and discuss the options available. You can then decide whether you want to make an adjustment or stay the course.
You should not have to wonder what is happening with one of your largest financial assets while it is for sale.
An Offer Is More Than the Price
Naturally, the price matters when an offer comes in. It just is not the only thing that matters.
Financing, contingencies, closing costs, earnest money, inspection terms, closing date, possession and other conditions can all affect an offer.
A higher-priced offer with terms that create additional cost or risk may not necessarily be stronger than another offer with a different combination of price and terms.
I will walk you through what the buyer is proposing, explain the different pieces and answer your questions so you understand the offer as a whole. If I have a recommendation, I will give it to you and explain why.
You decide what you want to accept, reject or counter. Once you have made that decision, I will negotiate or respond according to your instructions.
What Happens After You Accept an Offer?
Mutual acceptance is an important milestone, but there is still work to do before closing.
Exactly what happens next depends on the terms of the contract you have accepted. A transaction may include a buyer’s inspection, financing, an appraisal, title review, septic or well requirements, additional property investigations or other contingencies.
Deadlines matter during this part of the sale.
I will continue working with you as we move through the contract. When a request, question or issue comes up, I will help you understand what it means, gather additional information when needed and explain your options.
If a response or decision is required from you, you will have the information available to decide how you want to proceed.
Escrow and title will also be working behind the scenes toward closing. As we get closer, you will receive final documents and information about the money due to you or from you at closing.
My role does not end when you accept an offer. I remain involved through the transaction and closing.
Some Properties Need a More Individual Look
Stanwood, Camano Island and the surrounding areas have plenty of homes that do not fit neatly into an automated valuation or a simple price-per-square-foot comparison.
Acreage, equestrian properties, shops, barns, ADUs, multigenerational layouts, private wells, septic systems, waterfront, water views, investment properties and land can all introduce additional considerations.
Take an acreage or horse property as an example. Buyers may be looking at fencing, pasture, drainage, outbuildings, access, usable acreage and how the property functions, not just the house itself.
A Camano Island property might involve a well or septic system, beach rights, access, views or waterfront considerations.
An ADU may raise questions about permits, utilities, layout or how the additional space can be used.
Those differences can affect preparation, pricing, marketing, buyer interest and due diligence. They need to be understood rather than treating the property as interchangeable with another home that happens to have the same number of bedrooms and similar square footage.
What Does a Property-Specific Strategy Look Like?
One of my recent sellers had an Arlington horse property and a very specific timeline for her move.
Before listing, we walked through the property together and discussed what was worth doing before it went on the market. She followed the recommendations we had discussed, and the timing and listing strategy were built around what she needed to accomplish.
The home was under contract within 10 days.
The important part of that story is not that every home should sell in 10 days. They will not.
What mattered was that the timing worked with this seller’s plan.
That is how I think a successful sale should be measured. The result needs to work for the individual seller and what they were trying to accomplish in the first place.
What Sellers Say About Working With Me
★★★★★
“We loved working with Tricia on selling our home. She is absolutely the best person you would want to work with. She was continuously updating us on any market changes, having showings of our house and always available to answer any questions we had. She was always looking out for our best interests. We will definitely recommend her to everyone.”
Chris R., Google Review
★★★★★
“Tricia Jacobs is simply outstanding! I own a condominium that had been a rental for years and was in desperate need of a complete overhaul and facelift. Tricia took charge of every detail and transformed the property from top to bottom.
She oversaw the entire process, coordinated the stagers and photographer, and had the condo under contract just 8 days after it hit the market, closing in less than 3 weeks. Her organization and attention to detail are second to none.
What truly sets Tricia apart is her communication, deep knowledge of the market, and genuine ability to listen. She kept me informed at every step, offered expert guidance, and made the entire experience smooth and stress-free.
As a business owner, I value professionalism and results, and Tricia delivered both above and beyond. I highly recommend her to anyone looking to buy or sell real estate, you will be in the best hands!”
Lori Reece, Google Review
Frequently Asked Questions About Selling a Home
What costs should I expect when selling a home in Washington?
Before you decide what you can do with the proceeds from your sale, it is helpful to understand the expenses that will come out of it.
Seller expenses commonly include real estate compensation, Washington real estate excise tax, title and escrow costs, property taxes and other amounts that may need to be paid or prorated through closing. Your particular transaction could also include buyer closing costs you have agreed to pay, repairs, credits or other negotiated expenses.
Before listing, I can prepare an estimated seller net sheet so you have an idea of the anticipated costs and what you may receive from the sale.
When you receive an offer, I can update those numbers using the actual price and terms being proposed so you have better information before deciding how you want to respond.
Do I need to complete a seller disclosure when selling my home in Washington?
Most sellers of residential real property in Washington will encounter a seller disclosure statement, commonly referred to in real estate transactions as Form 17.
The disclosure asks you questions about the property based on your actual knowledge. Depending on the property, those questions can cover title, water, sewer or septic, structural components, systems and fixtures, environmental concerns and other property conditions.
There are exceptions and circumstances where disclosure requirements differ, so I do not assume every property or transaction should be handled exactly the same way.
As we prepare your property for sale, I will help you determine which forms apply to your transaction and answer questions about the process. When a question requires legal advice rather than real estate guidance, I will recommend that you speak with the appropriate professional.
Should I make repairs before selling my home?
Not automatically.
The answer depends on the property, the issue, current competition and how buyers are likely to respond.
Sometimes a repair makes sense. Sometimes getting an estimate or additional information is enough. And sometimes my recommendation may be not to spend the money at all.
I prefer to walk through the property with you before you start making improvements so you have more information when deciding where to spend your time and money.
Should I have a home inspection before I sell?
Not every seller needs a pre-listing inspection.
There are circumstances where I may recommend one. If you have not lived in the property, know very little about its condition or we have a concern that would be useful to investigate before going on the market, an inspection may give you helpful information.
Finding out about an issue before listing can give you time to investigate it, obtain estimates and decide what you want to do rather than first learning about it during a buyer’s inspection.
We will talk about whether that makes sense for your particular property, and you can decide whether you would like to have one completed.
How do I determine what my home is worth?
Automated home-value tools can provide a useful estimate, but preparing to sell requires a closer look.
I evaluate comparable sales, current competing homes, market activity, condition, location and the individual characteristics of the property.
Acreage, waterfront, views, shops, barns, ADUs and other features can make those individual comparisons especially important.
I will explain what I am seeing and the reasoning behind my pricing recommendation so you have more than an automated estimate when deciding how you want to position your home in the market.
How long will it take to sell my home in Stanwood or Camano Island?
There is not one honest number I can give every seller.
Timing changes with the market, property type, condition, price range, competition and buyer demand.
Rather than giving you a generic average and pretending it applies to your home, I will show you what is happening with properties that are actually relevant to yours.
We can look at how long they are taking to sell, which ones are going pending, which are not and what that information may mean for your plans.
Not Ready to Sell but Curious About Your Home’s Value?
You do not need to be preparing for a move to want to know what is happening with your home value and equity.
My complimentary Homebot home wealth report provides an automated estimated home value and lets you monitor that estimate and your equity over time.
When you are seriously considering selling, that is when I recommend taking the analysis further and looking at your actual property and the current market.
About Tricia Jacobs
I’m Tricia Jacobs, a Managing Broker and REALTOR® with RE/MAX Gateway.
I originally became licensed in real estate in 1992 and have worked in residential sales, property management and through very different real estate markets over the years. I have called Stanwood home since 2001, and my work takes me throughout Snohomish, Skagit, Island and Whatcom Counties.
My experience includes residential homes, acreage and country properties, equestrian properties, waterfront and water-view homes, ADUs and multigenerational properties, private wells and septic systems, investment properties and land.
I hold the Seller Representative Specialist (SRS®) and Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR®) designations and am a RE/MAX Hall of Fame Managing Broker. I was also honored to be voted Best Real Estate Agent in Stanwood & Camano Island in 2025 and 2026.
Those things tell you something about my background, but what matters when we are working together is how that experience helps you.
I believe good real estate advice starts with understanding what you are trying to accomplish. I do not believe it is always a great time to sell, because it is not.
My role is to provide accurate information, answer your questions, gather additional information when we need it, explain your options and give you my professional recommendation when appropriate.
You decide what makes the most sense for you.
Outside of real estate, I am very much part of the community I work in. My family and I have lived in Stanwood for years, and when I am not working, you will often find me spending time with my family, horses and dogs and enjoying this part of Washington that I call home.
Have Questions About Selling Your Home?
You do not have to be ready to list your home to have a conversation about it.
Maybe you are trying to figure out what your home could sell for. Maybe you do not know which projects are worth completing. You might be planning a move next year, trying to coordinate a purchase and sale, or simply wondering whether selling makes sense at all.
We can start with the questions you have.
I will learn about your property and what you are considering, look at the current market, gather the information that is relevant to your situation and answer your questions.
If you want my recommendation, I will give you that too and explain the reasoning behind it.
Then you can decide what makes sense for you and when, or whether, you are ready to move forward.
Tricia JacobsManaging Broker | REALTOR® | ABR® | SRS®RE/MAX Gateway360-223-1100triciajacobs@remax.nettriciajacobsrealtor.com