What distinguishes your home?
Start with comparable sales and current competition. Identify the features a buyer can see or verify: layout, usable outdoor space, documented improvements, materials, and access to everyday destinations.
Ask how the recommended price compares with the alternatives buyers will see. Specific features are more useful than claims of “unmatched luxury.”
Preparation & budget
Walk through the property together and rank repairs, cleaning, landscaping, and staging by their likely usefulness. Get a budget and schedule before work starts.
Gather permits, warranties, service records, and the required disclosures. Clear documentation helps answer buyer questions that photography cannot.1
Your marketing package
| Deliverable | What it should do |
|---|---|
| Photography | Show the home’s layout, light, condition, and setting accurately. |
| Floor plan | Help buyers understand room relationships and dimensions. |
| Video | Explain movement through the house and useful outdoor spaces. |
| Property description | Describe specific features without exaggeration. |
Ask to review the final images, captions, and floor plan. Virtual staging or altered images should be clearly identified and should not conceal defects.2
Public or limited exposure?
A public launch generally exposes a home to more buyers. A limited approach may support privacy preferences but narrows the audience. Ask what each option means for discoverability, timing, and price feedback.
NAR distinguishes office-exclusive listings from delayed public marketing. Availability and implementation depend on the applicable MLS rules. Have your broker explain the current local options and written disclosures before choosing.3
Showings & privacy
- Remove valuables, sensitive documents, and visible security information.
- Set showing notice and access instructions that you can sustain.
- Ask how buyer qualification will be handled consistently.
- Agree on what visitors may photograph and how keys and alarms are managed.
Too many access restrictions can make a home harder to show. Discuss the tradeoff between convenience, privacy, and serious buyers’ ability to visit.
Ready to launch?
Ask for a launch date and a short checklist: preparation complete, media approved, property details checked, inquiries routed, and showings ready.
View the published listing on a phone. Check the photo order, floor plan, address, room details, and contact route. Correct mistakes promptly so they do not spread across other sites.
Review the response
Set an early review date with your agent. Discuss inquiries, showings, repeated feedback, competing listings, and offers together. High page views alone do not show whether the price and presentation are working.
When an offer arrives, compare estimated net proceeds, financing, contingencies, closing date, and possession terms. The highest headline price may come with costs or uncertainty that matter to you.
Your next steps
Common questions
Should I list privately first?
Discuss what privacy would achieve and what exposure you would give up. A limited launch should be an informed choice with clear expectations, not a promise of a better price.
How much marketing should I expect?
Ask for specific deliverables, distribution plans, and a reporting schedule. The useful package depends on the property and the buyers it needs to reach.
What if there are views but few showings?
Review pricing, photographs, access, and competing listings together. Online attention is only one part of the evidence.
Sources and dates
Published June 27, 2026. Source dates are listed below. Confirm transaction-specific requirements with the responsible provider.
View sources (3)
- 1Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational RegulationResidential Property Disclosure Statement ↗Source checked September 22, 2026
- 2National Association of Realtors2026 Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice ↗Source checked September 22, 2026
- 3National Association of RealtorsMultiple Listing Options for Sellers ↗Source checked September 22, 2026