Sarasota Real Estate Blog

Now That Your Home is on the Market: What Sellers Should Do Next

You did it! After weeks—maybe even months—of hard work, your home is finally on the market. You’ve decluttered, cleaned, painted, and probably made more trips to the donation center than you can count. Getting a home ready to sell is no small task, and if you’re feeling a little relieved (and maybe a little anxious), that’s completely normal.

Let’s take a moment to acknowledge what you’ve accomplished just to get to this point:

Prepping Your Home for the Market:

✅ Deep cleaned every room, top to bottom

✅ Decluttered and depersonalized spaces

✅ Touched up paint and handled small repairs

✅ Boosted curb appeal with landscaping or fresh exterior touches

✅ Staged furniture to show off the home’s best features

✅ Hired a professional photographer (or your agent did) for stunning listing photos

✅ Worked with your realtor to set a competitive price

✅ Completed paperwork and disclosures

Now that your home is officially listed, you might be wondering, What now? It can feel like the hard part is over—but the next phase is equally important. This is where you shift from “home prep mode” to “show-ready and responsive mode.”

What to Do Once Your Home Is Listed:

1. Keep It Clean & Show-Ready

You never know when a last-minute showing will be requested. Try to maintain a tidy home daily—make the beds each morning, put dishes away, wipe down counters, and keep clutter to a minimum. A clean home makes a powerful impression.

2. Be Flexible with Showings

The more accessible your home is to buyers, the more likely you are to receive offers. It’s not always convenient, but accommodating showing requests—even on short notice—can make a big difference.

3. Stay Out During Showings

Buyers need to feel comfortable imagining themselves in your home. That’s tough to do if the seller is present. Plan to be out during showings to give potential buyers the space they need.

4. Monitor Feedback

Your realtor will likely receive feedback from buyer agents after showings. This can be invaluable. If multiple people mention the same issue (e.g., a pet odor, too much furniture, pricing concerns), consider adjusting accordingly.

5. Stay in Communication With Your Agent

Your real estate agent is your advocate and guide. Stay in touch, review activity reports, and don’t hesitate to ask questions or voice concerns.

6. Stay Positive and Patient

Selling a home is a process. Some listings go quickly, others take more time. Trust the strategy you and your agent have put in place.

7. Continue to maintain your home. 

Often sellers questions what changes/repairs/improvements to make while their home is for sale. Discuss most of these with your realtor but no need to ask about maintenance items like cleaning windows, changing filters, repairing things that no longer perform correctly such as cabinets, drawers, sliding glass doors, etc. 

Listing your home is a big milestone—congratulations again! Stay focused, stay flexible, and let your home shine. The right buyer is out there, and you’re already one step closer to the finish line.