Phase 1 – Plan
Welcome & How to Use This Portal
This portal is your one-stop home base from today
through closing. Items are grouped by phase. New items appear as we reach each step,
and we'll text or email you when something needs your attention. Anything with a
signature line, we'll send for e-signature as well.
Your E3 Team & Contacts
Your sale is led by Chris Ristau and backed by the full E3 team. You'll always know who to call, and you'll never be handed off to someone who doesn't know your home.
Chris Ristau (Team Lead)
Ryan Evanson (Co-Leader)
Ally Gibbs (Contracts & Disclosures)
Rob Menconi (Project Management)
The Home Selling Process
Here's the road map from today to closing, what we handle at each step and where we'll need you. Most of your work happens up front. After that, we carry the load.
Pre-Listing Presentation
For your reference, here's the full presentation we reviewed together, including our marketing plan and what's covered.
Your Goals & Timeline Worksheet
Rank what matters most (highest price, smooth process, or timing), then tell us your ideal closing date, where you're headed next, and whether you need to buy before you sell or would like a rent-back. Every pricing and marketing decision we make starts here. Download file, open and complete as we'll talk through these points.
Documents to Gather
Having these ready speeds up disclosures and keeps escrow on schedule:
Mortgage statement(s), including any HELOC
Property tax bill (and Mello-Roos statement, if applicable)
HOA contact, dues, CC&Rs and any notices
Solar contract and payoff info; PACE/HERO paperwork
Permits, receipts and warranties for upgrades
Roof, HVAC and water heater install dates; past inspection reports
Trust documents, if the home is held in a trust Photos or PDFs are fine.
Your Pricing & Net Packet
Attached is your custom pricing packet, prepared specifically for your home. It brings together everything we used to arrive at our recommendation:
Your home and market: your property details and current trends for homes like yours.
Closest comparables: the nearest recent sales, side by side with your home.
Sales and competition: what’s sold recently and what you’d be competing against today.
Pricing conclusion: your expected sale range, our most likely price, and the reasoning behind it.
Your net sheet: estimated proceeds at three price points.
We’ll update the comps and figures as new sales close, and we’ll set your final list price together at the walkthrough.
What You Walk Away With
Your estimated net sheet shows where the money goes at closing, so every decision is made with real numbers. The math is simple: sale price, minus closing costs, minus your loan payoff, equals your net proceeds.
You’ll see estimates at three price points (low, most likely and high) so you can compare outcomes at a glance. Because most closing costs stay about the same as the price changes, most of every additional dollar goes to you.
These figures are estimates from a title company and will be updated before your home goes live and again during escrow. Real estate commissions are not set by law and are fully negotiable, and buyer’s broker compensation is not required to be offered.
Listing Agreement
Attached is your Residential Listing Agreement for your records. It outlines our commitments to you, the listing term and compensation.
Phase 2 – Prepare
Preparing Your Home for Sale
Small, inexpensive changes make the biggest difference in photos and showings:
Declutter: pack about a third of what's out, and thin closets to half full.
Depersonalize: store family photos, collections and kids' art.
Repair: sticky doors, drips, burnt bulbs, nail holes, scuffed paint.
Refresh: neutral paint where needed; a freshly painted front door.
Curb appeal: mow, edge, fresh bark, pressure-wash walkways and driveway.
Deep clean: every surface, window and grout line (on us). We'll fine-tune this at the walkthrough.
Your Prep Punch List (Example)
From our walkthrough, here's your custom list: what we recommend doing, who's doing it, and by when. We'll check items off as they're done.
Pre-Listing Inspections
We recommend a home and termite inspection before listing (plus roof or sewer when the home's age calls for it). Knowing about issues before buyers
do lets us price for them, fix them on your terms, or disclose them up front. Buyers then make their strongest offer knowing every detail, with little room to renegotiate.
Home inspection: [date/time, inspector]
Termite inspection: [date/time, company] Attach: Reports, once received.
Seller's Property Disclosures
California requires sellers to disclose what they know
about the home, using forms such as the Transfer Disclosure Statement and Seller Property Questionnaire. Complete them to the best of your knowledge. When in doubt, disclose. Buyers are far more forgiving of a disclosed issue than a discovered one. We'll walk you through each question on our disclosure platform.
Staging Plan (if selected)
Our designer will [fully stage / partially stage / style your existing furniture] to showcase your home's best spaces.
Staging date: [date]. Please have rooms
cleared by [time] that day.
Your Timeline to Launch
Here's the plan from today to live on the market:
Planning (Week 1): goals, pricing, listing agreement, documents gathered.
Preparation (Weeks 2–4): inspections, repairs, painting, decluttering, deep clean.
Staging & Media (Week 4–5): staging, then photos, video, drone and Matterport the next day.
Coming Soon (Week 5–6): pre-market exposure to agents and buyers, website and social live.
Launch (Week 6): live on MLS on a [Wed/Thu], open house [Sat/Sun]. We'll adjust dates to your schedule; we can move as fast or slow as you need.
Showing Ground Rules
To keep showings safe and easy: showings by appointment through us, X-hour notice, Bluetooth lockbox with CBS code so every entry is logged. Please plan to step out during showings. Buyers relax and stay longer when sellers aren't home. Before each showing: lights on, blinds open, counters clear, pets and valuables secured.
Phase 3 – Marketing Assets
Professional Photography
Your professional HDR photos are ready. These are your home's first impression, and buyers decide in seconds whether to book a showing. We've sequenced them to tell your home's story, from curb to backyard. Feel free to share them with friends and family.
Video Tour & Drone
Your custom video gives buyers a guided tour anytime, along with the parks, shopping and dining that make your neighborhood special. It's posted to YouTube, Vimeo, social media and your property website. Feel free to share them with friends and family.
Matterport 3D Tour & Floor Plans
Buyers can walk through your home from any angle, including the dollhouse view, and see 2D and 3D floor plans. Serious buyers often tour virtually first, so your showings are with people who already love the layout.
Your Property Website
Your home has its own website: photos, video, 3D tour, floor plans, neighborhood highlights and a direct line to us. It's the link we use in every ad, email and social post.
Property Brochure
Our folded cardstock brochure showcases your home and neighborhood for buyers at showings and open houses. It's a big step up from the one-page flyer most listings use.
Coming Soon Campaign
Your home is being introduced before it hits the MLS: to our agent and broker network, past clients, our buyer database, social media and your property website. Buyers are saving it and waiting for launch day.
Coming Soon start: [date]
Planned MLS launch: [date]
Just Listed Postcard
Targeted Just Listed postcards go to neighbors and nearby homeowners. Neighbors often know someone who wants to live on your street.
Just Listed Agent Flyer
Your e-flyer goes to agents across the Bay Area, so buyers' agents have your home top of mind before their clients' weekend tours.
Social Media Campaign
Your listing runs across Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn with organic posts, reels and paid ads targeted to active buyers in [area]. Share our posts. Every share puts your home in front of a new network. See link for Beacon, to update/view analytics on listing sites.
Phase 4 – On the Market
Live on the Market
Your home is live as of [date]. You can see it on:
MLS / Brokerage website: [link]
Zillow: [link]
Realtor.com: [link]
Redfin: [link]
Trulia: [link]
Open House Schedule
Open houses are hosted by licensed E3 agents, promoted online and in the neighborhood. We'll send you the turnout and feedback the same day. [Date, time]
[Date, time] Please have the home show-ready and plan to be out during the open house.
Showing Activity & Feedback
Here's a running log of every showing and the agent feedback we've collected. We'll highlight patterns, both what's landing and any concerns, so we can act quickly
Online Activity Report
How buyers are engaging online: views, saves and shares across Zillow, Realtor.com and our syndication partners, compared with similar listings, plus where your web traffic is coming from.
Offer Review & Strategy
When offers come in, we'll compare them side by side: price, financing strength, down payment, contingencies, close date, rent-back and the net to you. Price is one factor; certainty of closing is another. If we have multiple offers, we'll recommend the best way to drive competition.
Pricing Check-In (if needed)
Most well-priced homes in our area go pending within 7–14 days. If we're past X# days with limited offers, the market is telling us something. Here's what the data shows and our recommendation: a price adjustment, a marketing refresh, or a change to how the home shows.
