Spring Mountain Realty PLLC
The East Tennessee
Home Seller's Guide
What your home is worth, how we prepare and market it, and every deadline between the listing agreement and the closing table.
Preparation pays
The same room, eight days apart
Buyers decide in the first photo. Drag the handle and watch what decluttering, light, and a professional camera do to the exact same square footage — before a single dollar of renovation.
- Written punch list ranked by return, not effort
- Staging guidance room by room at no cost
- Professional HDR photography ordered by us
Illustrative example — drag to compare
The process
Eight steps from decision to closing
Selling well is preparation plus exposure plus negotiation. Here's exactly what happens, in order, and what we handle for you at each stage.
- 01
Know what your home is worth
Week 1We start with a comparative market analysis: recent closed sales, active competition, expired listings, and current absorption rate in your immediate market. Not a guess, and not an automated estimate — actual data on comparable properties.
- Closed comparable sales from the last 3–6 months
- Adjustments for acreage, condition, water access, and updates
- A realistic pricing range with the tradeoffs explained
Pricing acreage and view property takes local comparables, not an algorithm. - 02
Listing agreement and disclosures
Before we go liveWe put the terms in writing: list price, term, commission (always negotiable, never set by law), and how the property will be marketed. Tennessee requires a Residential Property Disclosure, and we walk through it with you line by line.
- Commission is negotiable and disclosed up front
- Tennessee Residential Property Condition Disclosure
- Lead-based paint disclosure for homes built before 1978
- 03
Prepare the home
1–2 weeksBuyers form an opinion in the first eight seconds of the first photo. Small, cheap fixes routinely return several times their cost. We give you a written punch list prioritized by impact, not by effort.
- Declutter, depersonalize, and deep clean every room
- Fresh mulch, trimmed edges, pressure-washed walks and porch
- Repair the obvious: leaky faucets, sticking doors, burned-out bulbs
A prioritized punch list, ranked by likely return — not a renovation. - 04
Professional photography and media
Day of shootWe order the photographer at our expense. Expect a two- to three-hour appointment with every light on, every blind open, and vehicles moved off the drive. Photos, aerials, and floor plans go live only after everything is ready.
- HDR interior and exterior stills, twilight when it adds value
- Drone aerials for acreage, lake frontage, and mountain views
- Floor plan and video walkthrough for out-of-area buyers
Twilight exteriors, HDR interiors, drone aerials — ordered at our expense. - 05
Launch and market
Going liveYour listing syndicates across four MLS boards — TN/VA, GSMAR, Lakeway, and Knoxville — then out to the major consumer portals, our site, email, and paid social. Broadest possible exposure to real buyers, not just local traffic.
- Four-MLS syndication for full regional reach
- Targeted social campaigns and agent-to-agent outreach
- Signage, brochures, and a dedicated property page
- 06
Showings and feedback
Weeks 1–4Showings are scheduled through a system that texts you for approval. After each one we chase feedback, and we review traffic and showing-to-offer ratios with you weekly so pricing decisions are driven by evidence.
- Text-approval scheduling — you always control access
- Written feedback summaries after each showing
- Weekly market report with traffic and competition changes
- 07
Offers and negotiation
1–3 days per offerPrice is only one term. We evaluate financing type, earnest money, contingencies, closing date, and any seller concessions, then negotiate the whole package — and present multiple offers side by side when they come in.
- Net-sheet comparison of every offer, not just headline price
- Verification of pre-approval or proof of funds
- Counteroffer strategy that protects your timeline
- 08
Inspection, appraisal, and closing
30–45 days under contractWe manage the deadlines: inspection response, repair negotiation, appraisal, title work, and final walkthrough. You sign, funds are disbursed, and possession transfers on the terms you agreed to.
- Repair requests negotiated — repairs, credits, or price
- Appraisal support with the comps we used to price
- Title, payoff, and closing coordination through funding
We hold every deadline from inspection response through funding.
Regional reach
One listing agreement. Four MLS boards.
Tri-Cities and the northeast corridor
Sevier, Blount, and the Smokies foothills
Morristown, Cherokee and Douglas Lake
Knox and the surrounding metro counties
Your net
Move the numbers. Watch your proceeds.
Before you list, we build a seller net sheet with your actual figures. Start here — then we'll replace the estimates with your payoff statement and closing quote.
Estimate only, for illustration. Commission is negotiable and never set by law or by any association. Actual figures depend on your contract, payoff statement, prorations, and closing attorney fees.
Negotiable and agreed in writing before listing. Never set by law or by any board.
Optional credits toward the buyer's closing costs, used when it strengthens your net.
Deed prep, closing fee, and recording costs — modest in Tennessee.
Tennessee assesses a state transfer tax on the sale price at recording.
Loan payoff, prorated property taxes, and any HOA dues through closing.
“They told us exactly what to fix and what to leave alone, had the photographer out that week, and walked us through every deadline. We always knew what came next.”
Individual results vary with price, condition, and market conditions. Spring Mountain Realty PLLC serves all clients equally in accordance with the Fair Housing Act.
Where we sell
Lakes, ridges, and the towns between them
Morristown
Douglas Lake
Cherokee Lake
Knoxville
Bean StationPhoto day
What a shoot day actually looks like
The shoot takes two to three hours and there is no cleanup time on the clock. Here's the hour-by-hour, and the checklist we hand you the week before.
Photography, aerials, floor plans, video, signage, and the marketing campaign are ordered and paid for by Spring Mountain Realty PLLC.
- T‑minus 24 hrsFinal clean, lawn mowed, mulch fresh, all bulbs replaced.
- 1 hour beforeEvery light on, blinds open, counters cleared, cars off the drive.
- Hour 1Exteriors and drone aerials while the light is even.
- Hour 2Interiors room by room, HDR brackets, detail shots of upgrades.
- Hour 3Floor plan scan and video walkthrough for out-of-area buyers.
- 48–72 hrs laterEdited gallery delivered, reviewed with you before we go live.
- Every light on, all bulbs matching in color temperature
- Blinds and curtains fully open, screens removed on the front
- Counters cleared: no small appliances, mail, soap, or sponges
- Vehicles moved off the driveway and out of view
- Pet bowls, beds, litter boxes, and toys stored away
- Trash cans and hoses hidden, lawn mowed within 48 hours
- Toilet lids down, towels fresh and folded, rugs straight
- Personal photos, medications, and valuables put away
Why sellers list with us
Boutique attention, regional reach
TN/VA, GSMAR, Lakeway, and Knoxville — your home reaches the whole region.
Professional stills, drone aerials, floor plans, and video included.
Agreed in writing before listing. Never set by law or any association.
Tennessee-licensed REALTORS® under Principal Broker Sarah Richards.
Cherokee, Douglas, Clinch Mountain, and the Smokies foothills.
No handoff to a junior team member after you sign.
Seller questions
Answered before you have to ask
What commission do you charge?
Commission is fully negotiable and is never set by law, by any MLS, or by any REALTOR® association. We agree on it in writing in your listing agreement before the home goes live, and we'll show you exactly how it affects your net proceeds.
Should I make repairs before listing?
Usually a targeted few, not a renovation. We prioritize items that photograph well or that an inspector will flag anyway. We'll give you a written list ranked by likely return, and you decide what to do.
How long will it take to sell?
It depends on price, condition, and location. Correctly priced East Tennessee homes commonly go under contract within a few weeks, then take another thirty to forty-five days to close a financed buyer. We track your market's actual days-on-market and share it weekly.
What if my home doesn't appraise?
We provide the appraiser with the comparable sales and improvement list we used for pricing. If the value still comes in low, your options are to renegotiate price, have the buyer bring additional cash, or challenge the appraisal with new data.
Who pays for photography and marketing?
We do. Professional photography, aerials, floor plans, signage, and the marketing campaign are included in our listing service at no separate charge to you.
Can you tell me which buyers are looking in my area?
We can share objective market data — price points, buyer financing types, days on market, and showing volume. Fair Housing law prohibits us from marketing to or steering based on race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, or national origin, and we don't.
Thinking about selling?
Start with a no-obligation valuation. We'll follow up with comparable sales, a suggested price range, and an estimate of your net proceeds.