Seller's Guide

Selling Your South Florida Home

The 2026 playbook — pricing strategy, marketing plan, negotiation, and closing — built on 20+ years of selling in South Florida.

Get my home's value

Selling a home in South Florida typically takes 45-90 days from listing to closing. The seller pays a total commission of 5-6% (negotiable), plus title, doc stamps, and prorated taxes. Pricing correctly at launch is the single biggest lever for sale price and time-on-market.

1. What's My Home Worth?

Start here. An accurate valuation is the foundation of every successful sale. Zillow Zestimates and automated tools are a starting point, but they miss the nuance — your specific finishes, views, building reputation, and neighborhood micro-trends. Adi provides a detailed Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) drawing on recent sold comps, active competition, and expired listings in your exact area. Request a valuation.

2. Pricing Strategy

The goal is not the highest list price — it's the highest sale price. These aren't the same. Overpriced homes sit, grow stale, and ultimately sell below market. Correctly priced homes attract more buyers, generate competing offers, and often exceed asking. Adi recommends a price band based on your comps, timeline, and market temperature — then explains the tradeoff between aggressive and conservative pricing.

3. Preparing Your Home

First impressions happen online, not in person. Professional photography, twilight shots, drone video, and matterport 3D tours are standard in Adi's listings. Before photo day: declutter, depersonalize, deep-clean, and stage key rooms. For vacant or outdated homes, light virtual or physical staging pays for itself many times over. Adi coordinates the entire pre-list sequence so your home debuts at its best.

4. Marketing Plan

Your home will be listed on the MLS (feeding Zillow, Realtor.com, Redfin, and all major portals), promoted on Adi's SIRT site, syndicated internationally (critical for Israeli and Latin American buyers), advertised on Instagram and Facebook to targeted local audiences, and distributed to her private buyer network. For luxury properties, Adi adds bespoke print, broker-only tours, and targeted outreach to competitive listings' backup offers.

5. Offers & Negotiation

When offers arrive, Adi walks you through every term: price, deposit, financing type, contingencies, closing timeline, and items requested to convey. Highest price isn't always the best offer — a lower price with larger deposit, shorter timeline, or fewer contingencies can be worth more. Adi negotiates for total value, not just a headline number.

6. Inspection & Contingencies (Seller Side)

After contract, the buyer has an inspection window (usually 10-15 days) to order inspections and request repairs or credits. This is the most common renegotiation moment. Adi pre-walks your home so you know what's likely to come up, advises on which asks to accept vs. push back on, and coordinates licensed vendors if repairs are needed before closing.

7. Closing Prep

In the final 2-3 weeks, the title company runs title, prepares the closing statement, and coordinates loan payoffs. You'll provide condo/HOA estoppels, utility readings, keys and access, and (in some cases) home warranty documents. Closing day is typically in person at the title company or remotely via mobile notary and wire. Adi stays with you from contract through keys-over.

Seller FAQs

How much commission will I pay?+

In South Florida, the seller traditionally pays a total real estate commission of 5-6% of the sale price, split between the listing broker and the buyer's broker. Commission is negotiable — Adi will quote her fee directly and explain what is (and isn't) included. Recent NAR settlement changes have made buyer-side compensation more explicitly negotiable, and Adi stays current on every requirement.

How long does it take to sell in South Florida?+

Well-priced homes in strong neighborhoods often receive offers within 2-4 weeks. Luxury and ultra-luxury properties can take 3-9 months. Total time from listing to closing is typically 45-90 days (30 days on market + 30-45 days under contract). Pricing, presentation, and marketing quality drive the timeline more than any other factor.

Should I make repairs before listing?+

Some yes, some no. Cosmetic updates (paint, landscaping, deep-clean, decluttering) have outsized ROI. Major systems (roof, HVAC, plumbing) are worth disclosing and potentially fixing if near end-of-life — buyers will discover these at inspection and negotiate harder if surprised. Adi walks each home before listing and identifies the specific pre-list fixes worth making.

What's the difference between list price and sale price?+

List price is what you ask; sale price is what the property actually sells for. In a balanced South Florida market, homes typically sell within 2-5% of list price. In hot markets, multiple offers can push sales above list. In slow markets, price drops are common. Pricing correctly at launch matters more than chasing the market down.

Can I sell while still living in the home?+

Yes — most South Florida sellers remain in their home during the listing period. The key is keeping it show-ready on short notice, coordinating showings with your schedule, and arranging pets/kids for visits. Adi uses a 2-hour-notice minimum by default, adjustable to your preferences.

Do I have to pay capital gains tax?+

If the property is your primary residence and you've lived in it 2 of the last 5 years, you can exclude up to $250K of gain (single) or $500K (married filing jointly) under IRS Section 121. Investment properties owe full capital gains tax unless you do a 1031 exchange into another investment property. Foreign sellers face FIRPTA withholding — consult a CPA for your specific situation.

What's your home worth?

Share a few details and Adi will prepare a tailored CMA — recent sold comps, active competition, and a recommended price band.