Your Complete Guide to Selling Your Home with Confidence

Step 5 of 6

What to Expect During Escrow — and How We Protect You Through It.

Escrow is the period between accepting an offer and closing the sale. For many sellers it feels like the most uncertain part of the process — a lot is happening behind the scenes and it can feel like everything is out of your hands. Our job is to keep you informed, protect your position, and move every piece toward a clean close.

The Escrow Process

Once your purchase agreement is ratified, an escrow account is opened with a neutral third party — typically a title company or escrow firm. The buyer’s deposit is held in escrow, and the escrow officer manages the transfer of funds and documents between all parties. Their job is to ensure that every condition of the sale is met before funds are released and title is transferred.

Home Inspections

Almost every buyer will conduct a home inspection during the escrow period. This is a general inspection of the property’s condition — structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and more. The inspector may recommend additional specialist inspections for specific systems or concerns. As a seller, you cannot control what the inspector finds — but you can control how prepared you are for the conversation that follows.

If the inspector finds issues, the buyer has the right to request repairs, credits, or a price reduction. This is where having an experienced listing agent makes a real difference. We help you evaluate every repair request and negotiate a resolution that protects your bottom line without killing the deal unnecessarily.

Appraisal

If the buyer is financing the purchase, their lender will order an independent appraisal to verify that the property’s value supports the loan amount. If the home appraises below the purchase price, the buyer’s lender will not fund the full loan — and you may need to renegotiate the price or the buyer may need to cover the gap in cash. We prepare for this possibility in advance by building a strong pricing rationale and being ready to support the value with comparable data if needed.

Contingencies and How They Work

Most purchase agreements include contingencies — conditions that must be satisfied before the buyer is obligated to complete the purchase. Common contingencies include the inspection contingency, the financing contingency, and sometimes the sale of the buyer’s existing home. Each contingency has a deadline by which it must be satisfied or removed. As each deadline passes and contingencies are removed, the deal becomes increasingly secure. We track every one and ensure nothing slips.

Loan Approval

The buyer’s lender is working in parallel during escrow to finalize loan approval. We recommend only accepting offers from buyers with a pre-approval letter or written loan commitment — not just a pre-qualification. We stay in communication with the buyer’s agent throughout escrow to monitor the loan status and catch any issues early before they become last-minute emergencies.