2026-10-24 · 7 min read · South Coast Massachusetts
Three Steps Inside My 135-Step Listing Process That Surprise Sellers
The document is long because selling a house has a lot of moving parts
I am Susan Gorden Ryan, a REALTOR® with Jack Conway in Mattapoisett, MA. My listing process runs 135 documented steps across eight stages, from the first conversation through what happens after closing. Most sellers, when they hear that number, picture something bureaucratic. In practice, it is the opposite. It exists so that nothing important depends on someone's memory on a busy week.
Three steps in particular tend to surprise people the first time they see them, because they happen earlier, or go further, than most sellers expect.
Step: pricing against what buyers are actually comparing, not just recent sales
Most sellers expect a comparative market analysis built from recent nearby sales. That part is standard. What surprises people is the next layer: looking at what is currently active and will be competing directly against your home for the same buyer's attention the week you list, not just what sold three months ago under different conditions.
A price that looks right against last quarter's sales can still land wrong against this week's actual competition. That comparison happens before a number ever goes on the listing.
Step: deciding what NOT to fix, in writing, before you spend a dollar
Sellers brace themselves for a long list of repairs. What surprises people is how much of the conversation is about what to deliberately skip. As a Certified Home Stager, a good part of my job is telling you where a dollar spent will not come back to you, not just where it will.
That decision gets written down, with the reasoning, so it is a choice you made on purpose rather than something you second-guess later.
Step: a documented communication plan, not just a promise to be responsive
Every agent says they will keep you in the loop. Fewer agents actually write down when and how that happens: after every showing, after every offer, on a set rhythm even in a quiet week. That piece of the process exists because “I'll keep you posted” means something different to every person who says it, and a written cadence means you are never left guessing what silence means.
What all three have in common
None of these three steps are flashy. They are not the photography or the open house. They are the quiet, structural decisions that determine whether the flashy parts actually work. If you want to see more of what the full 135 steps cover for your own home, get in touch and I will walk you through it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a 135-step listing process different from a typical agent's approach?
The structural steps are written down and happen the same way on every listing: comparing against current competing inventory, documenting which repairs to skip and why, and setting a communication cadence in advance rather than promising to be responsive and leaving it there.
Why would an agent recommend NOT fixing something before selling?
Not every repair returns its cost in the sale price. A Certified Home Stager's role includes identifying which fixes genuinely help and which ones are better left alone, and writing that decision down so it is deliberate rather than second-guessed later.
How often should a seller hear from their agent while the home is listed?
There is no universal number, but it should be set in advance and in writing: after every showing, after every offer, and on a regular cadence even when nothing new has happened, so silence is never mistaken for a problem.