How Does Selling a Home in Chandler or Tempe Work, Step by Step?

Oct 13

Selling a home in Chandler or Tempe follows 14 steps in four stages: getting ready to list, time on the market, escrow under the Arizona purchase contract, and closing. Each step below says what happens, what you'll need to do, and links to a full explainer, so you can see where you are and what's coming next.

If I'm helping you sell, my emails will tell you which step you're on. Bookmark this page and look ahead whenever you like. Ask me anything, anytime. My goal is that you never have to ask what comes next.

Stage 1: Getting ready to list

Step 1: Set the strategy and the price

We walk the home, look at what has sold and what's sitting nearby, and agree on a price and a launch plan. On a $1M+ home, small pricing choices matter, like whether to list at $999,000 or $1 million, which I explain in this pricing breakdown. You can also see how I sell a home from start to finish.

What you do: Share your timeline, your next move, and anything you know about the home.

Step 2: Gather the paperwork

You'll pull a five-year insurance claims history, list your improvements, fill out the seller's disclosure, and decide what stays with the house. Doing this now keeps you ahead of the contract deadlines later. Here's the full paperwork checklist.

What you do: Call your insurance agent for the claims report, and start your SPDS.

Step 3: Prep the home

Small fixes, deep cleaning, decluttering, and sometimes staging. The goal is a home that looks cared for in photos and in person. Whether staging is worth it depends on the home, and I cover that in do you need to stage a $1M+ home.

What you do: Knock out the punch list we agree on.

Step 4: Photo day

A professional photographer shoots the home, usually in two to three hours. Then come edits, the listing write-up, and your approval. Use the photo day checklist to get each room ready.

What you do: Lights on, fans off, counters clear, cars gone.

Stage 2: On the market

Step 5: Launch

Your home goes live with photos, video, and a marketing plan built for $1M+ buyers. Some sellers prefer a quieter start, and Arizona's MLS rules shape what's possible there. I explain the choice in selling quietly or on the MLS, and what a full launch should include in what marketing a $1M+ listing should get.

What you do: Keep the home show-ready and the lockbox stocked.

Step 6: Showings and weekly updates

Buyers tour the home, and you get a weekly activity report with showings, online views, and feedback. If the numbers say something needs to change, we talk about it early rather than letting the home sit.

What you do: Step out for showings, keep pets and valuables secure, and read your weekly report.

Step 7: Review offers

When an offer comes in, I walk you through price, terms, financing, and timelines in plain English, and we decide whether to accept, counter, or pass. If the first number feels low, read why the first offer may be lower than you expected before reacting.

What you do: Make the call. My job is to make sure you have what you need to make it well.

Stage 3: Under contract

Step 8: Escrow opens

Once you accept, the Arizona contract's clock starts, counting calendar days. Escrow opens with a title company and the buyer deposits earnest money. Here's the full under-contract timeline.

What you do: Watch for title company emails and keep your utilities on through closing.

Step 9: Disclosures go to the buyer

Your SPDS is due within 3 days and your insurance claims history within 5 days. If there's an HOA, its resale documents go to the buyer too. Here's what Arizona requires you to disclose.

What you do: Sign the SPDS and send the claims report, if you haven't already.

Step 10: Inspection and the BINSR

The buyer has a 10-day inspection period by default. They send a BINSR with any requests, you have 5 days to respond, and they have 5 days to accept or cancel. Read how the inspection period and BINSR work.

What you do: Give inspectors access, then decide on repairs or credits with me.

Step 11: Appraisal

If the buyer is financing, their lender orders an appraisal. If it comes in below the price, the buyer has 5 days to cancel, and there are several ways to bridge the gap. Read what happens if a $1M+ home appraises low.

What you do: Give the appraiser access. I'll handle the comps.

Step 12: Repairs and receipts

Any repairs you agreed to get done the right way, and paid receipts go to the buyer at least 3 days before closing. This is the deadline sellers miss most, so start early. Read how seller repairs and receipts work.

What you do: Book contractors right away and get a paid invoice for each job.

Stage 4: Closing

Step 13: Walkthrough, signing, and closing day

The buyer does a final walkthrough. You sign with the title company a day or two before closing. Closing happens when the deed records with Maricopa County, and then the keys change hands. Read what happens on closing day in Arizona, including how to protect yourself from wire fraud.

What you do: Bring your ID to signing, and verify any wiring instructions by phone.

Step 14: Move out and hand off

Leave keys, remotes, gate fobs, manuals, and codes for the new owner. Schedule your utilities to shut off the day after closing, not the day of. If you need movers, cleaners, or a handyman, start with my trusted vendor list.

What you do: Hand off the house and enjoy what's next.

Quick answers

What are the steps to selling a house in Arizona?

Most Arizona home sales move through pricing, paperwork, prep and photos, launch, showings, offers, escrow, disclosures, inspection, appraisal, repairs, final walkthrough, signing, and recording the deed with the county.

How long does it take to sell a house in Chandler or Tempe?

It depends on prep time, how long the home is on the market, and the escrow length in your contract. Getting your paperwork and photos done before launch is the easiest way to keep things moving.

When does a home sale officially close in Arizona?

When the deed records with the county recorder, which is Maricopa County for Chandler and Tempe. Signing usually happens a day or two earlier.

If you're thinking about selling and want to know which step you're really on, let's talk. Call or text me at 480-448-2020, or book a time to talk.

Ben Graham

You’ve made it. Now you want a home that finally feels like it.

Since 2011, I’ve helped move-up and move-in buyers do exactly that across South Tempe and South Chandler. More land, more quiet, more character, without leaving the city behind. If you’re buying or selling above $1M in 85284 or 85248, you want an advisor who knows the ground, not a salesperson who knows a script.

That’s the whole job, and it’s the part I love most.

Book a Phone Consultation

Ben is a husband, father, and full-time real estate advisor based in Chandler. Since 2011, across more than 500 transactions, he’s guided buyers and sellers through the Southeast Valley’s best neighborhoods.

His approach is simple: teach the market like a teacher, protect your equity like it’s his own, and tell you the truth even when the truth is “wait.” Clear communication, a proven plan, and your interests first.

Most of Ben’s clients fall into two camps.

The move-up buyer who’s outgrown a great starter home in Chandler or Tempe and is ready for something that feels like an arrival. More space, more privacy, more character, same easy access to four freeways, great schools, and Sky Harbor.

The move-in buyer relocating from out of town who needs someone who actually knows which street holds its value and which one only looks like it does.

He also represents sellers across South Tempe and South Chandler who want their home priced right in week one and marketed like the asset it is.

Faith and family are the center of how Ben lives and works. He’s a follower of Christ, a husband, and a father, raising his kids in Chandler with his wife Sarah. The family is active at CCV, the kids attend Valley Christian, and they support foster care and adoption. One of their sons joined the family that way.

Clients often tell Ben his faith is part of why they trusted him with one of the biggest decisions of their lives. He doesn’t take that lightly.

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https://www.8448luxury.com/