The Seller's Guide

Selling your home, done properly.

From the first conversation to the final signature — how we position, prepare, and launch your home, what it costs to sell in New York, and what we handle so you don't have to.

Who we are

Your home, presented as carefully as it was lived in.

Ari Lopez & Partners is a residential sales practice at Douglas Elliman Real Estate, built for owners who expect their home presented as carefully as it was lived in. We represent residences throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn — from prewar co-ops to new-development penthouses — pairing Douglas Elliman's marketing reach with personal, discreet representation.

The work begins before the listing. We study who is buying in your building and your neighborhood, reach out to them directly, and give you an honest read of the numbers — so the price is right and the audience is already waiting.

We don't open the door and hope. We position, prepare, and launch each home as an event, and stay accountable from the first valuation to the keys.

  • One standard

    Every detail of the sale, held to it

  • Preparation

    The home ready before the market sees it

  • Honest numbers

    A clear read of price and proceeds

  • Discretion

    Your name stays off what it needn't be on

01
Stage one · Understanding you

The Conversation

Before price or paint, we listen.

Every sale begins with a conversation, not a contract. We meet to understand what you are selling and why — the timing behind the move, the outcome that makes it worthwhile, and how involved you wish to be along the way.

We walk the home together, learn its history, and begin to see it as a buyer will. From that first visit, we are already shaping how it should be positioned and to whom.

    What we handle

  • A private, no-obligation consultation
  • An honest first assessment of the home
  • A clear read of your goals and timeline
  • One accountable point of contact
02
Stage two · Pricing with precision

The Valuation

Priced to be discovered, not overlooked.

Price is the most important marketing decision we will make together. We prepare a comparative market analysis — recent sales, active competition, and how quickly inventory is moving — and pair the data with what we know of live buyer demand.

We price to invite attention and competition in the first weeks, when interest is highest. An honest, confident number creates momentum; an inflated one quietly costs you both time and value.

    What we handle

  • A detailed comparative market analysis
  • Active, pending, and closed comparables
  • A pricing strategy matched to your timeline
  • A personalized estimate of net proceeds
Worth knowing

Your net-proceeds estimate is prepared at the start and updated as the deal takes shape — you will never be surprised at the closing table.

03
Stage three · Readying the home

The Preparation

Presentation is everything.

Buyers form an opinion in seconds and pay for the feeling a home gives them. Before anything goes public, we prepare the property to show at its very best.

We advise on what is worth doing and what is not — the repairs, refreshes, and edits that return more than they cost — and coordinate trusted vendors so the work is handled for you, not added to your list.

    What we handle

  • A room-by-room preparation plan
  • Decluttering, light repairs, and refresh advice
  • Professional staging, partial or full
  • Trusted vendors managed end to end
04
Stage four · Capturing the home

The Story

A home that photographs like a destination.

With the home ready, we build the materials that will represent it everywhere. Magazine-quality photography, cinematic film, accurate floor plans, and writing that gives the residence a voice.

These assets are produced to a single, exacting standard, because they will be seen by thousands long before anyone walks through the door.

    What we handle

  • Architectural photography, day and twilight
  • Cinematic video and aerial film where fitting
  • Measured floor plans and a property narrative
  • A printed brochure and digital presentation
05
Stage five · Bringing it to market

The Launch

We launch as an event, not a listing.

A coordinated launch builds demand from day one. Your home goes live across the RLS and the major portals, the Douglas Elliman platform, and — for the right residences — the global reach of the Knight Frank alliance.

We layer targeted digital campaigns, direct outreach to the buyers and brokers our research has identified, social promotion, and considered print, so the right audience sees your home at exactly the right moment.

    What we handle

  • Syndication across the RLS and major portals
  • Douglas Elliman and Knight Frank distribution
  • Targeted digital and social campaigns
  • Direct outreach to qualified buyers and brokers
Worth knowing

Prefer privacy over publicity? The same preparation supports a quiet, off-market sale — shown only to buyers we approach.

06
Stage six · Opening the doors

The Showings

Every visit, considered.

We manage access so that showing your home never disrupts your life. Private appointments, broker previews, and curated open houses are scheduled, hosted, and followed up on entirely by us.

After each visit we gather candid feedback and report to you honestly — what buyers love, what gives them pause, and what, if anything, we should adjust.

    What we handle

  • Scheduled private and broker showings
  • Hosted, well-presented open houses
  • Honest feedback gathered after every visit
  • Regular, transparent progress updates
07
Stage seven · Securing the best terms

The Negotiation

Price is one term among many.

When offers arrive, we vet each buyer's ability to perform — financing, funds, and motivation — so you are negotiating from knowledge, not hope.

We negotiate every term that matters: price, contingencies, timing, and certainty of closing. Where interest is strong, we create the conditions for competition to work in your favor.

    What we handle

  • Verification of buyer financing and funds
  • Management of multiple or competing offers
  • Strategy across price, terms, and timing
  • Negotiation toward the strongest, surest deal
08
Stage eight · From offer to agreement

The Contract

Where a deal becomes binding.

An accepted offer is the beginning of the legal process, not the end of ours. We circulate a complete deal sheet and coordinate with your attorney as the contract of sale is drafted, reviewed, and signed, and the buyer's deposit is placed in escrow.

We keep every party moving — attorneys, the buyer's side, and you — so nothing stalls between handshake and signature.

    What we handle

  • A complete deal sheet to both attorneys
  • Oversight of contract, deposit, and escrow
  • Coordination with your real estate attorney
  • A clear timeline to the next milestone
09
Stage nine · The building's approval

The Board

The detail that makes or breaks a New York sale.

For co-ops and many condominiums, the building has a say. We help the buyer assemble a complete, compelling board package and prepare them for the interview — because their approval is your closing.

We know what a board looks for, and how to keep a strong application from faltering on a technicality.

    What we handle

  • Guidance on the board package and requirements
  • A completeness review before submission
  • Interview preparation for the buyer
  • Coordination with the managing agent
10
Stage ten · Crossing the finish line

The Closing

The keys change hands.

In the final stretch we shepherd the appraisal, the buyer's mortgage commitment, and the title and lien searches, resolving anything that surfaces before it can threaten the date.

We attend the final walk-through and the closing table, confirm every figure on your statement, and stay until the deed is delivered and the proceeds are yours.

    What we handle

  • Oversight of appraisal and loan commitment
  • Final walk-through and closing attendance
  • Title, lien, and payoff coordination
  • Your closing statement, reviewed line by line

Understanding seller costs

What to expect at closing.

Brokerage Commission

The negotiated fee for marketing and representing your home, typically the largest single cost.

Transfer Taxes

New York City and New York State taxes on the transfer of property, scaled to the sale price.

Attorney Fees

Your real estate attorney’s fee for contract, negotiation, and closing.

Flip Tax & Building Fees

For many co-ops and condos, a transfer fee to the building, plus move-out and processing charges.

Mortgage Payoff

The balance of any existing loan, plus recording and satisfaction fees, paid from proceeds.

Closing Adjustments

Prepaid taxes, common charges, or maintenance, prorated to the date of closing.

Every sale is different, and rates change. Early in our work together, we prepare a personalized estimate of your net proceeds — a clear, line-by-line projection of what you will walk away with — and update it as the deal takes shape. You will never be surprised at the closing table.

After the sale

Beyond the keys.

The relationship outlasts the transaction.

Our work does not end at the closing table. We help close one chapter cleanly — the move, the logistics, the loose ends — and remain a resource for whatever comes next, here in New York or anywhere the Douglas Elliman network reaches.

A sale done well is one you never have to think about again, and one you feel comfortable sending the people you care about to us for. That is what we set out to earn from the very first conversation.

    How we stay with you

  • A smooth handover and move coordination
  • Introductions for your next home, here or abroad
  • Market updates whenever you want them
  • A team you can call, long after closing

Begin the conversation

Let’s begin with a conversation.

When you are ready, we will start where every sale should — by understanding you. Tell us about your home and your timing, and we will show you exactly how we would bring it to market.

Buying instead? Read the Buyer's Guide

Ari Lopez

“The work happens before the transaction.”