Step 1: Get Pre-Qualified
Before you start browsing homes, it’s important to understand how much home you can afford. Getting pre-qualified with a lender helps you establish your buying power based on your income, assets, credit, and debt.
This step doesn’t lock you into a loan, but it gives you a financial foundation, and it’s often the first thing a seller wants to see when considering your offer. Your ERA agent can connect you with trusted lending professionals who are responsive, transparent, and familiar with local programs.
Step 2: Select an Agent
Partnering with the right real estate agent is key. At ERA Brokers | Colonial | Donahoe, our agents do more than unlock doors. They bring local expertise, strategic guidance, and sharp negotiation skills to the table.
A good agent listens to your goals, helps you navigate the market, and advocates for your best interests from start to finish. This relationship sets the tone for your entire experience, and it should feel like a true partnership.
Step 3: Search for a Home
Now the fun begins. With your budget in place and your agent by your side, you’ll begin identifying the types of homes and neighborhoods that align with your goals.
Think about what matters most to you: location, layout, commute, schools, outdoor space, and prioritize your “must-haves” and “nice-to-haves.” Your ERA agent will guide you through in-person tours, virtual showings, and market comparisons so you can make informed decisions along the way.
Step 4: Make an Offer
Found the one? Your agent will help you draft a competitive offer based on current market conditions, comparable sales, and your desired terms. This includes your offer price, earnest money deposit, contingencies (like financing or inspections), and timeline.
An effective offer balances your goals with a strategy that makes it attractive to the seller, and your agent will be there to advise and handle the details.
Step 5: Negotiate the Terms
Sometimes your initial offer is accepted right away. Other times, the seller may counter. Your agent will help you evaluate the counteroffer, renegotiate if needed, and walk you through the terms line-by-line to make sure everything is clear and fair.
Negotiations might include price, closing timelines, repairs, or personal property (like appliances or furniture). Your ERA agent’s expertise ensures you stay protected and confident throughout.
Step 6: Under Contract
Your offer has been accepted. Congrats! At this stage, you’re officially under contract, meaning the seller has agreed to your price and terms. But while this is a major milestone, there’s still important work ahead before the keys are in your hand.
Your ERA agent will help you navigate what happens next, including opening escrow, coordinating deadlines, and preparing for inspections and the appraisal. This phase is all about keeping the process on track and making sure every detail moves forward smoothly.
Step 7: Inspection and Appraisal
With the home under contract, it’s time to dive into the details. First, you’ll schedule a professional home inspection to evaluate the property’s condition. The inspector will check the structure, systems, and safety of the home, giving you clarity on any issues that may need to be addressed before closing.
Meanwhile, your lender will order a home appraisal. This determines the market value of the property to ensure it supports the loan amount. Your ERA agent will help coordinate both of these steps and guide you through how to respond to the findings, whether that means renegotiating, requesting repairs, or simply moving forward with confidence.
Step 8: Pre-Closing
As you move toward closing day, your ERA agent becomes your go-to guide for finalizing the remaining details. This includes reviewing your settlement statement, confirming your homeowner’s insurance, verifying loan documents, and preparing for your final walkthrough of the home.
This is the moment where everything starts coming together—and your agent will keep everything organized so you can focus on what’s next.
Step 9: Closing
Closing day is the finish line—and the beginning of your next chapter. This is when the ownership of the home officially transfers to you. You’ll sign the final documents, transfer funds, and receive the keys to your new home.
Your ERA agent and closing team will ensure everything runs smoothly so you can celebrate with confidence.
Step 10: Move In
Congratulations—you’re a homeowner! Now it’s time to settle in, unpack, and make the space your own. Your relationship with ERA doesn’t end at the closing table. Your agent is here to help long after move-in day with contractor referrals, local insights, and future real estate planning.
ERA Brokers | Colonial | Donahoe: With You Every Step
From pre-qualification to move-in day, Brokers | Colonial | Donahoe is your guide, your resource, and your advocate. Want to dig deeper? Download our Buyer Guide for to learn more about our team, our marketing process, and other resources available to you.
Let’s get started—your next chapter begins here.
About Us: At ERA Brokers | Colonial | Donahoe we are a brokerage infused with proprietary real estate technology. As part of Brokers Holdings, our organization operates commercial and residential brokerages in Arizona, California, Texas, Nevada, and Utah. With over 800 agents and staff, we collectively close over 5,500 transactions worth more than $2 billion in value annually. In addition, we manage nearly 2,500 property management units worth nearly $1 Billion in value for our clients. Founded in 1982, the firm has been helping clients for more than 40 years.