Most homeowners go on the market with an estimated price and no idea what the buyer's inspection may uncover.
I believe you should have better information before the sign goes in the yard.
With The Seller Certainty Program, I pay upfront for a professional pre-listing appraisal, a complete home inspection with sewer scope, professional photography, a measured floor plan, and a full marketing campaign.
You learn what your home is worth, what may need attention, and how to position it before buyers have the opportunity to use uncertainty against you.
No pressure. No obligation to list. Start with an automated estimate, then learn how a licensed local appraiser can determine your home's real market value as part of the program.
Step One
Request Your Home Valuation
Get an automated starting estimate, then decide if a conversation makes sense.
10+
Years Serving the Valley
270+
Career Transactions
$90M+
In Career Sales
80+
Five-Star Reviews
Selling Should Not Begin With Guesswork
The most expensive surprises usually happen after a buyer is already involved.
A traditional listing process often looks like this:
01An agent recommends a price based on comparable sales.
02The home goes on the market without a complete inspection.
03A buyer makes an offer.
04The buyer's inspector finds problems.
05The buyer asks for repairs, credits, or a lower price.
06The lender's appraisal creates another possible obstacle.
By then, the seller is under contract, emotionally invested, working against deadlines, and negotiating from a weaker position.
The Seller Certainty Program changes the order.
We gather the critical information first. Then we make informed decisions about repairs, pricing, presentation, and marketing before the public ever sees your home.
What not knowing actually costs, from my own listing files
I pulled all 107 seller-side transactions in my available listing records dating back to 2016 and ran the numbers. Here is what showed up:
22%
of listings needed a price reduction before they sold
$40,767
was the average price reduction among listings that required one
32 days
longer on market, on average, than listings that never had to reduce
Price reductions do not happen for only one reason. Market conditions, property condition, seller decisions, buyer demand, and the original pricing strategy can all play a role.
But the pattern is still clear: starting the market without enough information can become expensive.
That is why the Seller Certainty Program begins with a professional appraisal, home inspection, and sewer scope. The goal is to identify the home's likely value and potential obstacles before the listing goes live, when you still have time and leverage to decide what to do about them.
The Seller Certainty Program
I invest in your sale before asking the market to invest in your home.
When you list with me through the Seller Certainty Program, I coordinate and pay the approved vendors directly. You do not pay these costs upfront.
If your home closes with me as your listing agent, you owe me nothing for the included appraisal, inspection, sewer scope, or marketing services.
This is not about dressing up a listing and hoping for the best. It is an end-to-end preparation, pricing, marketing, and negotiation system designed to help you enter the market with a plan.
Nine things handled before your home meets the market
Professional Pre-Listing Appraisal
A state-licensed or state-certified residential appraiser evaluates your property before we establish the listing strategy.
The appraisal helps us:
Develop an independent, professionally supported opinion of value
Reduce the risk of starting too high and losing valuable market time
Reduce the risk of starting too low and leaving money on the table
Identify relevant property characteristics and comparable sales
Prepare for the possibility of a buyer's lender ordering another appraisal
An automated estimate can be a useful starting point, but it has never walked through your home. A local appraiser can evaluate the property, its condition, its features, and the market surrounding it.
Complete Pre-Listing Home Inspection
A qualified home inspector examines the major visible and accessible systems and components of the home before it goes on the market.
Instead of waiting for a buyer to discover an issue during escrow, we can discuss it ahead of time and decide what makes sense.
We will sort findings into practical categories:
Repairs worth completing before listing
Health, safety, or financing-related concerns that deserve priority
Items that may be better disclosed and sold as-is
Cosmetic updates that may improve presentation or value
Larger projects that may not produce a worthwhile return
The goal is not to make your house perfect. The goal is to prevent avoidable surprises and spend money only where it may help the sale.
Pre-Listing Sewer Scope
The sewer line may be out of sight, but it should not be out of mind.
The program includes a sewer scope so we can identify certain visible line conditions before a buyer makes them part of a time-sensitive negotiation.
If the scope identifies a concern, I can help coordinate estimates and discuss the available options before the home is listed.
Repair and Preparation Strategy
After the appraisal and inspections are complete, we meet again to review the information together.
We will discuss:
The home's likely market position in its current condition
Which repairs or updates may improve marketability
How completed work could affect our pricing strategy
Which items should be disclosed
Contractor estimates and scheduling when needed
Whether eligible repair costs can be structured for payment at closing
The best timing for photography and launch
You will not receive a giant inspection report and a cheerful “good luck.” I help you interpret the information, prioritize the decisions, coordinate the moving parts, and prepare for the market.
Professional Photography
Every listing receives professional photography, typically with 40 or more finished images.
The photography plan is tailored to the property. Drone photography may be added when it helps buyers understand acreage, waterfront, luxury features, views, or the property's setting.
Measured Floor Plan
Buyers should be able to understand how a home lives before scheduling a showing.
Your listing includes a professionally measured floor plan that identifies the layout, room dimensions, and approximate finished square footage. This gives buyers useful context that photography alone cannot provide.
Property-Specific Marketing
Your home receives more than an MLS upload. The marketing plan may include:
A dedicated property website
Professional listing copy
Distribution through the MLS and major real estate websites
Promotion to local agents and prospective buyers
Direct promotion to my database, sphere, and past-client network
Social media marketing
Approximately $200 to $500 in paid Facebook and Instagram advertising
Video or vertical social content when the property benefits from it
Drone photography when the location or property type calls for it
Professional staging consultation for luxury properties
Open houses are available when you want them and when they support the strategy. I do not use your home as a weekend lead-generation booth unless there is a reason it may help you.
Weekly Communication
Every Wednesday, you receive a clear update on the listing.
I also gather feedback from showing agents by text or phone, remove the noise, and deliver the useful information through your preferred channel: phone, text, or email.
You should never have to wonder what is happening with your own home.
Direct, Strategic Negotiation
Negotiation works better when it is logical, calm, and supported by facts.
The pre-listing inspection helps us prepare for repair requests. The appraisal helps us establish a defensible pricing position. The marketing helps us reach the market. Then I handle the conversations, paperwork, deadlines, and negotiations from offer through closing.
My approach is straightforward:
Protect your price and net proceeds
Focus repair discussions on legitimate health, safety, financing, and appraisal concerns
Evaluate concessions as part of the entire offer, not as an isolated request
Keep emotion out of the decision without tolerating games
Explain the tradeoffs so you can make a confident choice
Side by Side
The traditional listing process versus the Seller Certainty Program
Traditional approach
Seller Certainty Program
TraditionalPricing begins mainly with comparable sales
Seller CertaintyPricing is informed by a professional appraisal, inspection findings, property condition, and current market data
TraditionalProblems may appear during the buyer's inspection
Seller CertaintyA pre-listing inspection and sewer scope help identify concerns before launch
TraditionalRepairs are negotiated under contract deadlines
Seller CertaintyRepairs and estimates can be considered before a buyer is involved
TraditionalThe buyer's appraisal may feel like the first true valuation test
Seller CertaintyA pre-listing appraisal helps prepare the seller for valuation issues
TraditionalBasic photos and an MLS entry may be the entire marketing plan
Seller CertaintyProfessional photography, measured floor plan, dedicated property page, direct promotion, and paid advertising
TraditionalCommunication depends on the agent
Seller CertaintyWednesday updates plus showing feedback through the seller's preferred channel
TraditionalSeller coordinates multiple vendors
Seller CertaintyLuis coordinates the approved vendors and manages the process end to end
Enter your name, contact information, and property address to receive an automated starting estimate.
The estimate is not the final pricing recommendation. It begins the conversation and helps us prepare for a more accurate review.
2
Meet With Luis
I visit the property, learn why you are considering a move, understand your timing, walk through the home, and talk through what matters most to you.
This is a conversation, not a two-hour listing-presentation hostage situation.
3
Complete the Appraisal, Inspection, and Sewer Scope
After the listing paperwork and Seller Certainty Program agreement are signed, I schedule the approved appraiser and inspector and pay them directly.
4
Build the Preparation and Pricing Plan
We review the appraisal, inspection findings, sewer scope, possible repairs, contractor estimates, and your timeline. Then we determine:
How the home may compete in its current condition
Whether targeted repairs or updates make financial sense
A pricing and launch strategy based on the available evidence
5
Prepare and Market the Home
I coordinate the remaining preparation, professional photography, measured floor plan, property website, listing copy, digital promotion, and launch.
6
Review Offers and Negotiate
When offers arrive, I break down the price, financing, contingencies, concessions, timelines, and risks. You receive a clear recommendation, but the decision remains yours.
7
Manage the Transaction Through Closing
I oversee the inspection response, appraisal, buyer financing deadlines, title and escrow coordination, documents, final walk-through, and closing.
If the home successfully closes with me as your listing agent, you owe nothing for the included Seller Certainty Program services.
Experience You Can Measure
A plan is only useful if the person executing it knows how to get a home closed.
270+ total transactions
More than $90 million in closed sales volume
Serving Willamette Valley buyers and sellers since 2016
Approximately 100.6% overall sold-to-final-list performance
Experience across Salem, Dallas, Keizer, McMinnville, Monmouth, and surrounding Oregon communities
Honest expectations beat sales-pitch promises.
The current Willamette Valley market does not always produce ten showings and five offers during the first weekend.
Across the market, it may take several weeks for the right buyer to appear, followed by a typical closing period after an offer is accepted. A quiet first week does not automatically mean a home is failing.
My job is to prepare you for the likely timeline, track the response, gather meaningful feedback, evaluate competing listings and recent sales, and recommend a change when the evidence supports one.
I will not promise that your home will sell in a specific number of days or for a guaranteed price. I will give you the information, preparation, communication, marketing, and negotiation needed to make sound decisions throughout the sale.
Selling Is Often Only Half the Move
Need to sell this home and buy the next one?
Timing two transactions can feel like trying to land two airplanes on the same runway.
There is no universal answer. We will build the plan around your finances, risk tolerance, property, and next move.
100% recommend! Luis sold our home in Oregon and connected us with a reputable realtor in Texas and we got the home of our dreams. He is fair, professional and very quick to reply any and all hours of the day promptly.
Santiago
“
Luis and his team did an absolutely amazing job helping me sell my house. He worked tirelessly for me anytime something came up with the buyers. He even worked when he was on vacation.
Adam
“
Highly recommend Luis! I always send clients his way because I know he will take excellent care of them and go above and beyond every time. He truly cares about the people he works with and really listens.
There is no upfront charge to the seller for the approved appraisal, home inspection, sewer scope, professional photography, measured floor plan, or standard listing marketing included in the program. I hire, coordinate, and pay the approved vendors directly.
Nothing at closing
If the property closes with me as the listing agent, the seller owes nothing for those included costs.
If you cancel
The listing agreement has a six-month term, but you may request cancellation at any time. If you cancel or withdraw the property without completing the sale with me, you agree to reimburse the actual costs I paid for the appraisal, inspection, sewer scope, photography, floor plan, advertising, and other approved property-specific marketing. Once reimbursement is received, copies of applicable reports may be provided to you.
All obligations will be explained in writing before any service is ordered.
Questions Sellers Ask
Frequently asked questions
Is this really available for every type of home?
The program is intended to be available to sellers throughout Luis's Willamette Valley service area and is not limited to a particular price point. Vendor availability, property location, access, complexity, and the written program agreement may affect scheduling or scope.
Is the automated home valuation the appraisal?
No. The automated valuation is only a quick starting estimate. If you choose to list through the Seller Certainty Program, a state-licensed or state-certified local appraiser will inspect and evaluate the property and prepare an independent appraisal.
Who chooses the appraiser and inspector?
Luis hires approved, independent vendors and pays them directly. The appraiser and inspector remain responsible for their own professional findings and opinions.
Does the pre-listing appraisal guarantee my selling price?
No. It provides an independent opinion of value as of a particular date. Market conditions, buyer demand, property condition, financing, negotiations, and a buyer's separate lender appraisal can affect the final result.
Does a pre-listing inspection mean the buyer will waive their inspection?
No. Buyers may still obtain their own inspections and conduct any due diligence allowed by the purchase agreement. The pre-listing inspection helps the seller identify certain issues earlier so there is time to evaluate repairs, estimates, disclosures, and pricing.
What happens if the inspection finds something expensive?
We review the finding, determine whether additional evaluation is appropriate, obtain estimates when needed, and discuss the available options. Depending on the issue, it may make sense to repair it, disclose it, adjust the strategy, or explore whether an eligible cost can be paid at closing.
Do I have to repair everything in the inspection report?
No. Homes are not expected to be perfect. We will prioritize health and safety concerns, potential financing requirements, issues that could materially affect buyers, and work that may provide a reasonable return.
Will buyers see the inspection or appraisal?
The handling and disclosure of reports depends on the documents, findings, applicable law, transaction circumstances, and your written instructions. We will discuss this before marketing and during preparation of the seller's disclosures. Sellers should consult qualified legal counsel regarding specific disclosure questions.
What happens if I decide not to sell?
You may request cancellation. If you cancel or withdraw without completing the sale with Luis, you must reimburse the actual program and property-specific marketing expenses stated in the written agreement. After reimbursement, applicable reports may be provided to you.
What if a buyer backs out?
Luis continues representing and marketing the property under the listing agreement. The program is tied to completing the property's sale with Luis, not merely accepting the first offer.
What if the listing does not sell during the six-month agreement?
Before the agreement expires, Luis and the seller will review the market response and discuss the next step. The written agreement should specify what happens to program expenses if the listing expires without closing or the seller chooses not to continue.
Are open houses required?
No. They are available when the seller wants one and when they fit the marketing strategy.
How often will I hear from Luis?
You receive a listing update every Wednesday, plus meaningful showing feedback as it is received. Feedback can be delivered by phone, text, or email.
Can you help me buy my next home while selling this one?
Yes. Luis can help coordinate the sale and purchase, evaluate financing and contingency options, estimate proceeds, and build a timeline around both transactions.
Do you serve my area?
Luis primarily serves Salem, Keizer, Dallas, Monmouth, Independence, Turner, McMinnville, and surrounding Willamette Valley communities. Submit your address to confirm availability.
Meet Your Principal Broker
Real estate built on relationships, backed by preparation.
I'm Luis Garibay, Principal Broker with The Garibay Group at Sparrow Real Estate.
I have served Willamette Valley buyers and sellers since 2016. I am also an Oregon Army National Guard veteran, a husband, and a father of three boys. I understand that a sale is not simply a transaction. It affects your money, your timeline, your family, and whatever comes next.
My business has been built overwhelmingly through past clients, relationships, and referrals. That only happens when people feel informed, protected, and comfortable trusting you with the people they care about.
I created the Seller Certainty Program because homeowners deserve more than an opinion, a sign, and an MLS upload. They deserve to know what they are dealing with before the negotiations begin.
Find out what your home may be worth, then discover what it could be worth with the right preparation.
Start with a fast automated estimate. If you decide the Seller Certainty Program is right for you, we will replace online guesswork with an independent local appraisal, a pre-listing inspection, and a strategy built around your actual property.
